State v. Vidal

901 So. 2d 484, 2005 WL 711889
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 29, 2005
Docket04-KA-1139
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 901 So. 2d 484 (State v. Vidal) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Vidal, 901 So. 2d 484, 2005 WL 711889 (La. Ct. App. 2005).

Opinion

901 So.2d 484 (2005)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Kenneth M. VIDAL.

No. 04-KA-1139.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fifth Circuit.

March 29, 2005.

*485 Paul D. Connick, Jr., District Attorney, Terry M. Boudreaux, Juliet Clark, Bradley Burget, Assistant District Attorneys, Gretna, LA, for Plaintiff/Appellee.

Frank Sloan, Louisiana Appellate Project, Mandeville, LA, for Defendant/Appellant.

Panel composed of Judges THOMAS F. DALEY, MARION F. EDWARDS, and SUSAN M. CHEHARDY.

THOMAS F. DALEY, Judge.

The defendant, Kenneth Vidal, has appealed his conviction of third offense driving while intoxicated. For the reasons that follow, we affirm the conviction and remand this matter for re-sentencing.

*486 FACTS:

At trial, Louisiana State Police Trooper Eugene Narcisse testified that, on February 26, 2000, at approximately 10:34 p.m., he was traveling westbound on the West Bank Expressway service road. Trooper Narcisse was about thirty feet behind defendant's vehicle when he saw defendant make a right turn from the center lane onto Manhattan Boulevard. Trooper Narcisse activated his police lights and defendant pulled into a nearby parking lot. He testified that defendant exited the vehicle, "stumbled slightly," and "staggered" as he walked toward the officer. While Trooper Narcisse interviewed defendant, he was "swaying" and "stumbling." Trooper Narcisse testified he noticed "a very strong odor of alcohol" on defendant's breath. When the trooper asked defendant about the odor of alcohol, defendant told the trooper that he had two Crown Royal liquor drinks and one Heineken beer before operating his vehicle.

Trooper Narcisse explained that he administered the field sobriety test, which is comprised of the nystagmus test, the walk and turn, and the "one leg stand" test. Defendant performed poorly on all phases of the field sobriety test. Regarding the nystagmus test, the trooper explained that defendant's eyes lacked smooth pursuit and did not track equally. According to Trooper Narcisse, defendant's performance on the nystagmus test indicated a blood alcohol concentration of approximately.1 or greater.

Trooper Narcisse explained that defendant was unable to complete the other two tests because of his impaired condition. Before starting the walk and turn test, defendant nearly fell twice and stumbled off of the line several times while performing this test. Defendant was unable to stand up without swaying, and almost fell while listening to instructions. Trooper Narcisse testified that he terminated both tests to prevent defendant from hurting himself. Trooper Narcisse asked defendant to recite the alphabet, but defendant only reached the letter "D" before stating that he was unable to complete the alphabet. Trooper Narcisse testified that defendant refused to submit to the intoxilyzer test, stating, "`I've been there before. I know not to do that.'" Trooper Narcisse then arrested defendant for third offense DWI.

According to his testimony and his medical records, defendant was diagnosed with Huntington's Chylorrhea on or about July 28, 2002. Defendant explained that this is an incurable disease that progressively gets worse. He explained that the disease causes him to be unable to grasp objects, and said that his balance, memory, and speech have become impaired.

Defendant denied that he made an illegal turn. He claimed that the officer told him that he was being stopped for nearly running into the officer. According to defendant, it was foggy that night, and he was not sure what direction the officer wanted him to proceed once the officer's lights were activated. Defendant testified that he did not recall the officer asking him to recite the alphabet, and he recited the alphabet for the trial judge upon the request of the prosecutor. Defendant said that he did not perform the walk and turn test because he did not believe it was necessary, and that he could not recall whether he performed the one leg stand test. Defendant denied that he stumbled or fell that night. However, defendant said that Huntington's could cause him to stumble or fall involuntarily.

Defendant testified on direct examination that he had one beer during lunch and a "couple of drinks" at a friend's house after he left work at 9:00 p.m. However, on cross-examination, he said that he left *487 work at 7:00 p.m. and that he consumed two mixed drinks of Crown Royal and 7-Up at his friend's house over the course of two hours. He also estimated that Trooper Narcisse pulled him over two to three hours after leaving his friend's house. Defendant denied that he was intoxicated that night, and stated that he believed he was suffering from Huntington's Chylorrhea when Trooper Narcisse stopped him.

At the conclusion of trial, defendant was found guilty of third offense driving while intoxicated and was given a three year suspended sentence. He was sentenced to one year home incarceration and two years active probation. This timely appeal followed.

LAW AND DISCUSSION:

In his sole Assignment of Error, defendant argues that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction because the State failed to prove he was legally intoxicated. Specifically, defendant contends that the evidence did not exclude the reasonable hypothesis of innocence that clinical symptoms of Huntington's Chylorrhea, rather than effects of alcohol, could have accounted for his behavior. The State responds that the trial court rationally rejected the alternate hypothesis of innocence and that the evidence supports defendant's conviction.

The constitutional standard for testing the sufficiency of the evidence, as enunciated in Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979), requires that a conviction be based on proof sufficient for any rational trier of fact, viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, to find the essential elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. State v. Ortiz, 96-1609 (La.10/21/97), 701 So.2d 922, cert. denied, 524 U.S. 943, 118 S.Ct. 2352, 141 L.Ed.2d 722 (1998). Under LSA-R.S. 15:438, "[t]he rule as to circumstantial evidence is: assuming every fact to be proved that the evidence tends to prove, in order to convict, it must exclude every reasonable hypothesis of innocence." However, this requirement does not establish a standard separate from the Jackson standard, but provides a helpful methodology for determining the existence of reasonable doubt. State v. Jones, 98-842 (La.App. 5 Cir. 2/10/99), 729 So.2d 57, 63. In assessing other possible hypotheses in circumstantial evidence cases, the appellate court does not determine whether another possible hypothesis suggested by a defendant could afford an exculpatory explanation of the events. State v. Davis, 92-1623 (La.5/23/94), 637 So.2d 1012, 1020, cert. denied, 513 U.S. 975, 115 S.Ct. 450, 130 L.Ed.2d 359 (1994). Instead, the reviewing court evaluates the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution and determines whether the possible alternative hypothesis is sufficiently reasonable that a rational juror could not have found proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt under the Jackson standard. Id.

At the time of the underlying offense in February 2000, LSA-R.S. 14:98 provided in relevant part:

A.(1) The crime of operating a vehicle while intoxicated is the operating of any motor vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, vessel, or other means of conveyance when:

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Bluebook (online)
901 So. 2d 484, 2005 WL 711889, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-vidal-lactapp-2005.