Tangner v. Oklahoma City

1975 OK CR 85, 535 P.2d 698, 1975 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 343
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 13, 1975
DocketNo. M-74-498
StatusPublished

This text of 1975 OK CR 85 (Tangner v. Oklahoma City) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tangner v. Oklahoma City, 1975 OK CR 85, 535 P.2d 698, 1975 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 343 (Okla. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

OPINION

BLISS, Judge:

Appellant, Carl A. Tangner, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged, tried and convicted in the Municipal Court of Record, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Case No. A-27276, for the offense of Driving Under the Influence, in violation of Oklahoma City Municipal Ordinance No. 3478. The jury fixed his punishment at a fine of One Hundred ($100.00) dollars, and from said judgment and sentence a timely appeal has been perfected to this Court.

The State’s only witness at trial' was John M. Hull. He testified that he was a police officer and was so employed on the 19th day of November, 1973, when at approximately 11:30 p. m. while located at the 8000 block of North Western, Oklahoma City, he had occasion to observe a 1965 Chevrolet pickup traveling south on North Western in the right hand lane with the horn honking. He further testified that he observed the pickup make an abrupt sharp left turn from the right hand lane without signaling, thereafter, crossing three lanes of traffic. He stated that as soon as the pickup started making the turn he turned on his emergency equipment and pursued the pickup which stopped behind a bar. He stepped from his vehicle and approached the driver of the pickup and met him. He stated that upon meeting said driver he immediately noticed that his eyes were extremely bloodshot, watery and dilated; that he had a very strong order of alcoholic beverage about his breath and person and, further, that the driver swayed while he was standing still. He further testified that after asking the driver for his driver’s license said driver began looking through his wallet in a fumbling manner characteristic of a person under the influence of alcohol. The driver handed him a fishing license, an insurance card, and [700]*700then another card, and finally Officer Hull had to point out the driver’s license. He stated that the driver’s speech was mush-mouthed with a thick-tongued accent. He testified that in the course of his experience as a police officer he had occasion to observe people who were, in fact, ■ under the influence of alcohol and that in his opinion the driver of the pickup was under the influence of alcohol to such a degree that he was violating Municipal Ordinance No. 3478. Thereafter, he identified, in court, the defendant as the individual who he had seen and observed on the night in question. He stated he advised the defendant of his Miranda Rights and asked the defendant if he had been drinking to which the defendant replied “one can and three quarts.” He stated that while transporting the defendant to the mobile laboratory unit the defendant was partially out of the window on the passenger’s side waving both his arms at a vehicle behind them. He told the defendant to quit waving his arms and the defendant replied, “that’s all right” and that he was not going to do it and that he was not going to roll up his window. In order to avoid any hazards he pulled over and placed handcuffs on the defendant. The charge for which the defendant was placed under arrest was Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.

On cross-examination Officer Hull testified that the weather on the night in question was warm and clear because the windows were rolled down. Thereafter, the parties stipulated that the 8000 block of North Western Street in its entirety is in fact located within the corporate limits of Oklahoma City.

The defendant took the stand to testify in his own behalf. He testified that on the 18th of November, 1973, he was taken into custody for driving under the influence of alcohol. He then related the following facts which surrounded his arrest that day. Being in the business of real estate sales, earlier that day he had been in Nichols Hills trying to close up a house because of rainy weather. Thereafter while driving south on Western, he saw a police car and honked his horn because a person in his business must rely on the police on many occasions. After passing the police vehicle, he pulled in behind a bar at which time he heard shrilling tires and saw the police vehicle in pursuit of him. The police vehicle pulled in behind the bar and the officer approached him. At this time he stated he was either out or halfway out of his pickup. The first thing the officer said to him was, “Give me your keys.” And thereafter he was asked for his driver’s license. He said the reason the officer asked him for his keys was that he was informed that he was going with the officer and that a wrecker was coming out. He testified the officer advised him he was being taken into custody before the officer had any opportunity to observe his speech, his walk or the condition of his eyes.

On cross-examination the defendant stated that on the day of his arrest he had pneumonia and, further, he had consumed about four beers, two quarts of ginger ale, 10 quarts or more of water, 20 cups of coffee, cheese and crackers and a candy bar.

John M. Hull was then called as a defense witness. The witness was asked whether or not, in this particular instance, a test was made for intoxication to which he replied in the negative.

On cross-examination Officer Hull further related that there was no chemical test made for alcoholic influence of the defendant because the defendant refused to take any type of chemical test. He then related that the date of this particular offense was November 18. He testified that the defendant requested a blood test be taken by his (defendant’s) doctor, however, no test was made because the doctor did not come. He stated that he advised the defendant of the implied consent law and the card from which the officer read the implied consent law was admitted into evidence. He related that the defendant was offered a blood test or a breath test both of which were rejected by the defendant.

The defendant’s first assignment of error alleges that the prosecution’s evidence [701]*701was of sufficient variance from the information sought to be proved that the trial court committed reversible error in not sustaining the defendant’s motion to quash and demur. The defendant’s argument is premised upon the fact that the date on the Information was one day later than when the alleged events in question occurred.

In the case of Stanley v. State, 97 Okl. Cr. 92, 258 P.2d 690 (1953), when presented with a similar problem, this Court held in Syllabus 1:

“Unless time is a material ingredient of the offense, the precise time at which an offense was committed need not be stated in an indictment or information, and, if stated, a variance between the proof and the allegation as to the date is not material so long as the crime is proven within three years prior to the initiation of the prosecution.”

We further note that in the instant case, after the trial had started, the prosecution was allowed to amend the Information from the 19th day of November to the 18th day of November, the latter being the date on which the defendant alleges the events in question occurred. Also the record reflects that the prosecution’s evidence conformed to the amended date.

In the light of the above, we fail to find the defendant was prejudiced nor did any error occur. See, 22 O.S.1971, § 304. Thus we find the defendant’s first assignment to be without merit.

Defendant’s second proposition asserts that the trial court committed prejudicial and reversible error in making comments to the jury concerning the implied consent law in Oklahoma. The first instance of which defendant now complains is reflected in the record as follows:

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Related

Sandefur v. State
1969 OK CR 265 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1969)
Collins v. State
1965 OK CR 136 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1965)
Stanley v. State
1953 OK CR 83 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1953)
Miller v. State
1958 OK CR 8 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1958)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1975 OK CR 85, 535 P.2d 698, 1975 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 343, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tangner-v-oklahoma-city-oklacrimapp-1975.