Tripp v. State

1969 OK CR 128, 453 P.2d 295, 1969 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 439
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedApril 9, 1969
DocketNo. A-14856
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1969 OK CR 128 (Tripp v. State) 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
Tripp v. State, 1969 OK CR 128, 453 P.2d 295, 1969 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 439 (Okla. Ct. App. 1969).

Opinion

BUSSEY, Judge.

James B. Tripp, hereinafter referred to as defendant, was charged, tried, and convicted in the Court of Common Pleas of Oklahoma County for the crime of Operating a Motor Vehicle While Under the Influence of Intoxicating Liquor; his punishment was fixed at six months imprisonment in the county jail and a fine of $25.00, and he appeals.

For its evidence the State relied on the testimony of two Oklahoma Highway Patrolmen. Trooper Charles Annis testified that he was driving west on the Stanley Draper Crosstown Expressway at a point east of the Robinson Street Exit at approximately 11:00 p. m. on the evening of February 4, 1968, at which time he spotted defendant’s car heading east in the westbound lane, coming directly toward him; he stopped the vehicle, determined defendant was drunk, and placed him under arrest; that he radioed for assistance and Trooper L. G. Enterline, the State’s second witness, responded. Trooper Enterline’s testimony was that he helped remove defendant’s car from the Expressway, and took defendant to the county jail where he was booked.

For his defense, defendant called Helen McClure, who testified defendant was under medical treatment at the time; that a Dr. Bailey of Mayfair Medical Clinic had prescribed certain medication for defendant. The Court sustained the State’s objection to the defense attempt to introduce into evidence two prescription bottles. Defendant testified he had been taking four different kinds of medicine which were prescribed by the doctor and purchased by his sister at Langsam Drug; that he had been taking such medicine since January 23, 1968. After marking the prescription bottles for identification purposes, the court again sustained the State’s objection to the introduction of same, but permitted introduction of a letter from the doctor confirming four different medications had been prescribed for defendant.

On appeal defendant urges that the exclusion of certain bottles that contained, or had contained, defendant’s prescription medicines, was reversible error. The State contends that the exclusion of the bottles as incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial, was not error, as they were irrelevant, and at best were cumulative evidence. We are of the opinion that under the facts here presented, the State’s position is correct. In the body of the Attorney General’s brief, appears the following recitations of fact and authorities which we believe are determinative of this issue:

“Patrolman Charles Annis testified that in his expert opinion defendant was drunk (R 22, 25). (This term is used herein exclusively to mean intoxicated by liquor, as distinguished from intoxication by drugs.) The Trooper testified that defendant was approaching him on the wrong side of a divided Interstate Highway (R 21), that upon descent from his vehicle defendant staggered on his feet, and that from defendant’s speech and odor he appeared drunk (R 21, 22). Pursuant to a check of the automobile the Trooper found a ‘fifth bottle of Vodka * * * probably three-fourths gone’ (R 22).
The Tropper further testified that defendant could not ‘motivate by himself. I had to take him by the arm and take [297]*297him in a direct course to the patrol car. He was staggering out in the roadway’ (R 24). The Trooper further testified that defendant admitted that the reason defendant was on the wrong side of the highway was that ‘he just had too much to drink’ (R 25).
Highway Patrol Trooper C. G. Enterline testified defendant was ‘staggering — very unsteady on his feet. In fact, I led him by the arm from the patrol unit into the elevator’ (R 36). Trooper Enterline further testified that there was a strong alcoholic odor on defendant’s breath, and that his opinion as to the cause of defendant’s condition was that defendant had been drinking (R 37).
Defendant’s own witnesses substantiated defendant’s propensity to ‘nip the bottle,’ with Helen .McClure, sister of the defendant, testifying that she would check defendant’s bottles to ‘know how much he was drinking, sir.’ (R 44). She testified she did this because she was interested in defendant (R 44). The defendant himself admitted drinking on Sunday, February 4, 1968, the day in question (R 50, 67).
The evidence set out above, together with all the other testimony at trial, clearly gave the jury ample basis for finding defendant guilty as charged, that is, guilty of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. Defendant does not object to the sufficiency of the evidence, and this court in Woods v. State, [92] Okl.Cr. [139], 220 P.2d 463, clearly held:
‘2. Where the evidence is conflicting and different inferences may be drawn therefrom, it is the province of the jury to weigh evidence and determine the facts.
3. The function of the Criminal Court of Appeals is limited to ascertaining whether there is a basis in evidence, on which a jury can reasonably conclude that accused is guilty as charged.’
There is no problem here with a refused request for election, as the State clearly moved against the defendant on the liquor offense, not on drugs.
The issue of defendant’s prescribed medications was before the jury at length, and they had every opportunity to decide that the drug issue had injected a reasonable doubt as to whether or not defendant had become intoxicated by liquor. The court’s instructions 2, 4, 5, and 6 clearly outlined the jury’s duty to apply the facts to determine defendant’s intoxication by liquor.
As a matter of record, testimony on the issue of defendant’s theory that he had actually been intoxicated by drugs and not liquor, was had at length and is to be found at pages 30, 38, 44 — 46, 53-57, 62-64, and 68. In the course of this testimony, by way of showing the issue of drugs was sufficiently before the jury, defendant’s sister testified: (R 44, 45)
‘Q. I will ask you whether or not your brother, here, was under medical treatment at that time?
A. Yes, he was at that time.
Q. What doctor, if you know ?
A. Doctor Bailey, Mayfair Medical Clinic.
THE COURT: Which Clinic was that ?
A. Mayfair Medical Clinic.
MR. GRAYSON: Will you mark this exhibit, please?’
(The instrument was thereupon marked Defendant’s Exhibit No. 1 for the purpose of identification.)
‘Q. (By Mr. Grayson) Mrs. McClure, I will ask you to look this over carefully and tell me whether or not you ever saw this bottle before?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What is the date on that bottle?
A. The 24th of January, ’68.
Q. Does the bottle show what doctor prescribed that medicine?
[298]*298A. Yes, sir, Doctor Bailey, sir.
Q. Does it show who he prescribed it for?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Who was that for?
A. Jim Tripp.

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Related

Lay v. State
1969 OK CR 230 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1969)

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Bluebook (online)
1969 OK CR 128, 453 P.2d 295, 1969 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 439, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tripp-v-state-oklacrimapp-1969.