Jordan v. State
Jordan v. State
Opinion
Larry Joe Jordan was indicted and convicted of murder under §
The evidence tended to show that on October 22, 1982, at 7:00 p.m., the appellant arrived at the home of Daniel Moro in an intoxicated condition. He consumed two beers there and then drove approximately two miles to a package store to purchase liquor, accompanied by Daniel Moro. In route to the store the appellant drove in a reckless manner, occasionally swerving completely into the oncoming lane of traffic on the two-lane road and also running off the road. While in route to the store he also forced two oncoming cars from the road by driving in the oncoming traffic lane. Upon purchasing a bottle of liquor, the appellant began driving back to Daniel Moro's home along the same route. He continued to drive in the same reckless manner and took a drink from the bottle of liquor which he had just purchased. At one point when appellant was driving in the wrong lane, Daniel Moro reached over and guided the vehicle back into the proper lane. Soon thereafter, at approximately 9:00 p.m., the appellant swerved sharply into the oncoming lane and struck an automobile driven by John Odum. John Odum died as a result of injuries sustained in the collision.
In order to sustain a conviction of murder it is not necessary to prove that the defendant was highly intoxicated or blind drunk. Jolly v. State,
In Berness v. State,
"It is well settled under our decisions that where the accused is himself the driver of an automobile and drives it in a manner greatly dangerous to the lives of others so as to evidence a depraved mind regardless of human life, he may be guilty of murder in the second degree if his anti-social acts result in death of another, and this though he had no preconceived purpose to deprive any particular human being of life. Under such circumstances his acts are unlawful and without legal excuse, and malice may be inferred therefrom. Reed v. State,25 Ala. App. 18 ,142 So. 441 ; Williams v. State,30 Ala. App. 437 ,7 So.2d 511 ; Hyde v. State,230 Ala. 243 ,160 So. 237 ."
In the present case had the appellant been completely sober, his actions before the collision would have evidenced a depraved mind functioning without regard for human life. The fact that a defendant had been drinking before an accident is just one further circumstance to prove that he possessed an extreme indifference for human life. Jolly, supra.
The trial court did not err in allowing evidence of the appellant's blood alcohol level to be introduced into evidence following a hearing on a motion to suppress. A proper foundation was laid for its introduction. "The determination of the relevancy of a particular item of evidence is left to the sound discretion of the trial judge and this court will not reverse unless that discretion has been grossly abused." Pace v. City ofMontgomery,
To be classified as a lesser included offense, an offense must meet the definitional requirements of §
"Homicide by vehicle does not meet the requirements of subsection (a)(1) of §
13A-1-9 , regarding what are included offenses because, in order to establish a prima facie case of homicide by vehicle, it must be proved that a death occurred as the proximate result of the defendant's being `engaged in the violation of any state law or municipal ordinance applying to the operation or use of a vehicle or to the regulation of traffic. . . .' Ala. Code §32-5A-192 (1975). In short, the use of a vehicle is a required element of proof for vehicular homicide, but not for murder under §13A-6-2 ."
As to subsection (a)(4) this court noted:
"[A]lthough homicide by vehicle requires a `lesser kind of culpability' than murder *Page 485 under §
13A-6-2 (a)(2), it does not differ from the offense of murder only in that respect. See §13A-1-9 (a)(4). [Emphasis added]. Paraphrasing our Supreme Court's observation that `universal malice' murder was not a lesser included offense of intentional murder, we conclude that homicide by vehicle `requires something more.' Washington v. State, 448 So.2d [404] at 408 [(Ala. 1984)]. The additional difference between the offense of murder . . . and the offense of homicide by vehicle . . . is the requirement of the latter crime that the `murder weapon' be a vehicle. `This additional difference . . . precludes the latter from being an included offense, since it can be established only by a showing of facts not required in order to be convicted of . . . murder under §13A-6-2 (a)[2].' Washington, 448 So.2d at 408."
As established in Whirley, homicide by vehicle is not a lesser offense included in murder. Following this same line of reasoning, we likewise conclude that reckless driving and DUI are not lesser offenses included in murder.
Consequently, the trial court did not err when it refused to charge the jury on reckless driving, §
The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
All the Judges concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Larry Joe Jordan v. State.
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