Vance v. City of Hoover
Vance v. City of Hoover
Opinion
In a trial de novo in Jefferson Circuit Court, a jury convicted Gary Dee Vance of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was fined $400 and was ordered to pay court costs and to attend DUI school. The only issue raised on this appeal concerns the trial court's denial of the ground of the motion for new trial alleging an improper amendment of the charge.
Subsection (a) of §
Vance was originally convicted in Hoover Municipal Court. The Uniform Traffic Ticket and Complaint ("UTTC") upon which he was convicted in that court charged him with "Driving while under the influence of: X Alcohol Test type: 1 BAC .20" in violation of municipal ordinance "(386) (32 5A 191(A)(1)." This UTTC, designated "Form UTC-1 Rev. 11/83," alleges that the offense occurred "on or about 12/11/86." On appeal to the circuit court, the city prosecutor filed a complaint charging Vance with driving or being in control of a vehicle "while under the influence of alcohol in violation of Section
The UTTC and the city prosecutor's complaint involved in the instant case are very similar to the UTTC and complaint at issue in Sisson v. State, supra. In Sisson, the defendant was convicted in district court upon a UTTC, Form UTC-1 Rev. 11/83, which charged him with "[d]riving while under the influence of alcohol-Intoxilyzer 5000 — BAC .18 in violation of §
Our supreme court stated that the UTTC given to Sisson was clearly the "wrong" form, as this form had been superseded by Form UTC-1 Rev. 1/861 "effective January 1, 1986, prior to the date of [the] offense." Id. at 1161. The court also held that "this form [Form UTC-1 Rev. 11/83] does not show whether the charge is brought under subsection (a)(1) or (a)(2)." Id. For this reason, the original complaint filed by the state, which by its wording alleged a violation of subsection (a)(2), although subsection (a)(1) was cited,2 was deemed to be an amendment of the charge against Sisson. Sisson timely objected to both this amendment and the subsequent amendment of the prosecutor's complaint. Consequently, these amendments were held improper under Rule 15.5(a), A.R.Cr.P.Temp. See Sisson,
This court has recognized that Rule 15.5(a) "makes complaints, like indictments, absolutely non-amendable without the consent of the defendant." Mason v. City of Vestavia Hills,
An objection to an improper amendment must be made in a timely manner or it is waived. See Beals v. State,
Vance's motion for new trial includes the following assertion:
"The City of Hoover originally charged the defendant with violating
32-5A-191 (a)(1) Code of Alabama, 1975.4 The City of Hoover was allowed to amend the complaint to the charge of violating32-5A-191 (a)(2), Code of Alabama, 1975, over the timely objection of the defendant. Rule 15.5(a) of the Alabama Temporary Rules of Criminal Procedure prohibits the amendment of the complaint without the consent of the defendant. The case of [Sisson v. State,528 So.2d 1159 (Ala. 1988)], is directly on point and a copy of the decision of the Alabama Supreme Court is attached hereto and marked as Exhibit A." (Emphasis and footnote added.)
However, this motion is unverified and the assertions of counsel therein "are bare allegations and cannot be considered as evidence or proof of the facts alleged." Daniels v. State,
Moreover, the record before us does not contain the transcript of any of the proceedings in either municipal court or circuit court, except for the hearing on the motion for new trial. At that hearing, counsel asserted that the amendment had been made over the "timely objection of the defendant." However, "[s]tatements made by counsel are not evidence." Halev. State,
The minute entry contains the following:
"This the 29th day of August, 1988, came [the city prosecutor], and also came the defendant in his own proper person and by [his attorney], and the City files its Complaint. The defendant being arraigned upon the Complaint, enters his plea of not guilty, and thereupon came a jury of good and lawful person[s], . . . who being duly empaneled and sworn according to Law, before whom the trial of this cause was entered upon."
There is no indication in the minute entry that any written or oral motion or objection based on the improper amendment was timely raised or ruled on. Other than the motion for new trial, the record does not contain a written motion or objection which raises this matter. Further, it does not appear that a "[s]tatement of the evidence or proceedings when no report was made or when the transcript is unavailable" was submitted under Rule 10(d), A.R.A.P. From the record before this court, it appears that the objection to the amendment was not raised until the motion for new trial was made and, therefore, that it was *Page 1255 untimely. See Beals; Burjan, supra. Consequently, the motion for new trial was properly denied.
The judgment of the Jefferson Circuit Court is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
All Judges concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Gary Dee Vance v. City of Hoover.
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