Davis v. State
Davis v. State
Opinion
[EDITORS' NOTE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS HEADNOTES. HEADNOTES ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF THE COURT, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT DISPLAYED.] *Page 147
In separate indictments, William Eric Davis was charged with the murder of four persons in a head-on collision, in violation of §
On a review of the record we find that three of the six potential black jurors who were struck were struck because either they or a member of their family had been arrested for driving under the influence (D.U.I.). The State also struck ten potential white jurors because either they or a member of their family had been arrested for D.U.I.
Ward v. State,"Such action in which non-black jurors have been challenged for the same or similar characteristics as black jurors who are struck has been deemed to be indicative of neutrality and is evidence *Page 148 which tends to overcome the presumption of discrimination. Ex parte Branch,
526 So.2d 609 (Ala. 1987)."
The fourth potential black juror struck by the State was struck because of a criminal record. We have held that strikes based on criminal records are not racially discriminatory in nature; this reason is deemed to be "race-neutral." Bryant v.State,
The fifth potential black juror struck by the State was struck because her son had been prosecuted by the State for rape. The sixth potential black juror struck by the State was struck because his cousin was presently being prosecuted by the State. The reason given for striking these potential jurors was based on considerations other than race. The State, moreover, also struck two potential white jurors whose relatives had been prosecuted by the State. Hence, because the reasons given for striking all six potential black jurors were based on considerations other than race, the trial court properly overruled Davis's Batson objection.
"In determining the sufficiency of the evidence to sustain the conviction, this court must accept as true the evidence introduced by the State, accord the State all legitimate inferences therefrom, and consider the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution." Faircloth v. State,
Section
"(a) A person commits the crime of murder if:
"(1) With intent to cause the death of another person, he causes the death of that person or of another person; or
"(2) Under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life, he recklessly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to a person other than himself, and thereby causes the death of another person. . . ."
A conviction for murder resulting from a homicide caused by the driving of an automobile is authorized where there is sufficient evidence to warrant a finding by the jury either that the accused intentionally caused the collision or that he was conscious of his acts, the impending dangers surrounding him, and the probable results of the acts, and, with reckless indifference to the probable consequences of his acts, brought about the collision and the death of the deceased. Smith v.State,
In Smith, evidence that the accused, who had an blood alcohol level of .25 percent, collided head-on with an automobile on a Talladega County highway was more than sufficient to enable the jury to find the accused guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt.
In the case sub judice, the evidence reveals that Davis ingested large quantities of alcohol, which resulted in his blood alcohol level being at least .179 percent (Davis's blood alcohol level measured .237 percent immediately after the accident in the emergency room) and that he then drove through dense fog at speeds of between 75 and 88 miles per hour and that he hit the victims' vehicle head-on in their lane of traffic. The evidence further showed that Davis had several D.U.I. arrests and convictions and that he knew the dangers of driving on the highway while intoxicated. This evidence was more than sufficient for the jury to find Davis guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt, and the trial court properly denied Davis's motions for *Page 149 directed verdict and for judgment of acquittal.
The order of proof and rebuttal testimony rests largely in the sound discretion of the trial court. Webb v. State,
The prior driving history, as far as the intoxication of the defendant, is admissible to show the defendant's intent and reckless disregard. Holifield v. State,
With respect to the blood analysis performed on Davis after his arrest pursuant to the implied consent statute, §
Review on appeal is limited to issues properly and timely presented to the trial court on which rulings were invoked.Dixon v. State,
Our review of the record, moreover, reveals absolutely no evidence that Davis, who by statute impliedly consented to the blood test, refused to accommodate Trooper Morris's request that he submit to a blood analysis immediately following his arrest at the hospital. Hence, because the State clearly complied with the procedure prescribed by §
With respect to the blood analysis performed on Davis and Gibson at the hospital prior to Davis's arrest, Davis contends that the blood samples were not maintained and that the State did not prove that the method of testing the blood conformed to accepted standards.
There is no requirement that §
A careful review of the record reveals that the State laid the proper foundation for the admission of the results of the pre-arrest blood analyses of Davis and Gibson *Page 150
pursuant to the standards articulated in Nelson v. State,
It is not necessary for this court to go into every detail of the circumstances surrounding the pre-arrest tests in the instant case. We are, however, of the opinion that tests performed by licensed medical technologists on blood drawn in a licensed hospital are scientifically acceptable and reasonable, and any results from those tests are accurate and reliable.
The results, which showed that Davis and Gibson had blood-alcohol of .237 percent and .191 percent, respectively, were properly admitted into evidence, despite the absence of the blood samples at trial because the State established a continuous chain of custody from the time the pre-arrest blood samples were taken from Davis and Gibson until the time the results were obtained, only 20 minutes thereafter. See Aycockv. Martinez, supra, 432 So.2d at 1278.
Murder is a class A felony carrying a penalty of not less than 10 years nor more than 99 years or life imprisonment. Section
The foregoing opinion was prepared by the Honorable JAMES H. FAULKNER, a Retired Alabama Supreme Court Justice, and his opinion is hereby adopted as that of the court.
The judgment of the circuit court is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
All Judges concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- William Eric Davis v. State.
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published