Doyle v. State
Doyle v. State
Opinion of the Court
The conviction is for the offense of driving a motor vehicle upon a public highway while intoxicated. The punishment assessed is confinement in the county jail for a period of sixty days.
Appellant claims that the trial court committed two errors. The first relates to the court’s action in overruling his application for a continuance or postponement of the case based on the absence of two witnesses whose testimony, it was alleged, was material to his defense. The application is deficient in that it fails to comply with Section 4 of Article 543, C. C. P., in this, that there is not any averment therein that the witnesses are not absent by the procurement of the appellant. See Green v. State, 116 Tex. Cr. R. 2, 32 S. W. (2d) 650; Mayes v. State, 118 Tex. Cr. R. 612, 42 S. W. (2d) 65; Clarich v. State, 137 Tex. Cr. R. 282, 129 S. W. (2d) 291; Owens, v. State, 149 S. W. (2d) 964; Blanton v. State, 161 S. W. (2d) 1063.
Appellant’s next contention is that the evidence is' insufficient to sustain his conviction. A careful review of the record has convinced us' that his contention in this respect is without merit. The testimony adduced by the State shows that on the morning of January 18, 1942, appellant, while driving an automobile. on Washington Avenue in the City of Houston, drove .¿.bout eight, or ten .feet over on the left side-of the middle-of the
Appellant, who testified in his own behalf, denied that he was intoxicated and claimed that the steering apparatus of his car jammed or locked and he could not steer his car to the right side of the street.
It will be noted that the evidence raised an issue of fact which the jury decided adversely to him, and this court would not, under the facts stated, be authorized to set aside their verdict.
Finding no reversible error in the record, the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
The foregoing opinion of the Commission of Appeals has been examined by the Judges of the Court of Criminal Appeals and approved by the Court.
070rehearing
ON MOTION FOR REHEARING.
Appellant has filed a very insistent motion for rehearing in this cause in which he presents a logical argument in favor of its sufficiency. Upon a careful consideration of the circumstances surrounding the presenting of the motion for continuance as reflected by the terms of his bill, it is our conclusion that sufficient diligence to obtain the presence of the witnesses was not shown. The case was called at the opening of the morning session, at which time appellant and his attorney were both absent. The attorney had notified a member of the district attorney’s staff that he would be in the trial of a civil case in another court. He was there notified of the call of the Doyle case and promised to send his client to the court to report. For some reason this was not done and the case was again called at 11:15, at which time the attorney was in his office. He came to the court room in a few minutes and found the judge engaged in the trial of another case but remained there until it was concluded at 4:00 o’clock in the afternoon. The Doyle
Having so concluded, it becomes unnecessary to discuss the controverted question presented • in the motion for rehearing which is, for the reason stated, overruled.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.