State v. Wade
State v. Wade
Opinion of the Court
Defendant Johnnie Owen Wade, was convicted in a trial to the court on three counts of automobile homicide
At about 10:30 p. m. on May 10, 1976, defendant and Leo Craig Finster left Walt’s
All six of the persons involved in the crash were taken to Payson Hospital where they were examined by Dr. J. Robert Hogan. Mrs. Cox and the two children were dead on arrival. Mr. Cox had numerous bruises, abrasions and fractures including of his nose and of his right leg. Blood samples were taken from the defendant, Mr. Finster and Mr. Cox and analyzed to determine alcohol content. The percentage of alcohol in the blood was 0.0 percent for Mr. Cox, .08 percent for Mr. Finster and .12 percent for defendant.
Because it is not material to the issue raised herein, we spare recital of further detail as to how the accident occurred. It is sufficient to say that there is a reasonable basis in the evidence to support the finding of the trial court and the verdict. Such plausibility as there is to defendant’s attack thereon arises from this statement of the trial court:
I find that the defendant was driving a motor vehicle on a public highway under the influence of liquor, intoxicating liquor, within the meaning of the statute and that he was negligent in that he was on the wrong side of the road and that that negligence was a cause of the death of each of the persons contained in each of the counts. I expressly do not find that he was criminally negligent within the meaning of the statute, and I therefore find him guilty. [All emphasis in this opinion is added.]
In support of his argument that his conviction of automobile homicide cannot be sustained the defendant focuses upon the trial court’s statement that he was not “criminally negligent”; and he singles out and places reliance on U.C.A.1953, Sec. 76-5-201, which provides that a person commits criminal homicide “if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly or with criminal negligence unlawfully causes the death of another.”
Defendant’s argument further proceeds: that prior holdings of this Court
From what has just been said it follows that the trial court was justified in finding that because the defendant was driving a motor vehicle upon a public highway while he was intoxicated and negligently caused the death of the occupants of the Cox automobile, he was guilty of automobile homicide.
Affirmed. No costs awarded.
. U.C.A.1953, Sec. 76-5-207.
. U.C.A.1953, Sec. 41-6 — 44.2 makes it “unlawful .. . for any person with a blood alcohol content of .10% or greater ... to drive . . .”
. We treat the issue raised herein in awareness that oral statements of the trial court are superseded by the written findings, judgment, or verdict. See McCollum v. Clothier, 121 Utah 311, 241 P.2d 468 (1952); Park v. Jameson, 12 Utah 2d 141, 364 P.2d 1 (1961).
. U.C.A.1953, Sec. 76-2-101(1), provides the same requirements for crimes generally.
. State v. Anderson, Utah, 561 P.2d 1061 (1977); State v. Durrant, Utah, 561 P.2d 1056 (1977).
. Ibid., and State v. Risk, Utah, 520 P.2d 215 (1974).
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
For the reasons stated in my dissenting opinion in State of Utah v. Bert James Durrant, Utah, 561 P.2d 1056, 1058 (1977), I dissent.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- STATE of Utah, Plaintiff and Respondent, v. Johnnie Owen WADE, Defendant and Appellant
- Cited By
- 5 cases
- Status
- Published