Hopkins v. State
Hopkins v. State
Opinion of the Court
[¶1] On March 14, 2017, Appellant Matthew Vernon Hopkins, a psychiatric addiction specialist, huffed from a can of Dust-Off, got behind the wheel of his car, and lost consciousness while driving to his office. He veered into oncoming traffic, hit another vehicle head on, and injured the other driver. The State filed criminal charges and a jury convicted Mr. Hopkins of aggravated assault and battery, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and unlawful use of a toxic substance. On appeal, Mr. Hopkins challenges his conviction for aggravated assault and battery. Finding no error, we affirm.
ISSUES
[¶2] We restate and reorder the three issues Mr. Hopkins raises on appeal:
I. Does the "knowingly" element ofWyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-2-502 (a)(ii) require the State to prove that Mr. Hopkins purposefully hit the victim's vehicle?
II. Does sufficient evidence support Mr. Hopkins' conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon?
III. Was Mr. Hopkins prevented from presenting a complete defense?
FACTS
[¶3] The facts established at trial were largely uncontested. Mr. Hopkins owned a practice in Cody, Wyoming, where he specialized in adolescent and addiction psychiatry. Mr. Hopkins personally suffers from addiction-he is an alcoholic and abuses Adderall and air dusters. His medical license was suspended in 2003 and 2010 due to his addictions.
[¶4] On the morning of the incident, Mr. Hopkins used some "duster" shortly after he woke up. An hour later, he drove his son to school and headed to work. Mr. Hopkins began getting the shakes and stopped at his hotel room (where he lived temporarily) to get another can of Dust-Off. After he retrieved a can, Mr. Hopkins proceeded to *585drive himself to his office. He "possibly" used the air duster again while driving and passed out. His vehicle veered into oncoming traffic and he hit another vehicle head on.
[¶5] In closing argument, defense counsel conceded Mr. Hopkins drove under the influence of a controlled substance and unlawfully used a toxic substance, but argued that the State failed to meet its burden on the "knowingly" element of the aggravated assault and battery charge. The jury convicted Mr. Hopkins of all three charges. This timely appeal followed.
DISCUSSION
[¶6] Mr. Hopkins' issues on appeal all stem from his contention that he lacked the requisite mens rea for aggravated assault and battery under
I. Does the "knowingly" element of
[¶7] We review a district court's legal determinations de novo. Mraz v. State ,
The plain, ordinary, and usual meaning of words used in a statute controls in the absence of clear statutory provisions to the contrary. Where there is plain, unambiguous language used in a statute there is no room for construction, and a court may not look for and impose another meaning. Where legislative intent is discernible a court should give effect to the most likely, most reasonable, interpretation of the statute, given its design and purpose.
[¶8] Wyoming's aggravated assault and battery statute clearly states, in relevant part:
(a) A person is guilty of aggravated assault and battery if he:
....
(ii) ... intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon[.]
(b) Aggravated assault and battery is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years.
[¶9] Mr. Hopkins acknowledges that this portion of the aggravated assault and battery statute articulates a general intent *586crime. As a general intent crime, the only intent which need be proven beyond a reasonable doubt is that the act constituting the offense charged be done voluntarily. Harris v. State ,
[¶10] Mr. Hopkins argues, without citation to relevant authority or pertinent language in the statute itself, that the "proscribed act" under subsection (a)(ii) is the "intentional or knowing use of force or violence directed at another person." He reasons that because he was unconscious when his vehicle veered into oncoming traffic, he could not have "purposefully used his car as a deadly weapon." Moreover, he asserts that "the natural consequences of [his] actions" were not foreseeable because the inhalants had never before caused him to lose consciousness.
[¶11] Mr. Hopkins misreads
[¶12] "Although a voluntary act is an absolute requirement for criminal liability, [not] every act up to the moment that the harm is caused must be voluntary." 1 Wayne R. LaFave, Subst. Crim. L. § 6.1(c) at 578-79 (3d ed. 2018) (footnote omitted). And, while the voluntary act must "concur" with the mental fault, "[t]he emphasis is upon results caused by the defendant, and any act or omission (with the prescribed state of mind) which causes that result will do."
[¶13] Applying this reasoning, we have little trouble concluding that Mr. Hopkins knowingly caused bodily injury with a deadly weapon even though he was unconscious when he hit the victim's vehicle. Mr. Hopkins did not suffer an accidental loss of consciousness, as he had full knowledge of the effects inhalants have on the brain. Mr. Hopkins garnered this knowledge from his professional *587psychiatry work specializing in addictions, his personal use of inhalants, and his reading the warning label on the air duster can. It was foreseeable that he could lose consciousness and lose control of his vehicle. Despite such knowledge, Mr. Hopkins chose to huff and drive himself to work while under the influence of an inhalant. He admitted that he possibly inhaled more along the way and a witness observed the air duster can in his lap as he was driving. Mr. Hopkins then lost consciousness, hit another vehicle, and injured the other driver. This voluntary and knowing conduct concurs with the general intent required by
II. Does sufficient evidence support Mr. Hopkins' conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon?
[¶14] When we review a criminal conviction for sufficiency of the evidence, we view the facts in the light most favorable to the State. Downs v. State ,581 P.2d 610 , 614 (Wyo. 1978). We leave out any conflicting evidence of the defendant, and draw every reasonable inference in the State's favor. Id . The question we must answer is whether a reasonable and rational jury could have convicted the defendant of the crime based upon the evidence that was presented at trial. Horn v. State ,554 P.2d 1141 , 1145 (Wyo. 1976).
Guy v. State ,
[¶15] Mr. Hopkins asserts his conviction for aggravated assault and battery is not supported by sufficient evidence because no evidence supports an intentional or knowing mens rea. He argues that although he drove while under the influence of a toxic substance, the State failed to show "additional driving conduct" to support an "intentional and knowing action towards another individual." This claim has merit only if we adopt Mr. Hopkins' interpretation of the mens rea requirement under subsection (a)(ii). We rejected his interpretation for the reasons stated above.
[¶16] Applying the "knowingly" element of
III. Was Mr. Hopkins prevented from presenting a complete defense?
[¶17] Applying the same reasoning he argued in issues I and II, Mr. Hopkins contends that he should have been allowed to argue to the jury that his conduct better matched the mens rea required for related crimes, such as aggravated assault and battery under subsection (a)(i) (causing "serious bodily injury to another intentionally, knowingly or recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life") or driving under the influence and causing serious bodily injury under
A. Defense Theory Instruction
[¶18] "The failure to give an offered instruction on the law related to a theory of defense is a due process issue, which this Court reviews de novo. " Tingey v. State ,
[¶19] Our review is for plain error because Mr. Hopkins did not submit a theory of defense instruction outlining his position.
[¶20] Mr. Hopkins does not identify a clear and unequivocal rule of law the district court violated and we have found none. As discussed above, Mr. Hopkins' defense theory, that the State was required to prove he "purposefully hit the victim's vehicle," is legally flawed and, therefore, was properly excluded from presentation to the jury. See, e.g. , Bush v. State ,
[¶21] Moreover, it is not a theory of defense to request that the jury be instructed on crimes the State has not charged. Harnetty v. State ,
B. "Knowingly" Instruction
[¶22] During deliberations, the jury sent a note to the district court, inquiring as follows:
Need clarification for instruction #11, Point 4. "Knowingly caused" What is the *589legal definition? How are we as jurors to understand and apply this point?
In response to the jury's question, the district court informed the parties of its intent to provide the Wyoming Criminal Pattern Jury Instruction 6.13, defining general criminal intent. Mr. Hopkins advised the district court that he did not believe further instruction was necessary, but that if the district court was inclined to do so, he proposed that the district court provide an instruction stating "knowingly" means "purposefully." After further discussion, Mr. Hopkins informed the district court of his final position that he objected to any further instruction. He also argued that the pattern instruction would attempt to define a common usage term-"knowingly"-that needs no further definition. The district court provided the general intent instruction over Mr. Hopkins' objection.
[¶23] Mr. Hopkins now asserts that the jury's question "struck at the heart of the issue the defense wanted to raise and the court prevented, which is the 'knowing' element." He claims he was prejudiced by the district court giving the general intent instruction over his objection and the district court's refusal to provide his proposed instruction. We disagree.
[¶24] The district court has "wide latitude in instructing the jury and, as long as the instructions correctly state the law and the entire charge covers the relevant issue, reversible error will not be found." Dennis v. State ,
[¶25] Although Mr. Hopkins objected to the district court providing the pattern instruction defining general criminal intent, he has not demonstrated that the instruction was confusing, misleading, or an inaccurate statement of the law. In fact, at trial, Mr. Hopkins admitted that he saw "nothing wrong" with the pattern instruction "as it outlines the law."
[¶26] Mr. Hopkins' claim that the district court erred when it refused to give his proposed instruction that "knowingly" means "purposefully" likewise is without merit. "A district court is not required to define a statutory term unless the term has a technical or legal meaning different than its common meaning." Marfil , ¶ 25,
CONCLUSION
[¶27] The "knowingly" requirement of
[¶28] Affirmed.
Mr. Hopkins voluntarily relinquished his license after the March 14, 2017, incident.
Two witnesses, who were friends of Mr. Hopkins' wife, observed Mr. Hopkins enter his vehicle in an impaired state and carrying an air duster can. Mr. Hopkins almost hit one of the witnesses' vehicle as he backed out. The two witnesses "caravanned" with Mr. Hopkins in an attempt to ensure he safely arrived at his office and observed him driving too fast and erratically before he veered into oncoming traffic. One of the witnesses also observed an air duster can in Mr. Hopkins' lap as he was driving.
In discussing the mens rea issue at trial, the prosecutor, relying on Barrera , suggested that the prohibited act is "huffing while driving." The district court adopted that characterization in its oral ruling. That characterization is not helpful as it confuses conduct related to mens rea (voluntarily driving while intoxicated as discussed below at ¶¶ 11, 12) with the statutorily prohibited act of causing bodily injury with a deadly weapon. It is like saying that the "outlawed act" in a separate case is the drawing of a knife or gun from the waistband of one's pants rather than the act of stabbing someone with a knife or shooting someone with a gun in violation of
Prior to trial, the State submitted its proposed jury instructions, including an instruction on the elements of aggravated assault and battery and that self-induced intoxication is not a defense to the crime of aggravated assault and battery-bodily injury with a deadly weapon. Mr. Hopkins filed a notice with the district court stating he believed the State's proposed jury instructions were proper and appropriate; he did not have any amendments, nor did he offer other instructions.
The district court instructed the jury:
In the crime Aggravated Assault and Battery-Bodily Injury with Deadly Weapon charged there must exist a connection between the act or conduct and general criminal intent.
General criminal intent requires that the charged act is voluntarily taken, but it does not require any intention to violate the law or any intention to do a further act or achieve any further consequence, result, harm or injury from such act. When a person voluntarily does that which the law declares to be a crime, that person is acting with general criminal intent.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Matthew Vernon HOPKINS, (Defendant) v. The STATE of Wyoming, (Plaintiff).
- Cited By
- 13 cases
- Status
- Published