Matthew Thomas BENNETT v. COMMONWEALTH of Virginia; William James Bowers, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia; John W. Brown v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Michael J. Klebak v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Carl Jay Klein v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Scott M. Lafountaine v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Edward J. Lemmon v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Paul A. Maroon v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Arnold E. Meadows, s/k/a Arnold E. Meadows, Jr. v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Ronald Lee Moore v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Mark Darrel Osenbaugh v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Kristina G. Price v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Michael H. St. Clair v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Paul E. Warren v. Commonwealth of Virginia; Richie D. Wells, s/k/a Ritchie D. Wells v. Commonwealth of Virginia
Record Nos. 1803-11-1, 1804-11-1, 1805-11-1, 1806-11-1, 1807-11-1, 1808-11-1, 1809-11-1, 1810-11-1, 1811-11-1, 1812-11-1, 1813-11-1, 1814-11-1, 1815-11-1, 1816-11-1, 1817-11-1
Court of Appeals of Virginia, Chesapeake
Aug. 21, 2012
731 S.E.2d 40
Present: ELDER, FRANK and HUMPHREYS, JJ.
HUMPHREYS, Judge.
Matthew Thomas Bennett, William James Bowers, Jr., John W. Brown, Michael J. Klebak, Carl Jay Klein, Scott M. Lafountaine, Edward J. Lemmon, Paul A. Maroon, Arnold E. Meadows, Ronald Lee Moore, Mark Darrel Osenbaugh, Kristina G. Price, Michael H. St. Clair, Paul E. Warren, and Richie D. Wells (hereafter referred to collectively as “appellants” and individually by last name) appeal their convictions in the Circuit Court of the City of Virginia Beach (“trial court“) for failing to comply with Virginia‘s motorcycle helmet law,
Additionally, Bennett contends that the “trial court erred in convicting [him] as [his] statement that he knew he was not wearing a helmet is not evidence which proves beyond a reasonable doubt that his motorcycle helmet failed to meet or exceed each of the three applicable standards listed in [
Klein contends that the “trial court erred in convicting [him] as [his] statement that he knew he was not wearing a ‘real helmet’ is not evidence which proves beyond a reasonable doubt that his motorcycle helmet failed to meet or exceed each of the three applicable standards listed in [
Lemmon contends that the “trial court erred in convicting [him] as [his] statement that he knew he was wearing a ‘novelty helmet’ is not evidence which proves beyond a reasonable doubt that his motorcycle helmet failed to meet or exceed each of the three applicable standards listed in [
I. Background
These appeals center around traffic summonses issued to each of the appellants for failing to wear a proper helmet while operating or riding as a passenger on a motorcycle. Under the relevant statute,
Although Trooper Thompson did not recite the particulars of each standard, he testified without objection that generally the Snell requirements mirror the DOT requirements. However, he went on to explain that the standards are not alike and that the Snell and ANSI standards are more stringent than the minimum standards of the DOT. Trooper Thompson also testified that the DOT standards require certain labeling reflecting that the helmet meets the DOT standards. With regard to each appellant, Trooper Thompson indicated, again without objection, that their helmets did not meet any of the standards. However, he was unable to articulate which particular part of the various standards the helmets failed to meet. Instead, he opined that he could tell just by looking at them.
The appellants called two expert witnesses to testify regarding the standards. Bruce Biondo (“Biondo“) is an employee with the Department of Motor Vehicles as part of the Virginia Rider Training Program. He testified that he has read the Snell and DOT standards, and he has looked over the ANSI standards but not read all of them. Biondo explained that the three standards are engineering standards, not manufacturing standards. As such, they relate to the results of testing helmets, not their actual construction. Because of this, he opined that there is no way that one could look at a helmet and determine that it does not meet the standards. Furthermore, while manufacturers put DOT stickers on helmets that are DOT certified,4 consumers can take the stickers off or cover over them.
James Cannon (“Cannon“) also testified as an expert for the defense. Cannon is employed by the Virginia Commonwealth University Transportation Safety Training Center teaching
DOT helmets are self-certified by the manufacturer. Every year DOT selects 40 helmets at random and tests them. Between 45 and 55 percent of those helmets fail every year when they test them. So the fact that it carries a DOT marking only means that the guy that poured the fiberglass in the molds says it meets those standards. There‘s no evidence that any like models have ever been tested. Furthermore, the manufacturers do not have to go through the testing for each and every make and model of helmet.
During the trials, counsel for the appellants made a motion to strike, arguing that the statute does not require that helmets bear any labeling indicating their satisfaction of the Snell, ANSI or DOT standards. The trial court listened to arguments on the issue from each party, and ultimately ruled that the statute requires helmets to be labeled indicating their compliance with one of the standards.5 The trial court then
II. Analysis
A. Code § 46.2-910 and Labeling
On appeal, the Commonwealth concedes error and suggests reversal in every case except those of Brown and Klein. However, “[w]e have no obligation to accept concessions of error, and, to be sure, we would never do so if the issue were a pure question of law.” Copeland v. Commonwealth, 52 Va.App. 529, 531, 664 S.E.2d 528, 529 (2008) (citation omitted). Because these appeals require us to interpret
The appellants’ first and third assignments of error can be simplified into one basic question: was the trial court correct in concluding that
Every person operating a motorcycle shall wear a face shield, safety glasses or goggles, or have his motorcycle equipped with safety glass or a windshield at all times while operating the vehicle, and operators and any passengers thereon shall wear protective helmets.... The windshields, face shields, glasses or goggles, and protective helmets required by this section shall meet or exceed the standards and specifications of the Snell Memorial Foundation, the American National Standards Institute, Inc., or the federal Department of Transportation.
No motorcycle operator shall use any face shield, safety glasses or goggles, or have his motorcycle equipped with safety glass or a windshield unless of a type that meets or exceeds the standards and specifications of the Snell Memorial Foundation, the American National Standards Institute, Inc., or the federal Department of Transportation and is marked in accordance with such standards.
(Emphasis added).
We begin our analysis of this statute by noting the well-recognized principle of statutory interpretation: “When the General Assembly uses ‘words of a plain and definite import, courts cannot assign to them a construction that would be tantamount to holding that the General Assembly intended something other than that which it actually expressed.‘” Mouberry v. Commonwealth, 39 Va.App. 576, 583, 575 S.E.2d 567, 570 (2003) (quoting Mozley v. Prestwould Bd. of Dirs., 264 Va. 549, 554, 570 S.E.2d 817, 820 (2002)). Furthermore, we assume that the legislature chose the wording of a statute with care, and we are bound by the legislature‘s construction in interpreting the statute. Kummer v. Donak, 282 Va. 301, 304, 715 S.E.2d 7, 9 (2011). Thus, “[t]he words of a statute should be given ‘their common, ordinary and accepted meaning’ absent a contrary intent by the legislature.” Mouberry, 39 Va.App. at 583, 575 S.E.2d at 570 (quoting Germek v. Germek, 34 Va.App. 1, 8, 537 S.E.2d 596, 600 (2000)).
Here, the first paragraph of
While a labeling requirement for helmets might make sense as a practical and policy matter and would certainly simplify enforcement of the safety requirements, “[c]ourts are not permitted to rewrite statutes. This is a legislative function. The manifest intention of the legislature, clearly disclosed by its language, must be applied. There can be no departure from the words used where the intention is clear.” Wachovia, 268 Va. at 653, 604 S.E.2d at 408 (quoting Supinger v. Stakes, 255 Va. 198, 206, 495 S.E.2d 813, 817 (1998)). Thus, we must reverse the judgments of convictions for violation of
B. John W. Brown, Record No. 1805-11-1
While the Commonwealth has conceded error in the judgment of thirteen of the fifteen cases that comprise this collective appeal, it does not do so in Brown‘s case. Instead, the Commonwealth argues that there is sufficient evidence aside from the lack of labeling from which this Court can
In addition to the evidence regarding the lack of labeling on Brown‘s helmet, the Commonwealth elicited testimony regarding the nature of Brown‘s helmet strap. According to Trooper Thompson, Brown was wearing a “toy hat” which was secured by a strap that was held together by a key ring. Trooper Thompson clarified that the strap was on “the side part [of the toy hat]. Instead of the plastic retainer on his toy hat, he had a key ring that had the strap going through it.” When asked whether he could point to anything in the DOT standards that would prohibit the use of a key ring on a strap, Trooper Thompson testified, “It has to be securely fastened and the key ring was like this holding the strap together (indicating).” The trial court then noted, “[f]or the record, the trooper is holding up a key ring.” However, Trooper Thompson did not testify directly as to whether or how this would violate the Snell or ANSI standards.
In his defense, Brown called Cannon, who indicated that whether the key ring violated the DOT standards would “depend on the tensile strength of the ring. I mean, there‘s a continuation test and it depends. If the key ring was strong enough, it surely would, you know.” Further, Cannon indicated that it was “within the realm of possibility” that the key ring could pass the DOT standards or ANSI standards.
Under our appellate standard of review, “we view the evidence in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, granting to it all reasonable inferences fairly deducible therefrom.” Baylor v. Commonwealth, 55 Va.App. 82, 84, 683 S.E.2d 843, 844 (2009) (quoting Sandoval v. Commonwealth, 20 Va.App. 133, 135, 455 S.E.2d 730, 731 (1995)). Further-
Even under our appellate standard of review, the only evidence adduced at trial regarding the nonconforming nature of Brown‘s helmet was that it was a “toy hat” which was secured by a strap that was held together by a key ring. Trooper Thompson indicated that in order to comply with the DOT standards, a helmet “has to be securely fastened,” and apparently neither Trooper Thompson nor the trial court felt that the key ring constituted a secure fastener. However, the Commonwealth‘s only witness, Trooper Thompson, failed to indicate whether the ANSI or Snell standards had a similar requirement. Furthermore, given the ambiguity in the statute permitting compliance with any of three sets of standards, none of which were formally introduced into evidence by the Commonwealth which instead provided only lay opinion testimony of their partial contents, we cannot say from the sparse record before us that all three of the applicable standards require the helmet to be securely fastened in a specific manner. Because the statute indicates that a helmet can meet any of the three standards, the Commonwealth did not meet its burden in establishing that Brown‘s use of the helmet was not in compliance with the statute.6
The Commonwealth argues we can infer from Trooper Thompson‘s statement that “the Snell and ANSI standards are above the minimum standards of the DOT standard” that these additional standards would not be met. However, by Trooper Thompson‘s own admission, he did not read the ANSI
C. Bennett, Record No. 1803-11-1, Klebak, Record No. 1806-11-1, Klein, Record No. 1807-11-1, and Lemmon, Record No. 1809-11-1
The Commonwealth concedes error with respect to Bennett and Klebak. As previously noted, we are not bound by concessions of law by the Commonwealth, Copeland, 52 Va.App. at 531, 664 S.E.2d at 529, and we do not agree with the concession of the Commonwealth in Bennett‘s, Klebak‘s and Klein‘s cases and hold instead that the trial court did not err in finding the evidence sufficient to convict them under
The record indicates that in the cases of Bennett, Klebak, Klein, and Lemmon, there was an incriminating statement made regarding the nonconforming nature of their helmets. On appeal, each of these appellants contends that the trial court erred “in finding that the Commonwealth proved beyond a reasonable doubt that [each appellant] violated
As stated supra,
Appellants argue that since the three standards listed in the statute are engineering standards,9 that is, the standards relate to passing certain durability tests as opposed to the methods and materials used in manufacturing the helmets, the Commonwealth failed to prove that the helmets did not meet any of the three standards beyond a reasonable doubt, as it did not test appellants’ helmets. We disagree with this argument, as it fails to account for any circumstantial evidence that may tend to prove the helmets did not meet or exceed any of the safety standards. “[C]ircumstantial evidence is competent and is entitled to as much weight as direct evidence[,] provided that the circumstantial evidence is sufficiently convincing to exclude every reasonable hypothesis except that of guilt.” Finney v. Commonwealth, 277 Va. 83, 89, 671 S.E.2d 169, 173 (2009) (second alteration in original) (quoting Dowden v. Commonwealth, 260 Va. 459, 468, 536 S.E.2d 437, 441 (2000)).
In this case, Bennett told Trooper Thompson that he knew what he was wearing “was not a helmet.” Likewise,
Lemmon‘s statement, on the other hand, does not rise to a level as to eliminate every reasonable hypothesis that his helmet met any of the safety standards. Lemmon told Trooper Thompson that he knew his helmet was a novelty helmet. However, stating that a helmet is a novelty helmet is not the same as admitting the helmet provides no level of safety consistent with any of the standards. Webster‘s Dictionary defines a “novelty” as “a small manufactured article intended mainly for decoration or adornment and marked by unusual or novel design.” Webster‘s Third New International Dictionary 1546 (1993). Without more than has been shown in this record, it does not automatically follow that a helmet cannot meet certain safety standards if designed specifically for decoration. In fact, the record indicates that it is commonplace for motorcycle operators and passengers to decorate their helmets with decals and designs. Thus, unlike the evidence in the cases of Bennett, Klebak, and Klein, Lemmon‘s statement to Trooper Thompson does not provide a sufficient basis to establish the elements of an offense under
On appeal, “we view the evidence and all reasonable inferences therefrom in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, the prevailing party below, and we will set aside the judgment only if it is clearly wrong or unsupported by the evidence.” Powell v. Commonwealth, 268 Va. 233, 236, 602 S.E.2d 119, 120-21 (2004). Thus, while these appellants may have meant any number of things by their statements, a fact finder could reasonably infer that the statements were intended to express appellants’ beliefs that their helmets failed to meet or exceed any of the three enumerated standards in
III. Conclusion
For the reasons stated, we reverse the convictions of Bowers, Brown, Lafountaine, Lemmon, Maroon, Meadows, Moore, Osenbaugh, Price, St. Clair, Warren, and Wells and dismiss the summonses. However, we affirm the convictions of Bennett, Klebak, and Klein.
Reversed in Record Nos. 1804-11-1, 1805-11-1, 1808-11-1, 1809-11-1, 1810-11-1, 1811-11-1, 1812-11-1, 1813-11-1, 1814-11-1, 1815-11-1, 1816-11-1 & 1817-11-1.
Notes
[Appellants’ Counsel]: Your Honor, for clarification, I had understood the Court acknowledged that the paragraph that says “and is marked in accordance with such standards,” that helmets are not mentioned in there.
THE COURT: Well, helmets aren‘t mentioned but when you read it altogether, which I just did again, it says windshields, face shields, safety glasses or goggles or protective helmets required by this section, which I would assume to mean all in Section A because that last paragraph actually is a continuation of Paragraph A. So when it says this section, it doesn‘t really matter, I guess, since it doesn‘t mention helmets in the second part. It‘s a source of dispute I understand but a closer reading of that would seem to indicate that when it talks about this section, that means Section A.