Case Information
OFFICE OFTHEAmORNEY iiENERAl.OF~ AUSTIN ~ord&3 AlwIn P. r%Pe
c0urity kttorney
Dear sir; oplnlon NO. o-3845
Ret Does Arttiole ~OZQ of the Peril Code, by its Irtn@&ga, cwer The foll0vdn& question is taken from your letter of July SO, 19&L, Ixppn whi0h you requerrt t&e opinion Oi this $rpaftm.ent t
WMS 8uah Pens1 Co40 Art. 8020, by its leng- uage, owc)r anything mom then Negligent Bomicidb aa dafinsd by P. C* Artr. USO-lQB0-1~39-liZ4O; or i6 it broad t~~Ou&i to 00t.r P. C. Art. ll49, br In& aoaault with e motor vehbls; Ati. lZ4l I-. C .a and th. 8tutUtbE On 8lUI’hr)” *'Any pezsoti who drives or operates an auto- nobile or any other motor.rehiols upon eny pub- .$tato, or upon any 1113 road or f*g?mp in thLE etroet or alley witMa ~llmits oi an Lncor- to*n tflllage, while suoh per- poratsd aitp aon la intoxioatea or under the inmlenee of irtoxioating lipuQr, shall be gul&tiy of a r&m- shell be ~punlshe4 demeanor, end w>on tmnriation the County Iuil for not less bp oonfineamnt than tan (10) daya nor mwo than two (a), yoar8 or by e fine nf no$ less than F’iftr Doller6 ($50) nor nore t&n Fire i$ bath such fine and *2 ., *,.
Bonomble Alwln F. ~epe, Page Z
Artiole 8020, Vernnon*a Annotated Peral C&e, beine 8 new sedtion added by Seatlon 3 of Houee nil1 73, 47th tngielature, roads as follwnl
whny per305 who &irbs or opercrtar en automobile or any other motor VehlOle upon any. pub110 rend or hlgbwey in this State, or upon uny street or alley or any other plaoe wltbln the llmlte OX en Incorporated aity, tarn, or? village, while ruoh pttrson Is intoxioatsd or under the iniluenoe of intoxloating liquor, ant3 while ao arlvlne and operating suoh auto- zobfle other motor oehlole sbell through accident or mistake do another aat wblah if voluntiwlly dons would be a felony, &&bell remit-e puniahment~aftixod to the felony a0twlp OOdttba.w
As to the Sects submitted fn your re uert we do .not underteke to paw upon tbe arlmlnel liabll 2 tp 04 the persoa charged t&moon, nar a0 we oonstrub your letter ae
rsquostf~ng us to do 80. tire point ost, however, t&at under ir yuur letter, we 860 no quei3tlon in- the iaats submitted rololng Article 80&b of the Code oonteined ln pour request, it la unaeaoss6aay for u8 to oonc&lder thie statute. therefore
Article 42, Vomon'r haotatqd paal c&e, pro- tide81
*One intenai~ to atdmlt a felony and who in the ciat of preparing ior or ereoutinet the sax16 shell through mist&e or Pa&lent do an-’ otbm act wblah, ii voluntarily do@e,~ would be e felohy, shell rsoelos the punlsbment affixed to the felony aatually aamxltted,* Article 45 of the Code 2rovldea that the Intention to connit an oiieatle in presumed whenever tbe umans t&&e& I.6 such as would ordimrlly result in-the oomudsalon of the ?orSldden act.
Article 1149,. Ver’n0nt4 knnotated Penal CaUe, proe vldcsr
*If ang driver or operator of e motor IJS motorayale shall wlUully OF ~.itfi vehicle *3 ae~linsnce, aa is doriwd in the Penel code
of ti& 3?ate inthe title aad ohzqtsr on
ne;ll!:ent hm.5cSdo, c01lid6 with or cause in-
jury loge than death to any other parson he &Al ;!e ixld guilty of qz;RrevatoQ csaault, shall be ~uni5h4d by
end, up+n cmvictian,
finc not less than Twenty-flvs ($Za.OO) Dol-
lam, nor zore thn Ofi0 TImwand (&OCO.OO)
Dollera, or by Inprl6onmnt in jail not leer
theI: one xoizth nor'more thea t!?o ye.crs, or
by toth cluoh fine and lqrloonmont~ unlssa
suoh lnjudea result ln Cqsth, lo which atsnt
tio:driver or operator of soy sotor rchLale
or motoroy8lo &all be dealt with the
gamml law of hmloie,"
ThC +3Wf!d 1eW Of hWI$eide IQJ ?Ourtd iI& a&BpSOM. - lb inulurive ktiales et se&, or tha Penal Code, :tlale*l8Ol deS& “hcml.elde* I; the dastruetion~oi
llfa of one human beisg br the 6at nfsenoy ~soeuxei~ent, or aulpable omlaeion of another. f&ale l&Ook provld&~ tkt of life mast be ocm~1ot.e such Cot, *to;,. the destruatlon
but although the lnfury ?vhlah oaumd death tight aot ardor other oirawstaaeas here proved tat& jet lr such iajurg~bs the aeuse at c?eath, without its l p aring tImt.then hem’.
been any groor negleat or ma&test p” y improper treatment of the permn in~nred, lt la homioibo.
Article 1241 of 5aia code ~rovldrat wRm one fn the ~xeautlon of or in et- taoptlng to exeaute an aot mada a felony by
law shall kill an&her though without an ap-
pare& intention to L&l, the imaw~ does
uot corn4 wlthin ths detinltion of ne$Ji@mt
hootiolde . ”
Article lZ&6 of ssfd Cods provideoz 3fhoever ahall volunt~ily kill any per- eon within this 3tsto shcll.?:e F;ull.ty of EUXC-
der. mmier shell.be dlstlngulrshed from avery other splclna nf hc?llciikJ bg tao cboeuae 4-s
clrc-mstsncar whic;h reduce tho ofiease
na~ll~mt %mlcfde or which 850~6 clr juatlfy killing.*’ ID tki8 DBBO Of %Op?h~n V. sttite, 146 S. w. (!?a) 376, &pe:lant was ccririQted OP murder, ft balng alleged that goymhan. w!!ile drirfnt; and operatin:.; 5otQr vshfole upon a publio street within the city of Sen Antonio, Texea, ena ahlle so opsratin~ and driviru; wea undsr the fnfluenee of i5t0xlcetirig ll:luor, and did then and there, thrc,u;h eooldeat ad mistake, kill deoeased by etWcl.ri the autozoblle of de- oe~~~d, thereby. ;~Jarring brulelng tend breciklng the body OS deocalled. The oourt ln&ucted the Jury with referenae Article 42, nupra, w%ioh lnetruotion wzs obJeoted to on the ground. that k-tiole 48 had no applloatlon to the ease but t&et A,zt.iole 1241 was apgliceblo. The court held tbet Jlrtl- 0x8 &Ml, r.+erred to, wm not ‘appllccble tc the oese cad t&at such article merely t&se an offeme ee thelneeohp- ed, out of the not aerining megllgant hadcide.
served that thie o inion wea reuderrd before the aneatlmen~ to Article 808 pais ng offeneo of drlvlzg end operetln(J P
a .tPotoP vehicle on a publlo OLghuay street, while untler liquor, a mladamoanor in the lnfluenae of iatoxlaatlng ht the time of the opinion the of?ense oi flraf lmt~noe.
eo driving a notor vehlole wa6. a felony.
Suds0 Ikittlniore, apeekia~ for the aourt on motion for rehem@, in the oaee of Burton vq State, I.%3 Tqx. Cr. R.
363, 55 s. Yi. (ml) 813, 615, web the following languagr$
-“In other vords, the mere feot that a ~1(1~ 16 under the lnflue~e of lntoxioetl~ liquor while operatin+: a oar OS a hl@my, this :+in(; in rend of itself the egmlssion df a felony, should oat in ree$on and oomon 8sn.m make him Guilty of mrirder, If ,he be opcr+tin$ the oar oorreotly, and aa a raen shoiild who wcx not under,the influence of ,lntoxlca$ing liquor.*
In SuZrge httlmore*r opinion la the forsgoiog ease, he aleerly aate forth the proper lntsrpretatlon to be @aed on .&rtlcle 42 the Peoal Codm, pertlau$erly the phrase wone lntendine to ccmnlt. P fe?ony end who . . : ahall through and nristakeW do another sot. aoaldat Thus caeee ahare- irig haraicrlde, invclvin~ driving an autwobiie while undhr.
th6 infl;lctic~ where the oOn\mi6riOn of intoXiOat~,liQAOr, of an’offsmu9 1s ohargea uasr Artlole 42, the Court of Crinf- to proof lnar Appeals aonsistently required in addition t&t tte acaused was the lnfLnos of intoxloatlng liquor, proof %hat the oolllston and death of the deeeased *5 I_ 226 u.;
~onorobls hlwln il. Pape, Page 5 m# brouf,hC @tout or nttri3utablo to the r?an.?ar in which the aooused hendlod this oar. Modoynahan 0. 3tate, 144 ~-. Vi. (Ed) 5741 Koman v. Ptxte, 121 *x. Cr. I;. 433, 22 5. W. (2d 1051; Jonoe v. State, 127 Tax. Cr. R. 227, 75 S. I?. (2a 683; Collir~s v. State, 1% Tex. Cr. R. Z@b, Q4 9. W, (Ed) 443. T:u&, the court seld 1s Colllnr v. State, clupra, are by the jury under appropriate $.seues of faot to be doteMne4 inatructir;ns fro3 tha uourt. bn a>prwed charge on this .question le found in the rdoynahan daes ebovs oited.
In Cookrel.1 V. State, ,135 Tax. Cr. l?. 218 ll7 8. W. (2d) llG5, the t.?efrn?cr.t was convioted of murder with m&o., a& on a>ppeol the oaea wa6 affirmed. The oourt ic the indiotmsnt upco whloh ths Jury found ita oslrdiot ohargsd simply, that defendant WnlawfUlly, voluntarily and with malioe abbrr- thought" killed Ueceadsd striking with an autorobile. Tha rreoond count of the lndlotment, oubmitted to the jury mlong with the flr&t oount, oharged thet ln.the sxsoution at an unlawful and fo$onioua aot through &ooldsnt and~ml.et&& appellant drove an automobks against the deoeased ahil&n.
quotliqq Artloles 1149 hn4 1201, aupra, the ooart in the Cookrell case said that.6 persoti driving an automobile uho lnjixres a-other by the wllltul and negligent uaa of enah thereby ccuaing the death of such pereon, does atitozobils, not deoeaearlly oome within the provieiona of the law do- nounol~ negliesnt hmsiolde. In the oaee the court followed &at. P. Trott; 190 W. 01 674, 180 9. E. 627, 42 A. I.. R.
lll4;enU quotsd.th6wofm the followings
qurder ln the ssoond degree or order at oomon law, 1s the unlawf~1~kllllng of a human being wit& a~alioe aforethought. Xalios doea not neoeeearily meen an aotual intent to take - human life. It map be inferential or implied, lnatsad of po@itlvs, .as,when an aot whioh 3.e ?ortn danger to another la done eo'reoklerely wantonly ae to manliest depravity of mind and dleregrd of human life."
It appeara by the provisiona of Article 8020 of the Penal Code, that the Lsgllilature hse'a?:rely combined in 8 special law ralatiw to driving while intoxioat&d,-~ or while fntluenoe of intoriosting liquor, eesential tea- tures of &%iole 42 making it hn offerBe whr;ro one so o erat- fng the autornoblla oommits a felony, with::ut the nsoaas P ty such pereon intending to aommit or being the Rot of *6 Bomrable Alrin E. Pep, Page 6 for or exeoutln;, n felow’at the tlrce another slot, preparia Is oommltted. Sy the provl-
whioh bein;- voluntarily dme, sfons of Xrticle 802, as amended, the ofienee of driving ,@hile intoxlosted or under the Inrluanoe or intoxioatlng liquor hca been reduosd grade rrom a felony to a mlede- meanor~ In >roseoutlons und-r the provisiona of Article 8020, thqrerore, the iore.zoing oaeea inrolvllia the oftensee formerly oharged and proesouted under Article 42, otipli- Bent to Article eO2 as it fomerly value in their oon&mtion existed, are of Iimenee
OS the law here to be oonsider- ed, for the greater part unchanged as we view It, in orfeneee oharged under Artiole BOEc, eupra.
& ohargiag an OfietWe neglfgeat homlolde under Artiole 8020, whPhioh ortense contains no element of intent, Article 1241 would no:longer be appltoable aa to reaove the ofrenee from that grade defining negligent hixuloide.
Thea article is only applioable where one I8 in the exeou- tion ot or attemding to exooute an aot made a felonmah re(lult#.~in klllimz another person.
It. 18 our view that by the lenge~e. 01 Artlole 8020, supra, the Le&iel~:tuxe has lnpoaed orb&ml Ueblllty lntoxloate4 or under the in- to the act of driving.whlle fluenoe of intoxicating liquor. By Artlole 802, ,thls of- ienne In itself is malum ~rohlbltum and under Artlolslr ll4p and 1201, dem~ent upon the oirgmetano~er under @hioh aooldent oausing the death oooure, euoh aot ohcrged under Art5.ole 802e m&y be melm in ee from ithloh the in- tention to oommlt the otrenee ae express&d b hrtlole 43 or the Penal Coda, 1s prsaumed. 5 Am. Jur. 1 792, pm 928 29; Cockrell v. State, 135 Tex. Cr. R. r: “18, 117 s. Ilk. r2df In the Cookrell case, Judge Orcve6 speakin+? for 1105.
the court, cites wSth approval the following languige from Goo4.m~ v. Comonwaolth, 1SS Ba, 943, I51 6. K. 158s
Vhen men, while drunk eober, drive autosobi’ies alon hi&ways, and through oroud- ed streets reoiclssaly, the killi~ of human beings is R riatural an4 grob~:ble result m,en homicide follows ae a be axtiolpated. ocnsecuence of such cotzduot, a o~lrlnal in- tent is Imputed to the offender, aa4 he may be gunlshed for his crlae. The precise gra4e or ouch u h%fcide, l*;hather murder or man- slau&ter, depends upon the Teote of the Dar- tloulcr case."
Eonarable A1d.n 8. Pape, ~agr 0
It 18 th*reCoro the o&Ion or thin drpartnmnt that tha ptivirlone 0r Arttole 00110, Veraon* Annotate6 penal Code, oonrbrued with Article8 1149 and 1801, aupre, and 1236 Oi aaid Code, the latter artiole 6sflaing %urder*, is sutfloientl~ broed to eu.pport an indiOtiiw$t obergiag murder, with wlebmt nulloe. Artlole 1841 or iald Code 1s no longer applloable to take the fgron6e dharged out of the definition of negilcjeat hoaioide, because of the to Article 8088 *rtllols 1%4l relating to the asonauant exeoution ornttmp$ed exeoutloa of a rai0n;e; e violation Articlo 802 be&q3 a 8p40iri0 ml8demeanor 0rra5~.
Artlole BOlio is a new artlole and ie l pparenbly Intended to arake a mm rule applloable to the apqolrlo ormoose deilnod by &rtiola 808, W.&oh i6 a ai64waernor offanaa. ply the rule
The obvious purpose ln enaotln& 8080 ie tq a announosd in Artlale 48, whloh appllea to fr P onlerr general- lp, to one spdalrio tirdsnqstor .0rrub8~, Wunk drlriagS, Artlols 808. If then offenre deneunwd by Ar%te&s 808 ha& rmalaed a reloay, them would hare boea no e6oa8lon ror tbo eaaotmoat or wtlele SM!o, bseauae Artiole 48auld be l pplioable. 0r.tha xt th4mr0rO r0ii0w that ~OO~S~OM
Court or Orinlnal Appeal@ oonattilng Artlole 48 am applied ,.'. to -bm~ 6ri+ia& rhila said orme wr48 a r6104, would apply dth'e~ml forae.nor to ~tilclo 8OE;o; that the offeluer sustain04 ia'the opemtlon, 0r ttm rom4r would apply ,001 to utd that your qm3tlon must, bo spasfrloally the lsttar; y~w~~~~ th*,t Artlele 0080 ~6008 cover more than aa@geC
Yours very truly