Title: State v. Kitchens

State: south-dakota

Issuer: South Dakota Supreme Court

Document:

498 N.W.2d 649 (1993) STATE of South Dakota, Plaintiff and Appellee, v. Thomas B. KITCHENS, Defendant and Appellant. No. 17849. Supreme Court of South Dakota. Considered on Briefs on October 8, 1992. Decided April 14, 1993. *650 Mark Barnett, Atty. Gen., Frank Geaghan, Asst. Atty. Gen., Pierre, for plaintiff and appellee. Timothy M. Engel of May, Adam, Gerdes & Thompson Pierre, for defendant and appellant. PER CURIAM. Thomas B. Kitchens (Kitchens) appeals his conviction for driving while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage (DUI). We affirm. At approximately 10:20 p.m. on the night of September 20, 1991, a police officer for the City of Pierre, South Dakota, was dispatched to a local convenience store in order to investigate a person who had passed out in a pickup truck parked in the store's parking lot. When the officer arrived, he found the pickup in the parking lot as reported, parked approximately ten to fifteen feet south of a city street. Kitchens was "slumped over" the steering wheel of the pickup. His feet were on the floorboard on the driver's side of the vehicle. The pickup was not running and the keys were not in the ignition. There were no other persons in or around the pickup and there were "several" empty beer cans inside the vehicle. The police officer woke Kitchens who took his hands off the steering wheel and, at the officer's request, got out of the pickup. Kitchens was unable to locate a driver's license, registration or proof of insurance and asked the officer if he was trying to arrest him for DUI. Kitchens told the officer he could not be arrested for DUI since his vehicle was not moving. The officer asked Kitchens to perform several field sobriety tests and, as a result of those tests, the officer formed the opinion that Kitchens was under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. During the course of his investigation and prior to placing Kitchens under arrest, the police officer discovered the ignition key for the pickup in one of Kitchens' pants pockets. At approximately 10:43 p.m., the officer placed Kitchens under arrest for driving while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. The officer read Kitchens the implied consent warnings and Kitchens agreed to take a blood test. The blood sample later revealed a percentage by weight of alcohol of 0.242 percent. On November 13, 1991, State filed an information charging Kitchens with one count of driving or actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol (SDCL 32-23-1(2)) and an alternative count of driving or actual physical control of a vehicle while having 0.10 percent or more by weight of alcohol in his blood (SDCL 32-23-1(1)). Kitchens and State subsequently entered into a stipulation of facts and a trial to the court took place on December 17, 1991. The trial was confined to legal argument over the issue of whether Kitchens' conduct fell within the elements of the offense of actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. On February 3, 1992, the trial court entered findings of fact and conclusions of law determining that Kitchens was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of driving or being in actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or while having 0.10 percent or more by weight of alcohol in his blood (SDCL 32-23-1). An amended judgment of conviction was entered on March 23, 1992, providing in pertinent part, "[i]t is therefore, the JUDGMENT of this Court that [Kitchens] is guilty of Driving While Under the Influence of an Alcoholic Beverage, in violation of SDCL 32-23-1(2) or (1)." Kitchens appeals. SDCL 32-23-1(1) and (2) provide: These provisions prohibit the acts of driving or being in actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage or while having 0.10 percent or more by weight of alcohol in the blood. Kitchens contends he was not in "actual physical control" of his vehicle on the night of his arrest because the keys to the pickup were not in the ignition and because there was no showing that he actually intended to operate the vehicle. In State v. Hall, 353 N.W.2d 37, 41-42 n. 2 (S.D.1984), we approved a jury instruction defining "actual physical control" of a vehicle under SDCL 32-23-1 as follows: Kitchens is correct in his assertion that this court has never determined whether "actual physical control" of a vehicle requires that the keys be in the ignition. See, Hall, supra (key was in the ignition). See also, State v. Remacle, 386 N.W.2d 38 (S.D.1986) (keys in the ignition); Petersen v. Dept. of Public Safety, 373 N.W.2d 38 (S.D.1985) (keys in the ignition); State v. DuBray, 298 N.W.2d 811 (S.D.1980) (motor running); Kirby v. State Dept. of Public Safety, 262 N.W.2d 49 (S.D.1978) (motor running). Although we have not yet determined whether the keys must be in the ignition for a defendant to have actual physical control of a vehicle, several jurisdictions have addressed this question. In State v. Peterson, 236 Mont. 247, 769 P.2d 1221 (1989), the defendant was found in the driver's seat, slumped over to the right, with his feet in the area of the pedals. The vehicle was not running but the defendant himself later testified he had the keys in his pocket. As to the defendant's claim he was not in a position to exert "actual physical control" over the vehicle, the Montana Supreme Court held that, "[h]ere Peterson was found in the driver's seat of a vehicle which had run off the road, with the keys to the vehicle in his pocket. In such a position he could regulate the movements of the vehicle." Peterson, 769 P.2d at 1223. More closely on point is the decision of the North Dakota Supreme Court in City of Fargo v. Theusch, 462 N.W.2d 162 (N.D. 1990). In City of Fargo, the defendant was found sleeping on the right side of the bench seat of his pickup truck which was parked in a restaurant parking lot. The ignition key was found in his right front coat pocket. The defendant was convicted of being in actual physical control of the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. He argued on appeal that a person asleep in a vehicle with the ignition keys in his coat pocket cannot be convicted of being in actual physical control of a vehicle. The North Dakota Court held: City of Fargo, 462 N.W.2d at 163-64 (citations omitted). The foundations of South Dakota law on the "actual physical control" prohibition are nearly identical to those pronounced by the North Dakota Supreme Court in City of Fargo, supra. In Kirby, 262 N.W.2d at 51-52, we quoted Hughes v. State, 535 P.2d 1023, 1024 (Okla.Crim.App.1975), for the proposition that: Accord, Remacle, supra. Here, just as in City of Fargo, supra, Kitchens was found sleeping behind the steering wheel of his vehicle which was parked in a convenience store's parking lot, close to a city street. The keys were within quick and easy reach in one of his pockets. No one else could have had control of the vehicle unless Kitchens first relinquished his. The officer saw indicia of intoxication when he administered the field sobriety tests. At any time, Kitchens might have awakened, found the keys in his pocket and set out on an inebriated journey. Based upon South Dakota's own settled law in Kirby, and application of similar policy principles in City of Fargo, supra, we hold that the trial court did not err in finding that Kitchens was in actual physical control of his vehicle regardless of the fact that the keys were not in the ignition. Kitchens also argues that the elements of "actual physical control" include the additional element of a specific intent to drive the vehicle. He submits that proof of this element was lacking in this case and, therefore, the trial court erred in adjudicating him guilty of the actual physical control offense. We must heed our own statute. SDCL 32-23-1 simply provides that, "[a] person may not drive or be in actual physical control of any vehicle while" having 0.10 percent or more by weight of alcohol in his blood or while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage. (emphasis added). The statute says nothing about actual physical control with the intention to drive the vehicle. Thus, there is no statutory support for Kitchens' argument that specific intent to drive is an element of actual physical control of a vehicle. See, State v. Grotzky, 222 Neb. 39, 382 N.W.2d 20 (1986) (an element of criminal intent is not a part of the proof under statute prohibiting operating or actual physical control of vehicle while under influence of alcohol where statutory language did not include intent element). *653 Moreover, the elements of actual physical control we defined in Hall, supra, also fail to contain any reference to a specific intent to drive the vehicle. In fact, our analysis of the purpose of the actual physical control offense in Kirby, supra, leads to a contrary conclusion. In Kirby, we observed that "[t]he defendant when arrested may have been exercising no conscious violation with regard to the vehicle, still there is a legitimate inference to be drawn that he placed himself behind the wheel of the vehicle and could have at any time started the automobile and driven away." Kirby, 262 N.W.2d at 51-2 (quoting Hughes, 535 P.2d at 1024). In this case, Kitchens had the keys in his pocket. Under our settled law, all that is necessary to establish actual physical control of a vehicle is a showing that the vehicle was operable and that the defendant was in a position to manipulate the controls which would cause it to move. Based upon the above analysis, we do not find the specific intent to drive to be an element of the offense of actual physical control of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Having reached this conclusion, however, we share the concerns expressed by the Appellate Court of Illinois in People v. Cummings, 176 Ill.App.3d 293, 125 Ill.Dec. 514, 530 N.E.2d 672 (1988). In Cummings, the Illinois court followed a previous holding that, "in an Illinois driving under the influence prosecution, the State is not required to prove the defendant's intent to put the vehicle into motion... so a sleeping defendant's intent is irrelevant in determining whether the State met its burden of proof." Cummings, 125 Ill. Dec. at 517, 530 N.E.2d at 675. Nevertheless, the court went on to state: Cummings, 125 Ill.Dec. at 517, 530 N.E.2d at 675 (emphasis added). The soundness of this view is well represented in State, City of Falcon Heights v. Pazderski, 352 N.W.2d 85 (Minn.Ct.App. 1984). The defendant had quarreled with his girl friend with whom he lived. He then drove to two nearby taverns where he became intoxicated. He returned home and parked in a parking area adjacent to the garage in a place where he would normally park for the night. He entered the house but after deciding he did not wish to confront his girl friend, the defendant returned to his car and stretched out on the front seat where he fell asleep. Police officers later found the defendant sleeping on the front seat, sitting on the driver's side with his head over toward the passenger side. The car was not running and the keys were not in the ignition. There was no evidence the car had been driven recently. There was no record evidence the defendant had any intention other than sleeping *654 the rest of the night in the car. The defendant later testified he had previous experience sleeping nights in his car during hunting trips. The defendant was convicted for being in physical control of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. In reversing his conviction, the Minnesota Court of appeals reasoned: Pazderski, 352 N.W.2d at 88. In contrast with Pazderski, the present case is not one of those rare instances where the facts show that the defendant was voluntarily sleeping off the effects of alcohol with no intention of moving the vehicle. Kitchens' vehicle was parked in a convenience store parking lot in close proximity to a city street. Obviously, Kitchens was far short of his intended destination as there is no indication in the record that he resided at the convenience store. Kitchens had passed out in the driver's seat with his hands still on the steering wheel and with his feet on the floorboard of the driver's side in proximity to the pedals. There were several twelve ounce cans of Budweiser Beer inside the vehicle. Kitchens could not produce a driver's license or proof of insurance. No one else was in the vehicle or near it. Although the vehicle was not running and the keys were not in the ignition, they were within quick and easy reach in Kitchens' pants pocket. At any point, Kitchens might have awakened, pulled the keys out of his pocket, started the vehicle and proceeded on to the nearby street in an inebriated condition, thereby posing a threat to the public. This is the precise risk the actual physical control statute is intended to avoid. Kirby, supra. For that reason, we find no error in the trial court's finding that Kitchens was in actual physical control of his vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Affirmed. MILLER, C.J., and HENDERSON, WUEST, SABERS and AMUNDSON, JJ., participating.