Case Name: Alpheus Dewey Jones, Jr. v. State
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1955-01-12
Citations: 160 Tex. Crim. 640
Docket Number: No. 27,268
Parties: Alpheus Dewey Jones, Jr. v. State
Judges: 
Reporter: Texas Criminal Reports
Volume: 160
Pages: 640–641

Head Matter:
Alpheus Dewey Jones, Jr. v. State
No. 27,268.
January 12, 1955
3. P. Moseley, Dallas, for appellant.
Wesley Dice, State’s Attorney, Austin, for the state.

Opinion:
DAVIDSON, Judge
This is a conviction for negligent homicide of the second degree. The unlawful act relied upon as constituting that of fense is the driving, while intoxicated, of a motor vehicle upon a public highway.
The information contains the other and requisite allegations necessary to constitute the offense of negligent homicide, including the allegation of negligence and carelessness and of the death of the deceased caused thereby.
The punishment was assessed at a fine of $75 and six months in jail.
At the outset, we are confronted with the contention that the misdemeanor offense of drunken driving may not be utilized and relied upon as the unlawful act constituting negligent homicide of the second degree.
By Art. 802c, Vernon's P. C., it is a felony for an intoxicated driver of an automobile to kill another person by accident or mistake. Being a felony, such crime could not be prosecuted as the misdemeanor offense of negligent homicide of the second degree. McCarthy v. State, 153 Texas Cr. R. 149, 218 S.W. 2d 190; Flowers v. State, 150 Texas Cr. R. 467, 203 S.W. 2d 539.
The judgment is reversed and the prosecution ordered dismissed.