Case Name: Alpheus Dewey JONES, Jr. v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee
Court: Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Jurisdiction: Texas
Decision Date: 1955-01-12
Citations: 274 S.W.2d 400
Docket Number: No. 27268
Parties: Alpheus Dewey JONES, Jr. v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee.
Judges: 
Reporter: South Western Reporter Second Series
Volume: 274
Pages: 400–401

Head Matter:
Alpheus Dewey JONES, Jr. v. The STATE of Texas, Appellee.
No. 27268.
Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas.
Jan. 12, 1955.
J. P. Moseley, Dallas, for appellant.
Wesley Dice, State’s Atty., 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 offense-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, Tex.Cr.App., 218 S.W.2d 190; Flowers v. State, 150 Tex.Cr.R. 467, 202 S.W.2d 462, 203 S.W.2d 539.
The judgment is reversed and the prosecution ordered dismissed.