Opinion ID: 1819366
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: second degree assault and motor vehicle homicide

Text: In examining Hoffman's contention concerning double jeopardy and the convictions in this case, we are not confronted with a prospective finding of a defendant's guilt or a theoretical verdict, as may be involved in a permissibly possible conviction by proper jury instruction on a greater offense and its lesser-included offense. See State v. Brown, 225 Neb. 418, 405 N.W.2d 600 (1987). What is involved in Hoffman's appeal are actual convictions for crimes arising out of the same act or transaction. Thus, in the present appeal, we are concerned with the reality of convictions obtained in the trial court, not with prospective activity in the course of a criminal trial, which at some point might be possible or could occur as a future disposition during trial. Hoffman's conviction on count I is based on § 28-309(1)(b), a second degree assault for reckless causation of serious bodily injury to Lana Wagner, namely, her death. While the State did charge the crime of second degree assault (reckless causation of serious bodily injury) in count I, and by count II charged that Lana Wagner's death was caused by Hoffman's reckless driving, the district court actually found that the cause of Lana Wagner's death was Hoffman's drunk driving, which was an alternative allegation to reckless driving as the cause of Lana Wagner's death. The district court found Hoffman guilty of motor vehicle homicide (count II) based on drunk driving, a violation of § 39-669.07, because Hoffman caused Lana Wagner's death by his operating a motor vehicle while he was under the influence of alcoholic liquor and while Hoffman had more than ten-hundredths of one percent by weight of alcohol in his body fluid, namely, .39 of one percent.... To obtain the motor vehicle homicide conviction, the State proved that Hoffman was guilty of drunk drivingoperating a motor vehicle while he was intoxicated. Intoxication, whether a motorist's physical and mental condition characterized as under the influence of alcoholic liquor or a motorist's having ten-hundredths of one percent by weight of alcohol in [the motorist's] body fluid, see § 39-669.07, is not an element which must be proved to obtain a conviction for reckless causation of serious bodily injury by means of a dangerous instrument, the second degree assault condemned by § 28-309(1)(b). Conversely, the reckless act or conduct involved in a second degree assault may occur without the actor's ingestion of alcohol, but, as an alcohol-related offense, ingested alcohol is necessary for a violation of the drunk driving statute, § 39-669.07. It is clear that the elements of a second degree assault, based on a reckless act or conduct, do not necessarily include the presence of alcohol in the actor. It is equally clear that drunk driving, as a predicate offense in a motor vehicle homicide charge, does not necessarily involve a reckless act or conduct, as defined in § 28-109(19) of the Nebraska Criminal Code. Therefore, the findings of Hoffman's guilt on count I and count II constituted two convictions for two different and elementally unrelated criminal offenses arising out of the same event or transaction. Under the circumstances, determination of whether second degree assault, prohibited by § 28-309(1)(b), is a lesser offense included in motor vehicle homicide predicated on reckless driving, or vice versa, is not required for disposition of Hoffman's appeal. Nonetheless, constitutional protection against double jeopardy has not been denied to Hoffman by his convictions for second degree assault and motor vehicle homicide.