Opinion ID: 1173257
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: insufficiency of the evidence on drunk driving charge

Text: Although the State presented evidence that defendant had been drinking at the dinner party, every witness from the party testified that he was not intoxicated when he left. There was no evidence at trial indicating that the four to six goblets of wine consumed by defendant over that length of time would make him intoxicated. Dr. Lebegue testified that defendant was driving while under the influence of alcohol, but we have held that testimony inadmissible. No police officer examined or even came close to defendant to determine whether he was intoxicated. Neither officer's testimony indicated that defendant had any difficulty in negotiating any curves or right-angle turns in the road. By way of leading questions, counsel for both parties asked Officer Stoneking if defendant was weaving on the road. Although he answered affirmatively, his vague description of defendant's driving makes it unclear whether defendant was truly driving in a weaving pattern. He stated that during the high-speed chase defendant was kind of taking in the middle of the road all the say [sic], pretty well, except he's [sic] once in awhile get just a little too close to the shoulder and it would pull him over and that defendant got too close to the shoulder of the road and we about lost it. It was unclear whether the officer was referring to the right or left shoulder. Certainly driving in the middle of the road but occasionally getting close to the right shoulder is consistent with how a person would drive at high speeds. This testimony does not describe a weaving pattern where the driver goes from one side of the highway to the other or even from one lane to another. Officer Stoneking's testimony, standing alone, is insufficient to support a guilty verdict. Accordingly, we reverse the conviction of driving under the influence of alcohol. We remand the case for a new trial on the charge of evading a police officer. No costs awarded. HALL, C.J., and STEWART, DURHAM and ZIMMERMAN, JJ., concur.