Court Opinion

ID: 9668620
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 02:19:33.249544+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:46.465784
License: Public Domain

WOODLEY, Presiding Judge
(dissenting).
As I understand the evidence upon which the trial judge found appellant guilty, Galvan’s automobile, an Oldsmobile which was parked behind Drusina’s Ford automobile, was pushed by appellant’s Pontiac automobile into Drusina’s Ford automobile at about 6 P.M. Appellant was arrested at the scene shortly thereafter by Officer Rodriguez, at which time the evidence shows he was intoxicated.
*540Appellant testified that he parked and locked his automobile about 5 P.M. at which time he was not intoxicated, and had not been drinking; that he consumed six beers before he returned to his car and found the officers there. He denied that he was involved in the accident or that he drove the car after 5 P.M. and testified that he did not remember telling Officer Rodriquez “about hitting the car because you needed some space”, but testified that the officers asked “if I was driving the car and I told them yeah I was driving. Q. Asked if you were the driver of the car? A. Yes. Q. And you said you were? A. Yes, I was, but I wasn’t, I didn’t cause that accident or anything.”
Officer Rodriguez testified: “Q. All right, now Officer, would you tell the Court what your actions were on February 25th of 1961 in connection with the Defendant Mr. Duran?
“A. Upon arrival at the scene of the accident I first talked to Mr. Drusina who sits over here in the courtroom and he stated to me that there were two subjects in the car that had hit the car behind his— * * * as I was talking to him and the other gentleman, Mr. Galvan, the Defendant Mr. Duran came to the car and he stated, Mr. Drusina stated to me ‘That’s him, right there’. At that time I went and asked Mr. Duran if that was his automobile and he said it was, so I asked him if he had been driving that automobile and he said that he had. * * * After I got him in the car then I questioned him further if he had been the driver of the automobile during the accident and he said he was trying to gain a parking space and that’s the reason he had just bumped the car in front, but had no knowledge of that car hitting the other one in front.”
Drusina testified that he saw the Oldsmobile moving and turned to see who was pushing it and saw a man behind the wheel and another man in the third car (the Pontiac), and went to call the police.
According to appellant’s testimony, his car was locked and the officers were there when he came to it after the accident.
I would hold that the evidence, viewed in the light most favorable to the trial judge’s findings, is sufficient to sustain the conviction.