Court Opinion

ID: 9663375
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 23:36:46.398906+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:39:48.935719
License: Public Domain

Krivosha.C.J.,
dissenting.
I must respectfully dissent from the majority opinion in this case. I do so because I do not believe that the provisions of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 28-310(l)(a) (Reissue 1985) can be dissected to the extent that the majority has done. The term “reckless” cannot be removed from the phrase “intentionally, knowingly.” Therefore, under our holdings in State v. Lovelace, 212 Neb. 356, 322 N.W.2d 673 (1982), and State v. Vosler, 216 Neb. 461, 345 N.W.2d 806 (1984), assault in the third degree is not a lesser-included offense of first degree assault. Specifically, in State v. Lovelace, supra at 359, 322 N.W.2d at 675, we defined a lesser-included offense as
“one which is necessarily established by proof of the greater offense. Fuller v. United States, 407 F.2d 1199. To *37be a lesser included offense, the elements of the lesser offense must be such that it is impossible to commit the greater without at the same time having committed the lesser. Certain v. State, 261 Ind. 101, 300 N.E.2d 345. In sum the lesser included offense is one all the elements of which are necessarily included in the greater. See, State v. Jones, 186 Neb. 303, 183 N.W.2d 235; State v. McClarity, 180 Neb. 246, 142 N.W.2d 152.” See, also, State v. White, 209 Neb. 218, 306 N.W.2d 906 (1981).
(Emphasis supplied.)
The majority recognizes this rule but attempts to get around it by simply providing that the reckless portion of assault in the third degree may be disregarded when attempting to determine if it is a lesser-included offense of assault in the first degree. But our holding in State v. Lovelace, supra, required that all the elements of the lesser must be present in determining the greater. So long as reckless is a part of the offense and one of the elements, then the lesser-included offense is not one all the elements of which are necessarily included in the greater.
I am simply unaware of any authority that permits us to disregard a part of the statute as we have in the instant case. Whether one had committed an act knowingly and intelligently or simply recklessly is a question of fact to be determined by a jury and not one which the court in the first instance should direct.
Looking at the problem from the other end perhaps makes the problem even clearer. It has long been the rule in this jurisdiction that if one is charged in the language of the statute, the complaint is sufficient. See, State v. Lingle, 209 Neb. 492, 308 N.W.2d 531 (1981); State v. Lauver, 26 Neb. 757, 42 N.W. 762 (1889). Therefore, one may be charged with the offense of third degree assault by simply alleging that the defendant did “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly” cause bodily injury to another. I cannot imagine that if a defendant filed a motion requiring the State to elect whether it intended to prove the defendant had committed the assault knowingly and intentionally, as opposed to recklessly, we would sustain such a motion. And yet, we have, by our majority opinion here today, created what appear to be separate offenses. Moreover, without *38authority to do so, we have interpreted the act to reach our goal. This we should not have done. We have long held that a statute which is clear and unambiguous requires no interpretation. In NC+ Hybrids v. Growers Seed Assn., 219 Neb. 296, 302, 363 N.W.2d 362, 366 (1985), we said: “Generally, a statute is not read as automatically requiring judicial construction. Where the words of a statute are plain, direct, and unambiguous, no interpretation is needed to ascertain the meaning.” See, also, Little Blue N.R.D. v. Lower Platte North N.R.D., 206 Neb. 535, 294 N.W.2d 598 (1980); State v. Adkins, 196 Neb. 76, 241 N.W.2d 655 (1976). There is nothing ambiguous about the statute defining assault in the third degree which requires us to interpret it or to conclude that there are various elements of the statute which can, for some purposes, be disregarded, except, apparently, our desire to make assault in the third degree a lesser-included offense of assault in the first degree— sometimes. The instruction was in error, and requires us to reverse and remand the matter.