Court Opinion

ID: 3397952
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-07-05 19:07:28.497045+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:34:16.867352
License: Public Domain

Mere presence in an automobile being recklessly driven does not impute guilt of crime, and an information charging all of the occupants of a car inflicting injury with manslaughter in order to have it act as a drag net to convict some of the occupants on, should not be countenanced. See I Bishop's Criminal Law, page 633. A joint manslaughter caused by the operation of an automobile might theoretically be possible but it would be so unusual as to require a pleading of the special facts constituting it. However, the error in the case was cured when a severance and separate trial were had, so I concur in affirmance.
ELLIS, C.J., concurs.