Court Opinion

ID: 9774402
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 18:19:00.159112+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:32:07.944356
License: Public Domain

MOTION FOP- REHEARING
CLINTON, Judge.
By written request, timely filed, the appellant requested a charge under Y.T.C.A. Penal Code, Section 6.04(a). The appellant’s testimony was to the effect that he was not intoxicated and that the death of the deceased resulted from the fact that the deceased was standing in the middle of the road at the scene of an accident and appellant did not see him. It appears to be the appellant’s defensive theory that he was driving as normally as if he had not been intoxicated and the death of the deceased was brought about by the fact that an accident had occurred and the deceased was standing in the highway at the scene of the accident. If the jury believed this was the cause of the accident and “was clearly sufficient to produce the result and the conduct of the actor clearly insufficient,” they should have acquitted the appellant. While it is extremely doubtful that the jury would have so found under the evidence in this case, that is not the issue. The issue is whether or not the jury should have had the opportunity to so find. Based upon appellant’s defensive theory and evidence, he was entitled to have the jury charged substantially as requested. Denial of his requested charge was, in my view, reversible error.
I respectfully dissent.
ROBERTS and ODOM, JJ., join in this dissent.