Criminal Law : DWI  –  Sufficiency Of Evidence  –  Jury Instruction

Where a defendant challenged his convictions for DWI, endangering the welfare of a child and driving without a valid license, the judgment is affirmed because the evidence was sufficient to show a temporal connection between operation of the vehicle and the observed intoxication and circumstantial evidence and witness testimony also supported the judgment, and the defendant did not show that the trial court erred in submitting a jury instruction since definitions were not required for the terms “recklessly” and “caused.”

Judgment is affirmed.

State v. Lopez (MLW No. 71159/Case No. ED104225 – 9 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, Gaertner Jr., J.) Appealed from circuit court, Warren County, Sutherland, J. (John F. Newsham, Philip H. Dennis and Shawn A. Goulet for appellant) (Catherine M. Hoag and Kelly L. King for respondent).

Read the full text of this opinion. (PDF)