Opinion

State v. Tjaden

  • 69 N.W.2d 272
  • 1955 N.D. LEXIS 97
Court
North Dakota Supreme Court
Filed
Mar 7, 1955
Status
Published
Author
Burke
On the bench
Morris, Burke, Grimson, Johnson, Sathre
Cited by
26 cases

The opinion

BURKE, Chief Justice

(concurring).

I concur in the result in this case although I . do not believe the evidence is sufficient to sustain a -finding of culpable negligence as it is defined in the opinion of the majority. After a careful consideration of the applicable statutes, I have come, to the conclusion that proof of ordinary negligence which causes the death of a human being is sufficient to sustain a conviction of manslaughter in the second degree.

•Under Section 12-2715, NDRC 1943, “Homicide, not excusable or justifiable, -but perpetrated in a manner not constituting murder, is manslaughter.” Under Section 12-2719, NDRC 1943, homicide which is neither “murder nor ‘ manslaughter in the first degree, nor excusable nor justifiable homicide, is manslaughter in the second degree.” Under Section 12-2703, NDRC 1943, a homicide is excusable, “When committed by accident and misfortune * * * by lawful means, with usual and' ordinary caution * * * It follows that a homicide committed accidently but when acting without ordinary caution is not excusable homicide." Lack of ordinary caution is ordinary negligence. I am compelled to the conclusion therefore that a homicide caused by ordinary negligence, , since it is not excusable under the statute, is manslaughter in the'second degree.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.