State v. Shine
Connecticut Supreme Court
479 A.2d 218 (1984)
- Written by Kelli Lanski, JD
Facts
One evening, William Shine (defendant) was drinking in a bar alongside brother and sister Alan and Darlene Tierney. The bar offered free beer for a two-hour period, and Shine, who had a serious alcohol problem, had already drunk 10 to 12 bottles of beer in addition to hard liquor by the time the free period began at 8:00 p.m. He continued drinking until 1:00 a.m., at which time he and the Tierneys left the bar. Shine was intoxicated, and he and Alan had been arguing. Shine got into his car, and Alan leaned inside the driver’s window and began choking Shine. Shine drove away, and Alan fell, injuring his knee. Darlene stopped to help Alan, and Shine drove his car around the parking lot back to where Alan and Darlene were standing and hit them both before driving away. Alan died, and Darlene was injured and hospitalized. Shine was charged with manslaughter and assault and filed a motion in limine before trial, seeking to introduce evidence of his voluntary intoxication as a defense to acting recklessly because he did not have the mental state required to commit manslaughter. The trial court denied his motion. Shine was convicted and appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Parskey, J.)
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