State v. Chalupka

Syllabus

Convicted, after a jury trial, of, inter alia, operating a motor vehicle while having an elevated blood alcohol content and evasion of responsibility in the operation of a motor vehicle, the defendant appealed. He claimed, inter alia, that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that he operated a motor vehicle to support his conviction of those charges. Held: This court reversed the defendant's conviction with respect to the charges of operating a motor vehicle while having an elevated blood alcohol content and evasion of responsibility in the operation of a motor vehicle, as the cumulative force of the state's evidence, viewed in the light most favor- able to sustaining the jury's verdict, was insufficient to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant operated a motor vehicle, which was a required element of both charges. Argued November 12, 2025—officially released March 3, 2026