State v. Schminkey
Supreme Court of Iowa
597 N.W.2d 785 (1999)
After drinking heavily, William Schminkey (defendant) left a bar in a pickup truck belonging to Dale Kimm without Kimm's permission and drove erratically until he ran a stop sign, causing a collision that killed one driver, then fled the scene before crashing into a fence and being arrested with a blood-alcohol level well above the legal limit. Schminkey, claiming no memory of the night due to intoxication, entered Alford pleas to vehicular homicide and theft in exchange for dismissal of a manslaughter charge, receiving consecutive prison terms; he appealed the theft conviction, arguing no evidence showed he intended to permanently deprive Kimm of the truck.
Whether, under state law, theft of a vehicle requires proof of intent to permanently deprive another person of his or her vehicle.