The respondent was found guilty of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. His motion to set aside the verdict was denied by the trial court. On appeal here, three grounds, all of them pertaining to the motion to set aside, are relied upon. The first of these briefed by the respondent is as follows:
“5. That the Jury, due to to its limited deliberations, could have based its Verdict only on the result of the blood test which was unlawfully taken as prescribed in Title 23, §1190, Vermont Statutes Annotated.”
From' this brief recitation of a part of the evidence, it is readily apparent that it is not true that the jury could have based its verdict only on the result of the blood test. The evidence was such that a jury would have been entirely justified in convicting the respondent as charged without regard to the blood test evidence.
In addition to the foregoing, there was testimony of a Dr. É. A. Morton that he took a blood sample from the respondent. The respondent, himself, testified that prior to the taking of the blood the doctor asked him if he wanted the blood test and that he answered “yes.” This sample turned out to contain 0.26 per cent by weight of alcohol. At the time this evidence came in, no objection to any of it was made by the respondent. Later, in a motion to set the verdict aside, the respondent raised for the first time the claim that his blood was unlawfully taken. He points to the statute which reads as follows:
“Only a'physician acting at the request of an enforcement officer of the department of public safety may withdraw any blood of any person submitting to a chemical test under §§1188-1194 of this title * * *” 23 V.S.A. §1190. An inspection of the transcript discloses no' definite evidence' as to who requested- the doctor to withdraw the blood' from the respondent. The -respondent, by his own testimony, made clear that he consented to its being done. With the evidence standing as we have stated it, the case went to the jury and the
respondent was convicted. Thereafter he seeks to raise in his motion to set the verdict aside a question as to whether the blood sample was lawfully taken. We think that the trial court might properly take the position that to allow the respondent to raise this objection for the first time, after verdict, would be unfair to the State. It well may be that had this objection been made at the time that the evidence was being presented the State could have shown at what officer’s request the blood sample was being taken and that in fact it was done at the request of a proper officer. We do not indulge in presumptions that what has been done was done unlawfully. Official actions are presumed to be regular unless the contrary is made to appear.
Ryan
v.
Orient Ins. Co. 96
Vt. 291, 307,
The motion to set aside was also based on the following ground:
“6. That the presumptions of being under the influence of intoxicating liquor as prescribed in Title 23, §1189, V.S.A., were intended by the Legislature to apply only in cases where the blood test had been lawfully taken in accordance with the Statutes of this State.”
It is obvious that this ground of the motion falls with the preceding since it is based on a false premise, namely, that the
There remains but one further ground for consideration, which reads as follows:
“A. That due to the time taken by the Jury in its deliberations of said case, namely, approximately eight (8) minutes, the Jury did not make a fair review of the evidence, and its Verdict was arrived at and based upon prejudice, passion and capriciousness.”
The law does not attempt to prescribe the length of time which a jury should take to arrive at a verdict. Indeed it has been held that a jury may render a verdict without retiring.
Val Decker Packing Co.
v.
Treon,
We think that the trial court might well have considered, in the light of the evidence, that it was the strength of the State’s case which affected the duration of the jury’s deliberation rather than any failure on their part to give the case adequate consideration. There was but one issue to decide. It was simple and uncomplicated and readily capable of resolution. The trial court, with its advantage of having heard and seen the witnesses as they testified, was in a better position to form a judgment on this matter than we are. There is nothing in tire case tending to indicate an abuse of discretion on the trial court’s part in ruling as it did. With this so, an intervention by this Court would be improper.
Travers & Thomas
v.
Rupe,
No reason has been shown why the respondent has not had a fair trial. No error appears.
Judgment affirmed. Let execution be done.
