State v. PeprahState v. Peprah
Procedural History, Stipulations, and Framing of the Issues
{¶ 1} On May 17, 2005, the defendant filed a motion to suppress/in limine (“motion”). Several continuances were granted at the request of the parties. On November 9, 2005, a hearing was held on the motion. The state of Ohio was represented by Prosecutor Natalia Harris, and the defendant was represented by attorney Mark Fagin. Sworn testimony was taken, and a court reporter was present. The motion was denied.
{¶ 2} On March 27, 2005, the defendant was arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, pursuant to
{¶ 3} In an accompanying case, case No. 2005 TRC 139818, the defendant was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, pursuant to
{¶ 4} In his motion to suppress/in limine, the defendant challenged whether the urine was (1) collected on a timely basis, (2) placed in an appropriate container, (3) accurately labeled, (4) accurately stored, (5) collected and tested with no break in the chain of custody, (6) tested with a machine approved, maintained, and calibrated in accordance with the Ohio Department of Health (“ODH”) regulations, (7) tested pursuant to a method approved by the ODH, and (8) tested by qualified personnel. The defendant summarized by stating that the results of the urine test are unreliable. At the hearing, however, the defendant and Prosecutor Harris stipulated to the following:
(1) Current ODH regulations do not require a second void urine sample to be taken and tested to determine violations ofR.C. 4511.19(A)(5) ;
*9 (2) In the instant case a second void urine sample was not taken or tested;
(3) In the instant case only a first void urine sample was taken and tested;
(4) Applicable ODH regulations regarding the collection, handling and analysis of the first void urine sample were substantially complied with by the Bexley Police Department;
(5) There exists no documented evidence of what happened to the first void urine sample between 10:03 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. on March 28, 2005, the date of testing, however the defendant waives any challenge regarding chain of custody and its effect on substantial compliance with ODH regulations;
(6) The arresting officer, Officer Shwver, did not smell an odor of alcoholic beverage about the defendant until the defendant was outside his vehicle, and Officer Shwver described the odor as being “slight”;
(7) The Bexley Police Department had a properly working breathalyzer machine at the time defendant gave a first void urine sample.
{¶ 5} At the hearing, after making the foregoing stipulations, the defendant summarized his issues as follows: (1) the results of the test were unreliable pursuant to the Daubert
{¶ 6} The court will now address the defendant’s abuse-of-discretion argument.
{¶ 7} The defendant argues that ODH has abused its discretion in promulgating regulations regarding urine testing because the regulations do not require that a second-void urine sample be taken and tested. Central to and implicit in the defendant’s argument is his belief that (1) blood-alcohol content is the most reliable indicator of a person’s impairment due to alcohol consumption and (2) by including subdivision (A)(1)(e) in
{¶ 8} Although this court determined that a Daubert reliability argument was not appropriate at the hearing, the defendant’s reliability argument dominated his expert’s testimony as well as his hearing brief and his reply brief. However, the defendant did very little to address or support his belief that the General Assembly intended to correlate subdivision (A)(1)(e) regarding urine per se level to subdivision (A)(1)(b) regarding whole blood per se level. In fact, although requested to do so by this court, the defendant did not address the intent of the General Assembly in his hearing brief. In his reply brief the defendant stated, “The Court did not explain how the legislative history would be relevant to the issue presented. Since an interpretation of
{¶ 9} Contrary to the defendant’s belief, interpretation of
Review of Statutory Text for Legislative Intent
{¶ 10} The foremost consideration in determining the meaning of a statute is legislative intent.
{¶ 11} The court will now look at the words of the statute and the four corners only to determine if the language is plain and unambiguous and conveys a clear and definite meaning.
{¶ 12}
(A)(1) No person shall operate any vehicle, streetcar, or trackless trolley within this state, if, at the time of the operation, any of the following apply:
(a) The person is under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or a combination of them.
(b) The person has a concentration of eight-hundredths of one per cent or more but less than seventeen-hundredths of one per cent by weight per unit volume of alcohol in the person’s whole blood.
*12 (c) The person has a concentration of ninety-six thousandths of one per cent or more but less than two hundred four-thousandths of one per cent by weight per unit volume of alcohol in the person’s blood serum or plasma.
(d) The person has a concentration of eight-hundredths of one gram or more but less than seventeen-hundredths of one gram by weight of alcohol per two hundred ten liters of the person’s breath.
(e) The person has a concentration of eleven-hundredths of one gram or more but less than two hundred thirty-eight-thousandths of one gram by weight of alcohol per one hundred milliliters of the person’s urine.
(f) The person has a concentration of seventeen-hundredths of one per cent or more by weight per unit volume of alcohol in the person’s whole blood.
(g) The person has a concentration of two hundred four-thousandths of one per cent or more by weight per unit volume of alcohol in the person’s blood serum or plasma
(h) The person has a concentration of seventeen-hundredths of one gram or more by weight of alcohol per two hundred ten liters of the person’s breath.
(i) The person has a concentration of two hundred thirty-eight-thousandths of one gram or more by weight of alcohol per one hundred milliliters of the person’s urine.
{¶ 13}
(D)(1) In any criminal prosecution or juvenile court proceeding for a violation of division (A) or (B) of this section or for an equivalent offense, the court may admit evidence on the concentration of alcohol, drugs of abuse, or a combination of them in the defendant’s whole blood, blood serum or plasma, breath, urine, or other bodily substance at the time of the alleged violation as shown by chemical analysis of the substance withdrawn within two hours of the time of the alleged violation.
* * :|:
The bodily substance withdrawn shall be analyzed in accordance with methods approved by the director of health by an individual possessing a valid permit issued by the director pursuant to section 3701.143 of the Revised Code.
{¶ 14} Finally,
For purposes ofSection 4511.19 of the Revised Code, the director of health shall determine, or cause to be determined, techniques or methods for chemically analyzing a person’s blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance in order to ascertain the amount of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or alcohol and a drug of abuse in the person’s blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance. The director shall approve satisfactory techniques or methods, ascertain the qualifications of individuals to conduct such analyses. Such permits shall be subject to termination or revocation at the discretion of the director.
Review of Legislative History and Former Statutory Provisions for Legislative Intent
{¶ 16} When statutory language is subject to more than one reasonable interpretation, it is ambiguous and the court must give effect to the legislature’s
{¶ 17}
(C) The legislative history;
(D) The common law or former statutory provisions, including laws upon the same or similar subjects * * *.
{¶ 18} The court will now examine the legislative history and former statutory provisions of
{¶ 19} A prohibition against operating a vehicle while under the influence of “intoxicating liquor” was first enacted in 1941 by the General Assembly with the enactment of General Code 6307-19.
{¶ 20} In 1968, the General Assembly added the following language to
In any criminal prosecution for a violation of this section, or ordinance of any municipality relating to driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, the court may admit evidence on the concentration of alcohol in the defendant’s blood at the time of the alleged violation as shown by chemical analysis of the defendant’s blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance withdrawn within 2 hours of the time of such alleged violation * * * Such bodily substance shall be analyzed in accordance with methods approved by the director of health by an individual possessing a valid permit issued by the director of health pursuant tosection 3701.143 of the Revised Code. Such evidence gives rise to the following;
(A) If there was at the time a concentration of less than fifteen hundredths of one percent by weight of alcohol in the defendant’s blood, such fact shall not give rise to any presumption that the defendant was or was not under the*15 influence of alcohol but such fact may be considered with other competent evidence in determining the guilt or innocence of the defendant.
(B) If there was at that time a concentration of fifteen hundredths of one percent or more by weight of alcohol in the defendant’s blood it shall be presumed that the defendant was under the influence of alcohol.20
The same Amended Substitute House Bill 380 added
The director of health shall determine, or cause to be determined, techniques or methods for chemically analyzing a person’s blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance in order to ascertain the amount of alcohol in a person’s blood. The director shall approve satisfactory techniques or methods, ascertain the qualifications of individuals to conduct such analyses, and issue permits to qualified persons authorizing them to perform such analyses. Such permits shall be subject to termination or revocation at the discretion of the director.21
The Legislative Service Commission Bill Analysis for Amended Substitute House Bill 380 states that “[t]he director health is charged with the responsibility of determining technical methods for chemically analyzing a person’s bodily substances in order to determine blood alcohol content * * * The bill authorizes courts to admit evidence on concentration of alcohol in a person’s system if taken within two hours of the violation * * *.”
{¶ 21} From a review of these former statutory provisions and the legislative history of
{¶ 22} In 1971, the General Assembly, with Amended Senate Bill 14, amended
{¶ 23} In 1983, the General Assembly enacted Amended Substitute Senate Bill 432 and amended
(B) In any criminal prosecution for a violation of this section or of an ordinance of any municipal corporation relating to OPERATING driving a MOTOR vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, the court may admit evidence on the concentration of alcohol in the defendant’s blood, BREATH, OR URINE at the time of alleged violation as shown by chemical analysis of the defendant’s blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance withdrawn within two hours of the time of such alleged violation.25
This legislation reflects the point at which
{¶ 24} The versions of Senate Bill 432 that were passed by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, the full Senate Judiciary Committee, the full Senate, the House Judiciary Committee, and the full House each contain a reference to breath-alcohol and urine-alcohol concentrations “comparable” to blood-alcohol concentrations.
*17 The bill would replace the three rebuttable presumptions in current law with the three new prohibitions described above that prohibit persons from operating a motor vehicle with a certain amount of alcohol in their blood, breath or urine.
In short, the bill would prohibit a person with a .10% or more blood-alcohol concentration (or a comparable breath-alcohol or urine-alcohol concentration) from driving based upon the apparent assumption that a person with that amount of alcohol in his blood, breath or urine is intoxicated.27
The Legislative Services Commission analysis of the version of Senate Bill 432 as passed by the House states:
The bill would specify that a chemical test showing less than .10% blood-alcohol, less than .10 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath, or less than .14 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of urine could be considered with other competent evidence in determining the guilt or innocence of the defendant, however it would eliminate the presumption that if a defendant’s blood alcohol level is .05% or less, the defendant is presumed innocent of operating a motor vehicle under the influence. The bill would also eliminate the presumption that a defendant is presumed guilty of operating a motor vehicle under the influence if his blood alcohol level is .10% or more, but would expand the presumption to include a comparable breath-alcohol or urine-alcohol concentration and make the expanded presumption applicable to homicide by vehicle cases in which the trier of fact determines whether the person guilty of homicide by vehicle was under the influence of alcohol when he committed the offense.28
{¶ 25} In 1993, the General Assembly amended
For purposes ofSection 4511.19 of the Revised Code, the director of health shall determine * * * in order to ascertain the amount of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or alcohol and a drug of abuse in the person’s blood, urine, breath or other bodily substance.29
{¶ 27} In 2000, the General Assembly amended
{¶ 28} In 2003, the General Assembly amended the per se “low” concentration levels from ten hundredths to eight hundredths for blood, ten hundredths to eight hundredths for breath, and fourteen hundredths to eleven hundredths for urine.
{¶ 29} Although the original intent of the General Assembly was very clear, subsequent amendments to
Review of Administrative Construction of the Statute for Legislative Intent
{¶ 30} In addition to considering legislative history and former statutory provisions in order to determine legislative intent,
{¶ 31} In 1968, as directed by and pursuant to the authority granted to it by the General Assembly in
(A) Tests to determine the concentration of alcohol in a person’s blood may be applied to blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance. Results shall be expressed as equivalent to grams of alcohol per one hundred (100) milliliters of blood.34
This once effective version of
(B) For purposes of this rule, three-fourths (3/4) of the determined concentration of alcohol in the urine shall be equivalent to the corresponding blood alcohol concentration,35
{¶ 32} In 1983, the ODH amended
(A) Tests to determine the concentration of alcohol in a person’s blood may be applied to blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance. Results shall be expressed as equivalent to: grams of alcohol pei-one-h-u-ndi-ed-(-l-QQ)-milllliters of blood.
(1) per cent by weight in blood (grams per 100 milliliters of blood);
(2) grams by weight of alcohol per two hundred ten liters of breath (blood alcohol concentration based on the deep lung air to blood ratio of 2,100:1);
*20 (3) grams per weight of alcohol per one hundred milliliters of urine (grams per cent by weight).36
The Rule Summary and Fiscal Analysis filed by the DOH with the Legislative Service Commission states that the reason for filing this amendment to
{¶ 33}
{¶ 34} In 1986, the director of health proposed amendments to
{¶ 35} The text of subsequent amendments to
Intent of the General Assembly to Correlate Urine Alcohol Tests to Blood-Alcohol Tests
{¶ 36} The Tenth District Court of Appeals has ruled that the General Assembly has the constitutional authority to define offenses and presumably could prohibit the operation of motor vehicles when a motorist has consumed any alcohol.
{¶ 37} Therefore, the court must now consider whether the director of health abused his discretion in promulgating
Determination that the Director of Health Did Not Abuse His Discretion
{¶ 38} Defense counsel argues that the director of health abused his discretion by not requiring that the second void of urine be measured in a urine chemical test rather than the first void. He supports his argument with Judge Boyer’s decision in State v. Oliver,
{¶ 39}
{¶ 40}
*23 (A) Tests to determine the concentration of alcohol may be applied to blood, breath, urine, or other bodily substances. Results shall be expressed as equivalent to:
* * *
(3) Grams by weight of alcohol per one hundred milliliters of urine (grams per cent by weight).
{¶ 41}
(A) Alcohol in blood, urine and other bodily substances shall be analyzed based on approved techniques or methods. The technique or method must have documented sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision and linearity. The technique or method can be based on procedures which have been published in a peer reviewed or juried scientific journal or thoroughly documented by the laboratory. Approved techniques or methods include:
(1) Gas chromatography; and
(2) Enzyme assays.
{¶ 42} “The United States Supreme Court instructs us that courts do owe deference to an agency’s rulemaking authority. In Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. * * * the court held: * * * ‘[Ljegislative regulations are given controlling weight unless they are arbitrary, capricious, or manifestly contrary to the statute. Sometimes the legislative delegation to an agency on a particular question is implicit rather than explicit. In such a case, a court may not substitute its own construction of a statutory provision for a reasonable interpretation made by the administrator of an agency.’ ”
{¶ 44} Even taking into consideration this court’s conclusion that the General Assembly intended to correlate urine-alcohol content to blood-alcohol content, this court does not find that the director of health abused his discretion in not requiring a second void of urine pursuant to
Defendant’s Request to Permit a Daubert
{¶ 45} In his posthearing brief, the defendant requests that this court reconsider its decision to exclude the testimony of his expert witness, Dr. Staubus, to attack the reliability of the first-void urine test. The defendant argues that such testimony does not question whether first-void urine tests in general are reliable,
Attack on General Reliability — Generally
{¶ 46} The Ohio Supreme Court in State v. Vega
Attack on General Reliability — Daubert and Due Process
{¶ 47} Vega states, “There is no question that the accused may also attack the reliability of the specific testing procedure and the qualifications of the operator.”
{¶ 49} Similarly, a Daubert reliability challenge to the defendant’s specific first-void urine test in this case would be, in essence, a challenge to the general reliability of the first-void urine-testing procedure. This court finds that such a challenge is precluded by Vega, and further finds that the defendant’s due-process rights are not violated by suppression of Dr. Staubus’s testimony. This court concurs with the Tenth District in noting that “this court is charged with accepting and enforcing the law promulgated by the Supreme Court, not changing, modifying or ignoring that law.”
Attack on General Reliability — Daubert and Prejudice
{¶ 50} The defendant argues as well that prohibiting him from presenting expert testimony regarding the reliability of his specific first-void urine test would prejudice him. The defendant points to Judge Taylor’s decision in State v. Gaye.
{¶ 51} State v. Plummer held that “[a]bsent a showing of prejudice to a defendant, the results of a urine-alcohol test administered in substantial compliance with [the applicable Ohio Administrative Code regulations] are admissible in a prosecution under
{¶ 52} Further, the Plummer court noted that appellant had not alleged or demonstrated that he had been prejudiced in any way by the state’s failure to comply with the literal requirements of the administrative regulation regarding testing of urine specimens.
{¶ 53} In Plummer, evidence was presented showing that although substantially compliant with the Ohio Administrative Code, the administration of the urine test was not strictly or literally compliant with the Ohio Administrative Code.
Conclusion
{154} Therefore, the court denies the defendant’s motion to suppress, and the parties are to appear on May 15, 2006 at 9:30 a.m.
So ordered.
Notes
. Am.Sub.H.B. No. 163, 150 Ohio Laws 163 (effective Sept. 23, 2004), redesignated the former
. Am.Sub.S.B. No. 123, 150 Ohio Laws 123 (effective Jan. 1, 2004), redesignated former
. Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (1993),
. State v. Vega (1984),
. State v. Gordon, 8th Dist.,
. State v. Cox (Apr. 18, 1985), 10th Dist. App. Nos. 84AP-671 and 84AP-672,
. State v. Woerner (1984),
. State v. Reedy, 10th Dist. No. 05AP-501, 2006-0hio-1212,
. Reedy,
. Reedy,
. Jackson,
. State v. Gaye (Nov. 2, 2000), Franklin M.C. Nos. 2000 TRC 143892 and 2000 TRC 162041, Motion Hearing Entry.
. State v. Oliver (Sept. 25, 2000), Washington C.P. No. 00CR15, Ruling on Motion to Suppress.
. Judge Boyer states, "Alcohol concentration in the blood is an accepted and scientifically reliable indicator of the degree of intoxication of a person. It is this relationship that has given rise to the testing of bodily substances in order to determine that concentration in OMVI prosecutions * * *. There is no scientific relation between the amount of alcohol in the blood, which determines the degree of intoxication of a person, and the amount of alcohol in urine after more than an hour has passed since the last void.” Judge Taylor states, "Defendant's Motion to Suppress the Results of Defendant's Urine Test used to determine Defendant's blood alcohol content (BAC) came on for hearing. * * * The Court agrees that a more reliable evaluation of Defendant’s BAC could be obtained through the utilization of a second void urine sample. * * * Indeed, accurate BAC results must be established when the offense consists of essentially three elements: 1) operating a motor vehicle; 2) within this state; 3) with a concentration of two hundred thirty-eight-thousandths of one gram or more by weight of alcohol per one hundred milliliters of the person’s urine.”
. Reedy,
. Reedy,
. Am.Sub.S.B. No. 49, 119 Ohio Laws 766 (effective Sept. 6, 1941).
. Bureau of Code Revision (effective Oct. 1, 1953).
. S.B. No. 41, 130 Ohio Laws 1083 (effective July 11, 1963).
. (Emphasis added.) Am.Sub.H.B. No. 380, 132 Ohio Laws 380 (effective Jan. 1, 1968).
. (Emphasis added.) Id.
. (Emphasis added.) Legislative Service Commission Analysis of House Bill 380, As Reported by the Senate Committee on Urban and Highway Affairs, considered by the 107th General Assembly, available at Supreme Court of Ohio Law Library on microfiche.
. Am.S.B. No. 14, 134 Ohio Laws 14 (effective Dec. 3, 1971).
. Am.S.B. No. 14.
. Am.Sub.S.B. No. 432, 139 Ohio Laws 432 (effective Mar. 16, 1983).
. Legislative Service Commission Analyses of Senate Bill 432 (As Reported by Senate Judiciary Subcommittee, As Reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee, As Passed by the
. (Emphasis added.) Legislative Service Commission Analyses of Senate Bill 432 (As Passed by the Senate, considered by the 114th General Assembly), available at Supreme Court of Ohio Law Library on microfiche.
. (Emphasis added.) Legislative Service Commission Analyses of Senate Bill 432 (As Passed by the House, considered by the 114th General Assembly), available at Supreme Court of Ohio Law Library on microfiche.
.Am.H.B. 657, 144 Ohio Laws 657 (effective Apr. 16, 1993).
. Am.Sub.S.B. No. 22, 148 Ohio Laws 22 (effective May 17, 2000).
. Am.Sub.H.B. No. 87, 150 Ohio Laws 87 (effective June 30, 2003).
. Am.Sub.S.B. No. 123, 150 Ohio Laws 123 (effective Jan. 1, 2004).
. State v. Cooper (1997),
. (Emphasis added.)
. (Emphasis added.)
. (Emphasis added.)
. Proposed amendments to
. Proposed amendments to
. Proposed amendments to
. Proposed amendments to
. (Emphasis added.) Proposed amendments to
. Proposed amendments to
. Cox,
. State v. Oliver (Sept. 25, 2000), Washington C.P. No. 00 CR 15, Ruling on Motion to Suppress.
. Charvat v. Dispatch Consumer Servs., Inc. (2002),
. Woodbridge Partners Group, Inc. v. Ohio Lottery Comm. (1994),
. Midwestern College of Massotherapy v. Ohio Med. Bd. (1995),
. State v. Yoder (1993),
. Doyle v. Ohio Bur. of Motor Vehicles (1990),
. Daubert v. Merrell Dow Phannaceuticals, Inc.,
. State v. Vega (1984),
. State v. Estep ( 1991),
. State v. Vega,
. State v. Sabo, Franklin App. No. 04 AP-1114,
. State v. Sabo, 2006-0hio-1521,
. State v. Gaye (Nov. 2, 2000), Franklin M.C. Nos. 2000 TRC 143892 and 2000 TRC 162041, Motion Hearing Entry.
.State v. Workman (1996),
. State v. Plummer (1986),
. Id. at syllabus.
. Id. In Plummer, the urine sample was not kept strictly refrigerated as required by