City of Cleveland v. Haffey

703 N.E.2d 380, 94 Ohio Misc. 2d 79, 1998 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 42
CourtCity of Cleveland Municipal Court
DecidedSeptember 17, 1998
DocketNo. 98TRC006884
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 703 N.E.2d 380 (City of Cleveland v. Haffey) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering City of Cleveland Municipal Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Cleveland v. Haffey, 703 N.E.2d 380, 94 Ohio Misc. 2d 79, 1998 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 42 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1998).

Opinion

Sean C. Gallagher, Judge.

This case is before the court on charges of driving under the influence in violation of Cleveland Codified Ordinances 433.01(a)(1), resisting arrest, C.C.O. 615.08, and failure to control under C.C.O. 431.34.

On January 23, 1998 at 1:40 a.m., Officer Tom Marazzi of the Cleveland Police Department 6th District, responded to a motor vehicle accident at Neff Road and East 185th Street in Cleveland. Officer Marazzi observed that a white Ford van, later determined to be that of the defendant, had struck the rear of another car believed to be a Toyota. Officer Marazzi related that a small crowd of six or seven people pointed to the southwest corner, where they said the man driving the van had run . behind a bank. Officer Marazzi went to that location and encountered the defendant, who was peeking behind the corner, talking on a cellular phone. The officer said the defendant tried to flee, but stumbled and appeared intoxicated. The officer related that when he approached the defendant, the defendant began yelling obscenities. The officer claimed that in [85]*85addition to the obscenities, the defendant told him he was on the phone with his lawyer and did not have to talk to police. Officer Marazzi then advised the defendant he was under arrest, advised him of his rights, and took him into custody.

C.P.D. Officers Michael Ward and Robert Bartos arrived on the scene shortly after Officer Marazzi. They took the defendant from Officer Marazzi’s vehicle and placed him in their cruiser for transport. Officer Ward read the defendant his Miranda warnings at that time. The defendant was being transported to the Bratenahl police station for a Breathalyzer test. While preparing to conduct the Breathalyzer test and complete B.M.V. form 2255 and the C.P.D. Alcohol Influence Report form, a scuffle ensued between the defendant and Officer Ward, in which the defendant injured his head. The officers then decided to transport the defendant to P.H.S. Mt. Sinai for treatment.

At the hospital, R.N. Dambreville was the emergency room nurse who provided primary care to the defendant. The defendant fought with the treating room nurses, who had to call security to place him in four-point restraints to be treated. A blood sample was taken and tested at 3:50 a.m., more than two hours after the accident. This sample .revealed a concentration of alcohol in the blood of .29 of one percent.

The defendant was transported from the hospital to the police station after treatment at 7:00 a.m. He was again advised of his Miranda rights. At this point, the defendant said that he was sorry for what happened and did not remember any part of what happened.

Counsel for the defendant filed a series of pretrial motions requiring hearing and disposition prior to trial. The first, a “Motion in Limine,” sought to preclude the city from offering any evidence concerning the defendant’s prior driving record. The second, a “Motion To Suppress The Results Of The Test Determining Defendant’s Blood Alcohol Content,” sought to preclude the city from introducing any evidence from test results of the alcohol content of the defendant’s blood. This motion also raised the issue of the “Patient Physician Privilege” as outlined under R.C. 2317.02 et seq. The third, a “Motion to Suppress Statements,” sought to preclude the admission of defendant’s statements to police on the grounds of a Miranda violation.

In addition to these motions, counsel for P.H.S. Mt. Sinai Hospital, a facility which treated the defendant for injuries after the incident, filed a “Motion to Quash Trial Subpoenas” for its personnel, citing its responsibility to protect the patient-physician privilege under R.C. 2317.02.

[86]*86PRIOR CONVICTIONS FOR DUI (MOTION IN LIMINE)

Counsel for the defendant seeks to preclude the prosecutor and the witnesses for the city from commenting on the fact the defendant had four prior convictions for driving under the influence, two of . which were within the statutory period for sentencing-enhancement purposes. Since previous DUI convictions are not elements of subsequent offenses unless the subsequent charge is a felony, the admissibility of convictions or prior instances of conduct is controlled by the Rules of Evidence, specifically, Evid. R. 404, 608, and 609. The fact that a defendant has been arrested, charged, and convicted in a previous case is irrelevant and prejudicial to a present charge. State v. Allen (1987), 29 Ohio St.3d 53, 505 N.E.2d 957.

The defendant’s motion in limine is granted. The defendant is advised that the granting of this motion is limited and the defendant must raise the issue at trial, if necessary, to preclude admission of the prior record at trial and to preserve the matter for appeal. State v. Brown (1988), 38 Ohio St.3d 305, 528 N.E.2d 523. The granting of a motion in limine is only a preliminary interlocutory order. It does not determine the admissibility of evidence at trial. State v. Cherukuri (1992), 79 Ohio App.3d 228, 607 N.E.2d 56. If the defendant opens the door to admissibility of the prior record at trial, the convictions may, under certain circumstances, be admitted.

RESULTS OF THE TEST DETERMINING DEFENDANT’S BLOOD-ALCOHOL CONTENT

Counsel for the defendant argues that the blood results taken in excess of the two-hour time requirement under R.C. 4511.19 should not be admitted because the results do not conform to the requirements of the Ohio Department of Health as outlined under the Ohio Administrative Code. Ohio Adm.Code Chapter 3701-53.

Counsel for the defendant recognizes the admissibility of blood evidence in excess of the two-hour rule in R.C. 4511.19(A)(1) actions (or any similar municipal ordinance), as outlined in Newark v. Lucas (1988) 40 Ohio St.3d 100, 532 N.E.2d 130. The defense claims that the two-hour-rule exception in Newark does not exempt the city from the requirements for admissibility under the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Administrative Code mandates. The defense raises five specific violations of the Ohio Department of Health Blood-Alcohol Testing Rules. The defendant claims (1) that the technician did not have a valid laboratory technician’s permit as required under Ohio Adm. Code 3701-53-07, (2) that the laboratory and its personnel did not have a valid permit from the Ohio Department of Health as required under Ohio Adm. Code 3701-53-09, (3) that the [87]*87testing method was not approved by the ODH as outlined in Ohio Adm. Code 8701-53-03, (4) that the chain of custody requirements were violated as outlined under Ohio Adm. Code 3701-53-06A and (5) that the sample was not retained for one year as required under Ohio Adm. Code 3701-53-06A.

In the present case, medical personnel withdrew the blood more than two hours after the alleged incident for a medical purpose. The police did not request a sample. In Newark, supra, the Ohio Supreme Court held that in a prosecution under R.C. 4511.19(A)(1), or a similar municipal ordinance, the results of a properly administered bodily substances test presented with expert testimony may be admitted into evidence despite the fact that the bodily substance was withdrawn more than two hours from the time of the alleged violation.

“Thus, in R.C.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
703 N.E.2d 380, 94 Ohio Misc. 2d 79, 1998 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 42, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-cleveland-v-haffey-ohmunictclevela-1998.