Hornback v. State

693 N.E.2d 81, 1998 Ind. App. LEXIS 330, 1998 WL 111690
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 16, 1998
Docket09A02-9705-CR-317
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 693 N.E.2d 81 (Hornback v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hornback v. State, 693 N.E.2d 81, 1998 Ind. App. LEXIS 330, 1998 WL 111690 (Ind. Ct. App. 1998).

Opinion

OPINION

DARDEN, Judge.

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Jeffrey D. Hornback appeals his convictions by jury of driving while intoxicated, a class A misdemeanor, and operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .10% or more, a class C misdemeanor. We affirm in part and reverse in part.

ISSUES

1. Did the trial court err by taking judicial notice of the rules and regulations promulgated by the Indiana Department of Toxicology?

2. Did the trial court err in admitting the results of Hornback’s breath test?

3. Did the trial court err in denying Hornback’s motion for judgment on the evidence?

FACTS

On the evening of October 23, 1995, Indiana State Police officer Timothy Miller was on duty as a “road trooper,” patrolling for traffic and criminal violations. (R. 77). An unidentified motorist sought Miller out at a restaurant to advise him of the “actions” of a white Cherokee with a “91” license prefix traveling northbound on a certain roadway. (R. 78). Officer Miller proceeded on that road and saw a Cherokee matching the description provided after about a mile and a half. He then followed the vehicle for about 3/4 mile, observing it. Miller saw the Cherokee “travel across the center line” twice, once “nearly striking” an oncoming vehicle. (R. 79). He also saw the Cherokee “cross the solid white line” on the side of the roadway two times. Officer Miller activated his lights, and the driver pulled the Cherokee into a parking lot and stopped.

Officer Miller walked up to the vehicle and asked its driver, Jeffrey Hornback, for his driver’s license and registration. Officer Miller noticed “an odor of alcohol that was coming from the vehicle” and a wine bottle on the front seat. (R. 81). The officer further noted that Hornback’s breath smelled of alcoholic beverages and that his eyes were bloodshot.

The officer asked Hornback to perform several field sobriety tests. On the “finger to nose” test, Hornback was able to touch his nose tip with his index fingers but touched the side of his nose when using his left little finger. On the “heel to toe” test, Hornback walked heel-to-toe for the requested ten steps, but then as he turned around he took a side step, shuffling one foot out to the side to catch his balance. When asked to recite the alphabet from F to Q, Hornback first recited “F, G, H, I,” and then on a second try he started at F but continued past Q to the letter T. Thereafter, Officer Miller advised Hornback of the implied consent law, and Hornback agreed to submit to a chemical test for intoxication. Officer Miller, a certified breath test operator, administered a breath test to Hornback at the Cass County Jail, using a BAC Datamaster machine. The results of the test indicated that Hornback had a blood alcohol content of .12%.

After a jury trial on November 19 and 20, 1996, the jury found Hornback guilty of driving while intoxicated, a class A misdemeanor, and operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of .10% or more, a class C misdemeanor. Subsequently, Hornback filed a motion for judgment on the evidence, which the trial court denied.

DECISION

1. Judicial Notice

Hornback claims the trial court erred by taking judicial notice of the rules and regulations promulgated by the Indiana Department of Toxicology. Specifically, he argues that under the evidence rules, when judicial notice is mandatory, such notice must be requested by a party. Because notice was not requested here, he concludes, the trial court erred in taking judicial notice sua sponte.

*84 As the State observes, Hornback failed to present this question to the trial court. Absent a showing of fundamental error, a party may not raise an issue on appeal when that issue was not raised at trial. Lloyd v. State, 669 N.E.2d 980, 984 (Ind.1996). Waiver notwithstanding, we look to Ind.Evidence Rule 201, which provides as follows:

(b) Kinds of Laws. A Court may take judicial notice of law. Law includes ... published regulations of governmental agencies....
(c) When Discretionary. A court may take judicial notice, whether requested or not.
(d) When Mandatory. A court shall take judicial notice if requested by a party and supplied with necessary information.

Hornback’s argument based upon the language of this rule is sophistic. As the State observes, the discretion granted the trial court under part (c) of the rule is not eliminated by part (d) of the rule. Further, in Baran v. State, 639 N.E.2d 642, 647 (Ind.1994), our supreme court specifically declared that “courts are required to take judicial notice of the regulations concerning breath testing.” (citing Ind.Code § 4-22-9-3 and Hatch v. State, 547 N.E.2d 276, 277 (Ind.Ct.App.1989)) (emphasis added). Therefore, when the law requires a court to take judicial notice, no request from a party is necessary in order for the court to take such judicial notice. We find no error here.

2. Admission ofHomback’s Breath Test

Hornback claims the trial court erred by allowing the State to submit into evidence breath test results showing his blood alcohol content because the State failed to lay the proper foundation for the introduction of those test results. We are unable to discern his exact argument in this regard, as he discusses it “together” with the previous issue, finding it “inextricably related.” Horn-back’s Brief at 16. However, as the State correctly notes, the following three foundational elements are required for admission of breathalyzer test results:

(1) the test was administered by an operator certified by the State Department of Toxicology;
(2) the equipment used in the test was inspected and approved by the State Department of Toxicology;
(3) the operator used techniques approved by the State Department of Toxicology.

Nasser v. State, 646 N.E.2d 673, 675 (Ind.Ct.App.1995); Baran v. State, 639 N.E.2d 642, 645-46 (Ind.1994); Ind.Code § 9-30-6-5(d).

[4] Evidence that Officer Miller was certified and that the BAC Datamaster had been inspected for compliance was admitted. Further evidence showed that Officer Miller had employed the approved techniques for conducting the breath test. Sufficient foundation was established to permit the admission of Hornback’s breath test results.

3. Judgment on the Evidence

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Bluebook (online)
693 N.E.2d 81, 1998 Ind. App. LEXIS 330, 1998 WL 111690, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hornback-v-state-indctapp-1998.