People v. Conterno

339 F.2d 968, 339 P.2d 968, 170 Cal. App. Supp. 2d 817, 1959 Cal. App. LEXIS 2283
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 30, 1959
DocketCrim. A. 3981
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 339 F.2d 968 (People v. Conterno) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Conterno, 339 F.2d 968, 339 P.2d 968, 170 Cal. App. Supp. 2d 817, 1959 Cal. App. LEXIS 2283 (Cal. Ct. App. 1959).

Opinions

DAVID, J.

The jury’s verdict declared defendant Conterno guilty of violation of California Vehicle Code, section 502: “It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of intoxicating liquor to drive a vehicle upon any highway . . ; and upon a second count of the complaint, found that he was guilty of operating a vehicle upon a public high[Supp. 822]*Supp. 822way without having in his possession and displaying upon demand a valid license, etc., in contravention of Vehicle Code, section 274, subdivision (b).

The judgment of the court was that the defendant on the first count should pay a fine in the sum of $250, suspended on condition that $125 of the fine be paid or that 25 days be served, and on condition that defendant should not drive without a valid license; with the usual alternatives of imprisonment if the fine should not be paid; and upon the second count, that he should pay a fine in the sum of ten dollars, payment suspended. The defendant appeals from this judgment.

Although the insufficiency of the evidence to support the judgment is urged, particularly in reference to the second count of the complaint, the appellant has not brought the evidence before us, either by settled statement or reporter’s transcript. The sufficiency of the evidence to support the verdict and the judgment is therefore not in issue, and we must affirm the judgment in relation to the second count. We therefore turn our attention to the first count.

When arrested, the defendant was requested by the arresting officer to give a breath sample for the intoximeter test, and refused. The settled statement on appeal states: “The defendant testified that he refused an intoximeter test on the ground that the giving of the test was a violation of his constitutional rights. The defendant objected on constitutional grounds to testifying to any facts regarding the giving of or refusal to take the intoximeter test. The objection was overruled.”

Appellant claims in the statement on appeal that: “The court erred in admitting evidence that the defendant stood on his constitutional rights in refusing to take a balloon test and in using the fact of refusal to incriminate himself as a basis for conviction.”

Upon this appeal, defendant Conterno asserts that the trial court also committed prejudicial error in its refusal to instruct the jury that:

“(No. 1) You are instructed that no inference of guilt attaches to the defendant by reason of his refusal to take any so-called sobriety tests.
“(No. 3) You are instructed that a person has a constitutional right to refuse to take any tests at the request of officers arresting him and no inference of wrongdoing may be had by you from such refusal, if one occurred.”

[Supp. 823]*Supp. 823The court did instruct:

“ (No. 4) You are instructed you may not speculate as to what might have been the result of a sobriety test, if one had been taken.”
“(No. 8) You are instructed that the defendant did not have to take any sobriety tests.”

No other instructions bearing upon the subject matter were offered or given.

Which constitutional rights he had in mind when he refused the test or made his objection at time of trial are not specified. We will assume that these are California Constitution, article I, sections 13 and 19, as urged in the briefs. California Constitution, article I, section 13, provides in part: “No person shall be . . . compelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself; . . . but in any criminal case, whether the defendant testifies or not, his failure to explain or deny by his testimony any evidence or facts in the case against him may be commented upon by the court and by counsel, and may be considered by the court or the jury.”

Such right of comment upon, and consideration of, a defendant’s failure to explain or deny evidence in the ease against him does not violate the Fifth or Fourteenth Amendments. (Adamson v. California (1947), 332 U.S. 46 [67 S.Ct. 1672, 91 L.Ed. 1903, 171 A.L.R. 1223]; aff’g. People v. Adamson (1946), 27 Cal.2d 478 [165 P.2d 3]).

California Constitution, article I, section 19, provides in part: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons . . . against unreasonable seizures and searches, shall not be violated; ...”

We take judicial notice that the intoximeter or breath analysis test for alcoholic intoxication is frequently called by laymen “a balloon test,” due to the use of a small rubber balloon to collect the breath sample.

To determine the quantity of blood alcohol, samples of the bodily fluids such as blood, urine, saliva, or the human breath are analyzed. (See People v. Kovacik (1954), 205 Misc. 275 [128 N.Y.S.2d 492, 500 et seq.] describing such tests).1

[Supp. 824]*Supp. 824The scientific validity of such tests, when properly administered, is generally conceded. (People v. Duroncelay (1957), 48 Cal.2d 766, 772 [312 P.2d 690]; cf. Lawrence v. City of Los Angeles (1942), 53 Cal.App.2d 6, 8 [127 P.2d 931]). Until the quantitative analysis is made and the results have been interpreted by an expert, it cannot be known whether the person from whom the breath or other sample was taken was or was not under the influence of intoxicating liquor, within the terms of Vehicle Code, section 502. “Nor should it be ignored that a test of this kind may serve to exonerate, as well as to convict.” (People v. Duroncelay, supra (1957), 48 Cal.2d 766, 772 [312 P.2d 690]). Such testing may determine that an apparent impairment of a person’s physical faculties is not due to alcohol, and that other medical aid is needed urgently; as in case of insulin shock, concussion of the brain from trauma, and the like. (Cf. State of New Jersey v. Shiren (1951), 15 N.J.Super. 440 [83 A.2d 620], electro-encephalogram, to prove that “blackout” was not due to intoxication). Both for the protection of the citizen who needs medical attention and the protection of the police officer against claims of false arrest, physical examinations to determine the cause of a citizen’s apparent lack of physical coordination and control are important. (Cf. circumstances of Wood v. Cox (1935), 10 Cal.App.2d 652 [52 P.2d 565]).2

[Supp. 825]*Supp. 825The test itself does not declare guilt nor innocence, nor the fact of intoxication, which still is to be determined by the testimony of experts interpreting the test. (People v. Tucker (1948), 88 Cal.App.2d 333, 339 [198 P.2d 941]; People ex rel. Meehan v. Spears (1952), 201 Misc. 666 [114 N.Y.S.2d 869, 870]). The test and the evidence founded upon it may protect the innocent (Toms v. State of Oklahoma, supra, 95 Okla.Crim. 60 [239 P.2d 812, 817]) and the reports reflect occasions where it has done so. (As in State of Idaho v. Ayres (1949), 70 Idaho 18 [211 P.2d 142]; cf. Macon Busses Inc. v. Dashiell (1945), 73 Ga.App. 108 [35 S.E.2d 666, 670]).

Where the test is given the results are to be weighed and considered with all other evidence by the jury (People v. Tucker, supra,

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Bluebook (online)
339 F.2d 968, 339 P.2d 968, 170 Cal. App. Supp. 2d 817, 1959 Cal. App. LEXIS 2283, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-conterno-calctapp-1959.