People v. Diaz

878 N.E.2d 1211, 377 Ill. App. 3d 339, 316 Ill. Dec. 187, 2007 Ill. App. LEXIS 1157
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided November 5, 2007·No. 1-06-2690·Published·Cited by 38 cases

Opinion

JUSTICE ROBERT E. GORDON

delivered the opinion of the court:

Defendant Jamie Diaz was convicted of three counts of aggravated driving of a vehicle under the influence of alcohol following a bench trial. The trial court sentenced defendant to the 44 days he served in the Cook County Department of Corrections, as time considered served, and 2 years’ felony probation and assessed fines and fees including a $150 “crime lab driving under the influence (DUI) analysis” fee. Defendant’s motion for a new trial was denied. Defendant appeals, arguing that (1) the State failed to prove him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, (2) his trial counsel was ineffective, (3) the $150 crime lab DUI analysis fee should be vacated, since no lab analysis was conducted, (4) the assessed fees should be offset by a $5-per-day presentence credit for the 44 days he was incarcerated prior to sentencing, and (5) the mittimus should be corrected to reflect a conviction of only one count of driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

BACKGROUND

The facts of this case are largely undisputed. At 8:44 p.m. on January 26, 2006, Officers Tyler and Tunzi “curbed” a motor vehicle driven by defendant after Officer Tyler observed defendant not wearing a seatbelt. The officer did not observe defendant violate any other traffic laws and, in addition, did not observe defendant swerve or perform any other unusual actions.

Officer Tyler approached the defendant’s driver’s-side window with a lit flashlight and asked defendant to tender his driver’s license. Defendant responded that he did not have one. Tyler observed that defendant had bloodshot eyes, “mumbled” speech with a Hispanic accent, and a “moderate” odor of alcohol. Tyler asked defendant to exit his vehicle. Defendant, a slightly overweight male, complied, and as he exited his vehicle, the officer observed defendant sway and exhibit “a little bit of a balance issue.”

Tyler conducted a horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test. Nystagmus, a physiological phenomenon, is a term used to describe an involuntary jerking of the eyeball. “ ‘[It] *** is characterized by a slow drift, usually away from the direction of gaze, followed by a quick jerk of recovery in the direction of gaze. A motor disorder, it may be congenital or due to a variety of conditions affecting the brain, including ingestion of drugs such as alcohol and barbiturates, palsy of lateral or vertical gaze, disorders of the vestibular apparatus and brainstem and cerebellar dysfunction.’ ” (Emphasis in original.) People v. Buening, 229 Ill. App. 3d 538, 539 (1992), quoting The Merck Manual of Diagnosis & Therapy 1980 (14th ed. 1982). “Horizontal gaze nystagmus then is the inability of the eyes to maintain visual fixation as they are turned from side to side or move from center focus to the point of maximum deviation at the side.” Buening, 229 Ill. App. 3d at 539, citing State v. Garrett, 119 Idaho 878, 881, 811 P.2d 488, 491 (1991). The horizontal gaze nystagmus test as routinely performed by law enforcement officers consists of:

“ ‘[T]he driver [being] asked to cover one eye and focus the other on an object (usually a pen) held by the officer at the driver’s eye level. As the officer moves the object gradually out of the driver’s field of vision toward his ear, he watches the driver’s eyeball to detect involuntary jerking. The test is repeated with the other eye. [It is believed by certain law enforcement agencies that,] [b]y observing (1) the inability of each eye to track movement smoothly, (2) pronounced nystagmus at maximum deviation and (3) onset of the nystagmus at an angle less than 45 degrees in relation to the center point, the officer can estimate whether the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAG) exceeds the legal limit ***.’ ” Buening, 229 Ill. App. 3d at 539-40, quoting State v. Superior Court, 149 Ariz. 269, 271, 718 P.2d 171, 173 (1986).

Tyler testified that he explained how to perform the HGN test to defendant and that defendant confirmed that he understood. Tyler administered the HGN test by moving a pen from side-to-side at defendant’s eye level. Tyler testified that defendant’s eyes jerked while following the pen and when they were at maximum deviation, leading the officer to opine that defendant was under the influence of alcohol.

Tyler also conducted a one-leg-stand test. Tyler instructed defendant to place his legs together with his arms at his side and then raise his right leg in the air and count to 30. Defendant was unable to complete the one-leg-stand test.

After these visual observations were completed, defendant was arrested for driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and was also ticketed for failing to wear a seatbelt while operating an automobile. Defendant was taken to the police station for processing. Tyler requested defendant to take a Breathalyzer test and to answer the questionnaire on the back of the alcohol influence report, but defendant declined to do either.

The officer read defendant his Miranda rights, after which defendant stated that he was not going to answer any more questions. Notwithstanding that reply, Tyler immediately asked defendant if he had been drinking, and defendant stated that he had consumed two beers and was going out for more when the officers pulled him over. Tyler then ran defendant’s name through the police database and found that he had two prior convictions for driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and that his driver’s license was revoked. 625 ILCS 5/11 — 501(a)(2) (West 2006). Section 11 — 501(a)(2) of the Illinois Vehicle Code (Vehicle Code) states: “(a) A person shall not drive or be in actual physical control of any vehicle within [the State of Illinois] while: *** (2) under the influence of alcohol.” 625 ILCS 5/11— 501(a)(2) (West 2006).

Defendant was charged with three counts of aggravated driving of a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Count I charged defendant with violating section 11 — 501(a)(2) of the Vehicle Code for a third time during a period in which his driving privileges were revoked. 625 ILCS 5/11 — 501(c—1)(2) (West 2006). Count II charged defendant with violating section 11 — 501(a)(2) of the Vehicle Code while his driving privileges were revoked. 625 ILCS 5/11 — 501(c—1)(1) (West 2006). Count III charged defendant with violating section 11— 501(a)(2) of the Vehicle Code for a third time. 625 ILCS 5/11— 501(d)(1)(A) (West 2006).

At trial, Officer Tyler testified to his familiarity with the behavior of individuals under the influence of alcohol, both as a police officer for 3½ years and from his personal life. He testified that he utilized the HGN procedure he learned at the police academy and adhered to the “three guidelines” regarding HGN testing but could not recall the third guideline on direct examination. He also stated that he uses his “book” and is not required to remember the guideline procedures for HGN testing.

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People v. Diaz, 878 N.E.2d 1211, 377 Ill. App. 3d 339, 316 Ill. Dec. 187, 2007 Ill. App. LEXIS 1157 (Ill. Ct. App. 2007).

878 N.E.2d 1211 (People v. Diaz) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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