People v. Smith

74 Cal. Rptr. 3d 223, 161 Cal. App. 4th 622, 2008 Cal. App. LEXIS 427
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedMarch 5, 2008
DocketD049993
StatusPublished

This text of 74 Cal. Rptr. 3d 223 (People v. Smith) 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. Smith, 74 Cal. Rptr. 3d 223, 161 Cal. App. 4th 622, 2008 Cal. App. LEXIS 427 (Cal. Ct. App. 2008).

Opinion

[EDITORS' NOTE: THIS OPINION IS DEPUBLISHED. THE OPINION APPEARS BELOW WITH A GRAY BACKGROUND.] [EDITORS' NOTE: THIS PAGE CONTAINS HEADNOTES. HEADNOTES ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF THE COURT, THEREFORE THEY ARE NOT DISPLAYED.] *Page 624 OPINION

This appeal concerns two trials arising from Craig Smith's conduct of driving with alcohol in his system. Smith was arrested shortly after his vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. Approximately one hour after the accident, Smith's blood-alcohol level was 0.17 percent. Smith claimed this elevated level was the result of his drinking alcohol immediatelyafter the accident. In the first trial, the jury acquitted Smith of driving with a *Page 625 blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more (Veh. Code, 1 § 23152, subd. (b), hereafter sometimes referred to as "per se DUI" (driving under the influence)), but could not reach a verdict as to whether he drove under the influence of alcohol (§ 23152, subd. (a), hereafter sometimes referred to as "generic DUI"). At the second trial, the jury convicted Smith of driving under the influence of alcohol. Challenging this conviction on appeal, Smith argues that at the second trial the court violated collateral estoppel principles by: (1) admitting the evidence that he had a postaccident 0.17 percent blood-alcohol level; (2) instructing the jury that a 0.08 percent or more blood-alcohol level creates a permissive presumption of driving under the influence; and (3) failing to instruct the jury that it should presume he did not drive with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more. We reject Smith's argument that the 0.17 percent blood-alcohol evidence was inadmissible. However, we conclude that based on the interrelationship between the generic and per se DUI offenses, collateral estoppel principles were violated when the second jury was permitted to consider the issue of whether Smith drove with a 0.08 percent or more blood-alcohol level. Moreover, we agree with Smith that the jury should not have been instructed regarding the permissive presumption arising from a 0.08 percent or more alcohol level and should have been instructed to presume his blood-alcohol level was less than 0.08 percent while driving. We conclude the error requires reversal.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND
On December 1, 2005, Smith's vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. Smith smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot, watery eyes, and performed poorly on field sobriety tests. He was arrested and taken to the police station, where a test performed approximately one hour after the accident showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 percent. Smith was charged with violating sections 23152, subdivision (a) (driving while under the influence of alcohol) and 23152, subdivision (b) (driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or greater). At trial, Smith called witnesses who testified that he had about two or three drinks at a bar; he was involved in an altercation with bar patron Alephonsion Deng; Deng followed Smith after Smith drove away from the bar; and shortly thereafter Deng rear-ended Smith's vehicle. Smith did not dispute that he had a 0.17 percent blood-alcohol level some time after the accident, but explained this elevated level by testifying that after the accident he was distressed and in response he drank brandy that he had in his vehicle. On cross-examination, the prosecution's expert acknowledged that a person's blood-alcohol level could rise to *Page 626 0.17 percent one hour after rapidly consuming 12 ounces of brandy. A coffee cup containing alcohol was found in Smith's vehicle, and a liquid that appeared to be alcohol was spilled on the front passenger seat. In February 2006, a jury found Smith not guilty of the section 23152, subdivision (b) (per se DUI) offense, but could not reach a verdict on the section 23152, subdivision (a) (generic DUI) offense. The court declared a mistrial on the generic DUI count. In April 2006, retrial commenced on the generic DUI offense. Smith moved to limit the issues presented to the second jury. Based on the first jury's verdict acquitting him of driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more, he argued that under collateral estoppel principles the second jury should not be allowed to consider whether he was driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more. He requested that the court exclude evidence related to the 0.08 percent issue, including the evidence that his blood-alcohol level was 0.17 percent after the accident. Alternatively, he requested that the court (1) give the second jury a limiting instruction based on the first jury's acquittal, and (2) refrain from instructing the second jury regarding the permissive presumption of driving impairment arising from a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more. The trial court denied Smith's motions, ruling that the 0.08 percent issue could be considered by the second jury; the second jury should not be told about the first jury's acquittal on the 0.08 percent count; the 0.17 percent blood-alcohol test results were admissible; and the second jury would be instructed regarding the permissive presumption arising from a 0.08 percent or more blood-alcohol level. Accordingly, at the second trial the prosecution presented its case with no restrictions arising from the first jury's acquittal, and the jury was instructed that it could infer that Smith drove under the influence of alcohol if it found the prosecution proved he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or greater. (See § 23610; Judicial Council of Cal. Crim. Jury Instns. (2007-2008) CALCRIM No. 2110.) The second jury convicted Smith of generic DUI under section 23152, subdivision (a). Smith appeals from this conviction, essentially reiterating the assertions he made at trial. He contends that based on collateral estoppel principles the 0.17 percent blood-alcohol evidence should not have been admitted at the second trial. Alternatively, he contends the second jury should not have been instructed regarding the permissive presumption of driving under the influence arising from a 0.08 percent or more blood-alcohol level, and the second jury should have been instructed to presume he did not drive with a 0.08 percent or more blood-alcohol level. *Page 627 To evaluate his contentions, we first summarize general collateral estoppel principles, and then apply these principles to the particular circumstances of this case.

DISCUSSION
I. Collateral Estoppel Principles
The double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits trying a defendant more than once for the same offense. (People v. Santamaria (1994) 8 Cal.4th 903, 910 [35 Cal.Rptr.2d 624, 884 P.2d 81] (Santamaria).) Collateral estoppel is a component of double jeopardy protection, prohibiting relitigation of factual issues when certain requirements are met. (Id. at p. 912, fn. 3; Ashe v.Swenson (1970) 397 U.S. 436, 445 [25 L.Ed.2d 469, 90 S.Ct. 1189] (Ashe).

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Bluebook (online)
74 Cal. Rptr. 3d 223, 161 Cal. App. 4th 622, 2008 Cal. App. LEXIS 427, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-smith-calctapp-2008.