People v. Torruella

2015 IL App (2d) 141001
Appellate Court of Illinois·Decided October 6, 2015·No. 2-14-1001·Published·Cited by 9 cases

Opinion

Illinois Official Reports

Appellate Court

People v. Torruella, 2015 IL App (2d) 141001

Appellate Court THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Caption ALEJANDRO TORRUELLA, Defendant-Appellant.

District & No. Second District Docket No. 2-14-1001

Filed August 17, 2015

Decision Under Appeal from the Circuit Court of Du Page County, No. 12-DT-1196; Review the Hon. Bruce R. Kelsey, Judge, presiding.

Judgment Affirmed.

Counsel on Steve Klein, of Chicago, for appellant. Appeal Robert B. Berlin, State’s Attorney, of Wheaton (Lisa A. Hoffman and Colin F. Diamond, Assistant State’s Attorneys, of counsel), for the People.

Panel JUSTICE ZENOFF delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion. Presiding Justice Schostok and Justice Spence concurred in the judgment and opinion. OPINION

¶1 Following a bench trial, defendant, Alejandro Torruella, was convicted of driving while the alcohol concentration in his breath was 0.08 or more (625 ILCS 5/11-501(a)(1) (West 2012)). Defendant appeals, arguing that the trial court erred in admitting as a business record a report of the accuracy checks performed on the instrument used to administer his breath test. He also challenges the sufficiency of the evidence. For the following reasons, we affirm.

¶2 I. BACKGROUND ¶3 On April 8, 2012, at approximately 4:29 a.m., Officer Jonathan Joyce of the Oakbrook Terrace police department conducted a traffic stop of defendant’s vehicle. After Joyce had defendant perform field sobriety tests, he placed defendant under arrest for DUI. At the police station, a breath test revealed that defendant’s breath alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.09. Defendant was charged with driving with a BAC of 0.08 or more (625 ILCS 5/11-501(a)(1) (West 2012)), driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) (625 ILCS 5/11-501(a)(2) (West 2012)), and speeding (625 ILCS 5/11-601(b) (West 2012)). ¶4 Prior to trial, pursuant to Illinois Rule of Evidence 902(11) (eff. Jan. 1, 2011), the State filed a notice of intent to introduce as business records the accuracy checks that had been performed on the breath test instrument used on defendant. The State also filed a motion in limine seeking admission of the accuracy checks as business records under Illinois Rule of Evidence 803(6) (eff. Apr. 26, 2012). The motion indicated that the instrument was “an Intox EC/IR, serial number 04268,” and that it was regularly tested for accuracy. Attached to the motion was a verified certification dated April 16, 2014, signed by Nancy Easum, the keeper of records for the alcohol-and-substance-testing section of the Illinois State Police Academy. The certification stated that “the attached accuracy checks regarding ECIR I, Serial Number 04268 *** dated April 1 and May 1, 2012, are true and accurate copies of said documents and that the originals were made in the normal course of business.” It further stated that the accuracy checks were (1) made at or near the time of the occurrence of the matters set forth, (2) kept in the course of the regularly conducted activity, and (3) made by the regularly conducted activity as a regular practice. ¶5 Attached to the certification was a document entitled “IntoxNet MIS Report” that indicated that it had been generated on April 16, 2014. The report listed accuracy checks performed on “EC/IR Serial # 04268” on April 1 and May 1, 2012. Data regarding each accuracy check was listed, including the date, time, and result of each check. ¶6 On June 19, 2014, the trial court heard argument on the motion. Defendant argued that the “IntoxNet MIS Report” that was generated on April 16, 2014, was not “made at or near the time” of the accuracy checks, as Rules of Evidence 803(6) and 902(11) required, but was generated two years after the accuracy checks were performed. The court granted the State’s motion in limine, ruling that the accuracy checks, not the report generated in April 2014, were the business records that the State was seeking to admit. ¶7 The matter proceeded to a bench trial. Joyce was the State’s only witness. He testified that he conducted a traffic stop of defendant’s vehicle after observing it weaving and

-2- speeding at 50 miles per hour in a 35-mile-per-hour zone. After the officer approached the car, he observed defendant’s bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech, and odor of alcohol. He performed a horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test and noticed that defendant had “a slight sway.” He asked defendant to perform a “walk-and-turn test,” which defendant failed by missing several of the heel-to-toe steps by one to two inches, taking 10 steps instead of the requested 9 steps, and losing his balance at the end of the test. The officer next asked defendant to perform the “one-leg-stand test,” which defendant passed, although he “swayed from right to left for the entirety of the test.” Defendant then failed the “finger-to-nose test” by missing “with his left,” failing to return to the start position as instructed, and visibly swaying from right to left. Upon failing the tests, defendant stated that he had consumed four to five beers and a shot of liquor. Defendant further stated that he was driving home from Wrigleyville and had stopped for food prior to driving home. ¶8 Joyce testified that he placed defendant under arrest and transported him to the police department, where he observed defendant for 20 minutes prior to administering a breath test. The officer was a “certified breath operator” and had administered over 200 breath tests. During the 20-minute observation period, defendant did not vomit, belch, regurgitate, or place anything in his mouth. Defendant voluntarily completed the breath test, and there were no machine malfunctions. The State moved to admit into evidence People’s Exhibit No. 2, which was Easum’s verified certification and the attached “IntoxNet MIS Report.” ¶9 Defense counsel renewed his objection that the “IntoxNet MIS Report” did not satisfy Rules of Evidence 803(6) and 902(11) in that it was not made at or near the time of the accuracy checks. Counsel also objected on the basis that the accuracy checks did not show compliance with section 1286.230 of the Illinois Administrative Code (20 Ill. Adm. Code 1286.230 (2011)), which requires that during accuracy checks “[a]pproved evidentiary instruments must quantitate a reference sample within 10 percent of the reference sample’s value, as adjusted for environmental factors.” The court overruled the objections. ¶ 10 Joyce then testified that the breath test revealed a BAC of 0.09. He identified People’s Exhibit No. 3 as a printout of defendant’s test result showing a BAC of 0.09. The exhibit indicated that the test was performed at 5:18 a.m. He then identified People’s Exhibit No. 4 as a copy of a page of the police department’s breath analysis log. The log contained an entry for defendant’s breath test on April 8, 2012, showing a result of 0.09. The officer also identified People’s Exhibit No. 5 as a printout of the automated accuracy check performed on April 1, 2012. He testified that the logbook was kept in the regular course of business and that accuracy check printouts were retained in the logbook in the regular course of business. The printout for the April 1, 2012, accuracy check indicated that the system check passed. He also identified People’s Exhibit No. 6 as a printout of the automated accuracy check performed on May 1, 2012, which also indicated that the system check passed. The court admitted People’s Exhibit Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6 into evidence over defendant’s objections.

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People v. Torruella, 2015 IL App (2d) 141001 (Ill. Ct. App. 2015).

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People v. Torruella
2015 IL App (2d) 141001 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 2015)