State v. Bennett

31 Fla. Supp. 2d 94
Volusia County Court·Decided October 12, 1988·No. Case No. 84072/3-QH·Published

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

SHAWN L. BRIESE, County Judge.

THIS MATTER came before the Court on August 30, 1988 for a [95] hearing on Defendants’ Motions to Suppress the results of Intoxilyzer 5000 chemical breath tests. This Court, pursuant to stipulated facts, argument, and memorandum of law along with submitted case authority, finds as follows:

Defendants were arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence in violation of FS § 316.193(1) (1987). Each submitted to a breath test on an Intoxilyzer 5000 to determine his/her blood alcohol content. Each respective result was greater than .10 percent. Defendants allege their breath test results should be suppressed due to a substantial modification of the machine prior to their tests (said substantial modification was stipulated to by the State) and due to the fact that the modified machine has not been approved in compliance with HRS Rule 10D-42.22.

A Certificate of Approval on the modified Intoxilyzer 5000 was issued by the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services (HRS) on August 23, 1988, subsequent to defendants’ tests. The certificate includes the statement, “The above approved instrumentation will be included in the next revision of Department Rules.”

The retroactive application of the approval of a chemical breath test instrument (the Intoximeter 3000) under identical circumstances as are found herein was initially faced in this Court’s decision in State v Black, et al., 29 Fla. Supp. 2d 64 (Volusia County Ct., July 13, 1988). This Court, relying principally on the rationale in Commonwealth v Hess 503 A.2d 448 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1986) and specific language in State v Flood, 523 So.2d 1180 (Fla. 5th DCA 1988), held that a certification subsequent to administration of an actual breath test but prior to the guilt phase of the proceedings did not vitiate the quality of the obtained results. Defendants’ Motions to Suppress were denied.

The defense makes arguments that were not made in Black, et al., supra. The defense maintains that the modified Intoxilyzer 5000 is not approved until it is included on the list of approved machines found in HRS Rule 10D-42.024 promulgated pursuant to the notice requirements in FS Ch. 120 (1987) (Administrative Procedure Act) and that application of rules in effect at the time of trial as opposed to the time of the offense, i.e., retroactive certification, if substantive, are illegal ex post facto laws and if procedural are violative of FS Const. Art. V, § 2(a).

This Court will address the latter argument first. The defense contends that the HRS rules and regulations pertaining to chemical analysis of breath to determine blood alcohol content are substantive in nature. It would appear to this Court that such rules and regulations [96] are procedural in nature. The Court in State v Bender, 382 So.2d 697 (Fla. 1980) noted that the legislature assigned to executive agencies the responsibility to establish proper uniform testing procedures for the protection of the public. The Court characterized the delegation as “assigning an executive agency supervising responsibility over a police power function that already exists.” [Emphasis added].

The facts in State v Kummer, 741 S.W.2d 285 (Mo. Ct. App. 1987) are analogous to the facts in the instant case. Scott Kummer was arrested, after an automobile accident on June 6, 1986 for driving while intoxicated. He was charged, on July 7, 1986, by indictment, with involuntary manslaughter. A Motion to Suppress/Motion in Limine was heard on July 30, 1987. Emergency rules approving the gas chromatography method of determining blood alcohol content were filed on May 21, 1987 and became effective May 31, 1987.

The Court in distinguishing State v Peters 729 S.W.2d 243 (Mo. Ct. App. 1987) held that the chemical test results were admissible in evidence since the method of analysis was approved at the time the results were offered, despite an improper retrospective application argument. The Court noted that the approved methods and techniques deal with the admissibility of blood alcohol chemical analysis. The Court’s ruling was based on the fact that the regulations were determined to be procedural in nature.

The Court in Eckhoff v Director of Revenue, 745 S.W. 2d 815 (Mo. Ct. App. 1988) applied the same reasoning as used in Kummer when dealing with the approval of a reagent vial or ampule subsequent to the offense and breath test but prior to being offered in evidence. Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated was the substantive aspect of the case while the determination of the fact of intoxication based on rules and regulations was the procedural component of the case. Procedural statutes and/or administrative rules can be applied retrospectively unless a contrary intent is evidenced in the enactment. Cf. State v Schneider 270 N.W.2d 787 (N.D. 1978).

Justice Adkins in an often quoted concurring opinion in In Re Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, 272 So.2d 65 (Fla. 1972) distinguishes substantive verses procedural law. “ ‘Practice and procedure’ may be described as the machinery of the judicial process as opposed to the product thereof.” “ ‘Rules of practice and procedure’ includes all rules governing the parties, their counsel and the court throughout the progress of the case from the time of its initiation until final judgment and its execution.”

Fla. Const. Art. V § 2(a) gives sole jurisdiction for the adoption of [97] rules for the practice and procedure in all courts to the Supreme Court, i.e., all court procedure is controlled by the Court. See for example Bluesten v Florida Real Estate Commission, 125 So.2d 567 (Fla. 1960); Military Park Fire Control Tax District No. 4 v DeMarois, 407 So.2d 1020 (Fla. 4th DCA 1981); Markart v Johnson, 367 So.2d 1003 (Fla. 1978); and Graham v Murrell, 462 So.2d 34 (Fla. 1st DCA 1984). Procedural rules and regulations governing the methods and techniques of chemical breath testing are part of the police power (executive) function (see Bender, supra) and do not involve court procedure. See for example Petition of Ezell, 446 So.2d 253 (Fla. 5th DCA 1984). When and how such evidence is dealt with during a trial or motion hearing does involve court procedure. Thus, retroactive application of a validly approved breath test instrument does not violate Fla. Const. Art. V, § 2(a).

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State v. Bennett, 31 Fla. Supp. 2d 94 (Fla. Super. Ct. 1988).

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