State v. Gideon

766 S.W.2d 153, 1989 Mo. App. LEXIS 287, 1989 WL 17848
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 3, 1989
DocketNo. 15757
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 766 S.W.2d 153 (State v. Gideon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Gideon, 766 S.W.2d 153, 1989 Mo. App. LEXIS 287, 1989 WL 17848 (Mo. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

CROW, Presiding Judge.

Burmith Ray Gideon (“defendant”), tried by the court without a jury, was convicted of driving while intoxicated, § 577.010, RSMo 1986. Defendant appeals, briefing one assignment of error which states:

“The court erred to defendant’s prejudice in admitting Exhibit ‘C’ (the blood alcohol test report) in evidence, and in failing to sustain defendant’s motion to suppress Exhibit ‘C’ and the results of the blood alcohol test; because the State produced no evidence the chemical reagent test ampoule used in conducting the test had been manufactured by a manufacturer listed as an authorized source under 19 C.S.R. 20-30.050; and, absent the evidence of the results of the blood alcohol test report, there was insufficient credible and competent evidence from which the defendant could properly be found guilty of the offense of driving while intoxicated.”

Defendant was arrested March 27, 1988, by an officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol when the officer observed defendant operating a pickup truck in an erratic manner on a Missouri highway. Defendant, according to the officer, “exhibited outward signs of intoxication” upon exiting the pickup.

The officer took defendant to a police station and administered a “breath test” using a “Breathalyzer 900A,” manufactured by Smith & Wesson. The officer testified without objection by defendant that the test showed defendant’s “blood alcohol content was .15.” Additionally, the officer identified State’s Exhibit C as “a blood alcohol test report form” prepared by the officer in administering the test to defendant. The exhibit, said the officer, showed that all steps prescribed for such test by the Division of Health were performed. The exhibit was received in evidence without objection, and confirmed that defendant’s “BAC” was .15 per cent.

[154]*154Nine pages later in the transcript, on cross-examination by defendant’s lawyer, the officer was asked the source of the ampoule used in defendant’s test. The officer answered: “A manufacturer called Tru-Test.”

Defendant’s lawyer thereupon asked the trial court to take judicial notice of 13 CSR 50-140.050 titled (according to defendant’s lawyer) “Approved Breath Analyzers, Chemical Tests, Reagents and Standards,” and 13 CSR 50-140.060 titled “Operating Procedures for Breath Analyzers.”

Twelve pages later in the transcript, at the conclusion of his cross-examination of the officer, defendant's lawyer moved the trial court “to suppress the results of the breathalyzer examination” on the ground that the regulations did not list Tru-Test “as a source authorized by the State for the chemical reagent used in the breathalyzer that was used in this case.” The trial court withheld ruling on the motion to allow the prosecutor an opportunity to show that the manufacturer of the ampoule was named in the Code of State Regulations.

The prosecutor subsequently asked the trial court to take judicial notice of “the 1988 edition of the Code of State Regulations which specifically list Tru-Test as a manufacturer o[f] ampoules.” The trial court announced it would take judicial notice “of the most recent copy of the Code of State Regulations.”

Defendant’s attorney requested that if the trial court took judicial notice of a 1988 regulation, the court determine whether such regulation was effective on the date defendant’s test was administered.

At the conclusion of the trial the court announced it was deferring its decision as to defendant’s guilt or innocence in order to determine the regulations in force at the time of the alleged offense. A week later the trial court found defendant guilty and imposed sentence. This appeal followed.

In considering defendant's claim of error we note that at trial he directed the trial court’s attention to 13 CSR 50-140.050 and 13 CSR 50-140.060, while in his point on appeal defendant directs us to 19 CSR 20-30.050. The apparent reason for this is

that the rule presently numbered 19 CSR 20-30.050 was once numbered 13 CSR 50-140.050, and the rule presently numbered 19 CSR 20-30.060 was once numbered 13 CSR 50-140.060, as henceforth explained.

13 CSR 50-140.050, a rule promulgated by the Division of Health, as amended effective December 13, 1984, was entitled “Approved Breath Analyzers, Chemical Test Reagents and Standards,” and provided, insofar as pertinent to this appeal:

“PURPOSE: This rule enumerates those breath analyzers, chemical reagents and standards which are approved for use in the methods approved by the [Division [of Health] for the determination of the alcoholic content of blood from a sample of expired (alveolar) air.
[[Image here]]
(2) Approved chemical reagents and standards:
NAME OR ITEM MANUFACTURER
[[Image here]]
Chemical test ampoules Law Enforcement Products Inc., Hallstead, PA
[[Image here]]

The name “Tru-Test” appeared nowhere in 13 CSR 50-140.050.

On September 28, 1985, the Department of Health was created as a department of state government. H.C.S.S.B. 25, Laws 1985, pp. 591-92, codified as § 192.005, RSMo Supp.1985. The functions of the Division of Health, then an agency of the Department of Social Services, were transferred to the new Department of Health, and the Division of Health was abolished. § 192.005.1, RSMo Supp.1985.

As a result of the reorganization the Department of Health was assigned Title 19 of the Code of State Regulations “for the purpose of rulemaking.” 11 MoReg 1941 (Aug. 15,1986). Effective August 15, 1986, 13 CSR 50-140.050, quoted in pertinent part above, was renumbered 19 CSR 20-30.050. 11 MoReg 1941-42 (Aug. 15, 1986). The text of the rule remained unchanged.

On October 17, 1986, the Department of Health published notice of a proposed [155]*155amendment to 19 CSR 20-30.050. 11 MoR-eg 2387-88. The amendment became effective December 25, 1986. 11 MoReg 2768 (Dec. 15, 1986). The amendment did not affect the rule in any respect pertinent to this appeal.

In January, 1987, the Department of Health promulgated an emergency amendment to section “(2)” of 19 CSR 20-30.050. 12 MoReg 169 (Feb. 2,1987). The purpose of the amendment was:

“To list Tru-Test as the trade name of the chemical test ampoules of Law Enforcement Products, Inc., Hallstead, PA, rather than the general name, chemical test ampoules.”

An “EMERGENCY STATEMENT” accompanying the amendment read:

“The Department of Health has been advised that there have been legal problems associated with the use of this chemical test ampoule when it was identified by its trade name, Tru-Test, rather than by the manufacturer’s name as required by this rule. The effect of this has been difficulty for the Department of Revenue in suspending drivers licenses of individuals arrested for drunk driving when this particular chemical test ampoule has been used.”

The emergency amendment provided, in pertinent part:

“(2) Approved chemical reagents and standards:
NAME OR ITEM MANUFACTURER
[[Image here]]
[Chemical test ampoules]

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Related

State v. Ball
113 S.W.3d 677 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 2003)
State v. Taylor
781 S.W.2d 551 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1989)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
766 S.W.2d 153, 1989 Mo. App. LEXIS 287, 1989 WL 17848, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gideon-moctapp-1989.