State v. Gietzen

2010 ND 82, 782 N.W.2d 66, 2010 WL 1855952
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedMay 11, 2010
Docket20090307
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 2010 ND 82 (State v. Gietzen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Gietzen, 2010 ND 82, 782 N.W.2d 66, 2010 WL 1855952 (N.D. 2010).

Opinion

782 N.W.2d 66 (2010)
2010 ND 82

STATE of North Dakota, Plaintiff and Appellee
v.
Shane Daniel GIETZEN, Defendant and Appellant.

No. 20090307.

Supreme Court of North Dakota.

May 11, 2010.

*67 Bryan David Denham, Assistant State's Attorney, Bismarck, ND, for plaintiff and appellee.

Michael Ray Hoffman, Bismarck, ND, for defendant and appellant.

Ken R. Sorenson (on brief), Office of Attorney General, for amicus curiae.

CROTHERS, Justice.

[¶ 1] Shane Gietzen appeals the district court's order entering judgment on the jury's verdict finding Gietzen guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or greater. We affirm.

I

[¶ 2] On May 23, 2009, Gietzen was arrested in Bismarck, North Dakota for driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or greater. Gietzen was stopped by North Dakota State Highway Trooper Jeremiah Bohn, who testified Gietzen smelled of alcohol, had watery and bloodshot eyes and failed the horizontal gaze nystagmus field test. Officer Bohn transported Gietzen to a medical center where blood was drawn from Gietzen. Officer Bohn used a blood testing kit supplied by the North Dakota State Toxicologist, initially inspecting the exterior of the kit to ensure that it was sealed and that the expiration date had not passed. Officer Bohn next opened the kit and inspected its contents, ensuring the kit was intact. The kit was then passed to a registered nurse, who drew Gietzen's blood.

[¶ 3] Gietzen's initial blood draw failed to produce a measurable amount of blood due to a defective seal on the blood-draw apparatus. A second kit was obtained and inspected by Officer Bohn, and the kit was passed to the same registered nurse. After the nurse completed the second blood draw, she recorded her actions on Form 104 by checking boxes indicating she used an intact kit, observed powder in the vacutainer tube, used the disinfectant provided in the kit, used the needle provided in the kit, drew blood into the provided tube and *68 inverted the tube several times. Officer Bohn also completed his portion of Form 104 by checking boxes indicating he used an intact kit, sealed the blood tube, placed the blood tube in a protective container, placed the protective container in a plastic bag, placed the plastic bag in a mailing box and sealed the box with tamper-evident tape. The sealed box containing Gietzen's blood sample was mailed to the State Crime Lab for analysis.

[¶ 4] At the State Crime Lab, Gietzen's blood sample was analyzed by a forensic scientist. The scientist determined the blood-alcohol concentration of the sample was 0.13 percent, and she reported her findings on Form 107. The Form 104 and Form 107 associated with Gietzen's arrest were analyzed by a deputy state toxicologist, who signed a document certifying the chemical analysis of Gietzen's blood sample was conducted according to the State's approved method for chemical tests.

[¶ 5] Gietzen was tried by a jury on October 14, 2009. The State called Officer Bohn and the forensic scientist as witnesses, and both were cross-examined by Gietzen. During Officer Bohn's testimony, the State attempted to introduce Form 104 and Form 107. Gietzen objected, arguing the forms violated his right to confront adverse witnesses because they contained testimony from the deputy state toxicologist and the registered nurse, neither of whom were present to testify. The district court sustained Gietzen's objection, but allowed the forms into evidence after a foundation was laid by the forensic scientist's testimony. The jury returned a verdict finding Gietzen guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol concentration greater than 0.08 percent, and Gietzen timely filed this appeal.

II

[¶ 6] Gietzen argues this case should be reversed and an acquittal entered because the State failed to show Gietzen's blood sample was properly obtained. After a chemical analysis is received into evidence by the district court, the propriety of the corresponding blood draw is a question of fact affecting the weight to be given the results of the chemical analysis. State v. Vetsch, 368 N.W.2d 547, 550 (N.D.1985). Aside from a constitutional challenge discussed below, Gietzen does not challenge the admissibility of the State's evidence; Gietzen attacks only the jury's apparent determination that his blood sample was properly obtained. "We exercise a limited review of jury findings. We view the evidence in the light most favorable to the verdict and determine only whether there is substantial evidence to support it." Schutt v. Schumacher, 548 N.W.2d 381, 382 (N.D.1996).

A

[¶ 7] Gietzen argues his blood sample was not properly obtained because Officer Bohn handled the testing kit's contents. To demonstrate the propriety of Gietzen's blood draw, the State submitted Form 104 indicating Officer Bohn used an intact testing kit. Officer Bohn also testified he inspected the exterior and interior of the testing kit, ensuring it was intact. Gietzen presented no evidence indicating Officer Bohn's handling of the kit's contents was improper. Although Form 104's language requiring arresting officers to use an intact kit lacks specificity, Gietzen did not present any evidence indicating Officer Bohn's actions constituted a violation. Without this evidence, and because "Form 104 represents the State Toxicologist's approved method for blood collection and submission," the jury could have reasonably concluded Officer Bohn's actions satisfied the requirement of using an intact kit. State v. Jordheim, 508 N.W.2d 878, 882-83 (N.D.1993).

*69 B

[¶ 8] Gietzen also argues his blood sample was not properly obtained because it was not proven the tube containing his blood sample was inverted several times. As discussed above, the State submitted Form 104 which included a certified statement from the blood-drawing nurse that she "Drew Blood Into Tube and Inverted Several Times." Before deliberation, the Court instructed the jury, stating,

"The accuracy and reliability of [Gietzen's chemical analysis] is a question of fact left solely for your determination. You are not bound by the results of a chemical test. If you have a reasonable doubt as to the accuracy or reliability of the chemical test or the results, you must disregard the test."

By finding Gietzen guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol concentration greater than 0.08 percent, the jury necessarily found Gietzen's chemical analysis to be accurate and reliable because the chemical analysis was the only quantifiable evidence regarding Gietzen's intoxication. While the State supplied Form 104 showing the tube containing Gietzen's blood sample was inverted several times, Gietzen presented no evidence showing the tube containing his blood sample was not inverted. Without contradicting evidence offered by Gietzen, the jury could have reasonably concluded Gietzen's blood sample was properly obtained, including inversion of the tube containing Gietzen's blood sample. Evidence supports the jury's implied finding that the tube containing Gietzen's blood sample was inverted several times in accordance with Form 104, which "represents the State Toxicologist's approved method for blood collection." Jordheim,

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Bluebook (online)
2010 ND 82, 782 N.W.2d 66, 2010 WL 1855952, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gietzen-nd-2010.