State v. LeRoy

547 A.2d 940, 16 Conn. App. 472, 1988 Conn. App. LEXIS 392
CourtConnecticut Appellate Court
DecidedSeptember 27, 1988
Docket5324
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 547 A.2d 940 (State v. LeRoy) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Connecticut Appellate Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. LeRoy, 547 A.2d 940, 16 Conn. App. 472, 1988 Conn. App. LEXIS 392 (Colo. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

Daly, J.

The defendant appeals from the judgment of conviction, after a jury trial, of assault in the second degree with a motor vehicle while intoxicated in violation of General Statutes (Rev. to 1983) § 53a-60d (a).1

The dispositive issue on appeal is whether the trial court erred in instructing the jury to apply the prima facie provisions of General Statutes (Rev. to 1985) § 14-227a (d)2 in determining whether the defendant was intoxicated within the meaning of the charged offense of assault in the second degree with a motor vehicle, in light of the fact that the state was not required to comply with the procedural safeguards of General Statutes (Rev. to 1985) § 14-227a (c).3 We find error.

The jury could reasonably have found the following facts. On September 29, 1984, at approximately 3 a.m., [474]*474the defendant was driving his motor vehicle in an easterly direction on Shaker Road in Enfield. The defendant crossed the center line and collided with a vehicle driven by Leslie Daniel, who was proceeding in the opposite direction. The victim was rendered unconscious for several days and suffered serious physical injuries as a result of the impact.

Officer Patrick Droney of the Enfield police department observed the defendant at the scene of the accident and testified that the defendant was swaying, that he was slurring his words, that he was emitting a moderate odor of alcohol, and that the defendant was unable to perform balance and coordination tests administered. Sergeant Raymond Bouchard, another officer at the scene, testified that there was a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the defendant and that the defendant had slurred speech and glassy eyes. Bouchard confirmed that the defendant was unable to pass the field tests administered by Droney. The defendant consented to an intoximeter test after admitting that he had “had a few.” The intoximeter test resulted in an alcohol blood level reading of .215 percent.

At trial, Abraham Stolman, chief state toxicologist, testified to the effects of alcohol upon a person’s physical and mental capacities and, over the defendant’s objection, that the state law presumed that a person who registered an alcohol blood level reading of .10 or higher on the intoximeter was legally intoxicated. The trial court in its charge to the jury instructed that it could consider the prima facie provisions of General Statutes (Rev. to 1985) § 14-227a (d) in determining whether the state had proven the element of intoxication beyond a reasonable doubt.

The defendant claims that the trial court erred in instructing the jury that it could use the prima facie [475]*475evidentiary provisions of § 14-227a (d), particularly when the state had not complied with the procedural safeguards, in determining whether the state had established that the defendant caused the victim’s serious physical injuries “in consequence of his intoxication while operating a motor vehicle.” General Statutes (Rev. to 1983) § 53a-60d. We agree.

We first consider the state’s argument that the defendant’s claim is unreviewable because he failed to raise it at trial with sufficient clarity to alert the trial court to his true position. “The failure of the defendant to state distinctly the matter being objected to immediately after the conclusion of the charge ordinarily renders the claim of error unreviewable on appeal.” State v. Carter, 198 Conn. 386, 396, 503 A.2d 576 (1986). The requirements of counsel in preserving his client’s claim for appeal are abundantly clear and have been spelled out on numerous occasions.

“The defendant is required to raise a claim distinctly at trial. Practice Book § 4185 (formerly § 3063). Exceptions to a trial court’s ruling must be distinct and specific to preserve the claim. See State v. Barrett, 197 Conn. 50, 53 n.2, 495 A.2d 1044 (1985), rev’d, 479 U.S. 523, 107 S. Ct. 828, 93 L. Ed. 2d 920 (1987). ‘The requirement that the claim be raised “distinctly” means that it must be “so stated as to bring to the attention of the court the precise matter on which its decision is being asked.” (Emphasis added.) Woodruff v. Butler, 75 Conn. 679, 682, 55 A. 167 (1903).’ State v. Carter, 198 Conn. 386, 396, 503 A.2d 576 (1986).” State v. Sullivan, 11 Conn. App. 80, 101, 525 A.2d 1353 (1987).

In this case, the defendant objected to the admissibility of the intoximeter results on the grounds that the results were inapplicable to this offense4 and that the [476]*476state failed to follow the procedural guidelines.5 Defense counsel also objected to the testimony of Stolman regarding the prima facie evidence of a .10 blood alcohol level reading.6 Moreover, counsel specifically requested a charge excluding any reference to “under the influence.” During the trial, the trial court indicated that it intended to discuss “under the influence.” The trial court informed counsel that: “I think it is relevant in view of what my charge on intoxication would be, I do intend to use the word[s] operating under the influ[477]*477ence.” Finally, the record clearly indicates that counsel duly excepted to the trial court’s failure to delete the phrase in its charge.

This court has recently held in State v. Shaw, 12 Conn. App. 294, 302, 530 A.2d 653 (1987), that where the defendant objected to the incorporation, in the court’s instructions to the jury, of the provisions of General Statutes (Rev. to 1985) § 14-227a (d) without the protective procedural requirements of § 14-227a (c), the defendant’s claim of error was properly preserved for appeal. Likewise, in this case we can confidently state that the defendant’s claim was made with sufficient clarity and that it was understood by the trial court.

We turn, therefore, to the merits of the defendant’s claim. We conclude that the provisions of § 14-227a (d) do not apply to a prosecution of assault in the second degree with a motor vehicle while intoxicated in violation of § 53a-60d (a), on the basis of the rationale as expressed by this court in State v. Shaw, supra. The statutory language specifically referring to the violation of § 14-227a (a) and (b) must, therefore, be read to exclude its applicability to other statutes.

“On the basis of our conclusion that the provisions of General Statutes § 14-227a do not apply to a prosecution under General Statutes [(Rev. to 1983) § 53a-60d (a)], we must decide whether the trial court’s instructions to the jury regarding the effect of the prima facie provisions of General Statutes (Rev. to 1985) § 14-227a (d) on its determination of whether the defendant was intoxicated within the meaning of General Statutes [(Rev. to 1985) § 53a-60d (a)] requires reversal. ‘The question of whether reversal is required because of this error depends on the likelihood that it influenced the jury.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
547 A.2d 940, 16 Conn. App. 472, 1988 Conn. App. LEXIS 392, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-leroy-connappct-1988.