State v. Zanni

2014 Ohio 2806
Ohio Court of Appeals·Decided June 24, 2014·No. 13CA3392·Published·Cited by 1 cases

Opinion

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF OHIO FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT ROSS COUNTY

STATE OF OHIO, :

Plaintiff-Appellee, :

Case No. 13CA3392

v. :

DECISION AND

DAVID M. ZANNI, : JUDGMENT ENTRY

Defendant-Appellant. : RELEASED 06/24/2014

APPEARANCES:

James T. Boulger, Chillicothe, Ohio, for Appellant.

Sheri Rutherford, City of Chillicothe Law Director, and Benjamin A. Sigall, City of Chillicothe Assistant Law Director, Chillicothe, Ohio, for Appellee.

Philip K. Hartmann, Yazan S. Ashrawi, and Stephen J. Smith, Frost Brown Todd LLC, Columbus, Ohio, and John Gotherman, Ohio Municipal League, Columbus, Ohio, for Amicus Curiae the Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association.1

Per Curiam.

{¶ 1} David M. Zanni appeals from his conviction in the Chillicothe Municipal Court, for the offense of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol in violation of R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(d). Zanni contends that the trial court improperly admitted the results of his Intoxilyzer 8000 breath test. Zanni had filed a pre-trial motion in limine listing several reasons why the Intoxilyzer 8000 is generally unreliable, and argued that the results of the test were thus inadmissible. The trial court overruled the motion in limine, citing this Court’s decision in State

1 By magistrate’s order, this Court requested amicus curiae briefs addressing the issues raised in this appeal from the Ohio Municipal League and the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. While we received an amicus curiae brief from the Ohio Municipal Attorneys Association, we did not receive a brief from the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

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v. Reid, 4th Dist. Pickaway No. 12CA3, 2013-Ohio-562, ¶ 15, in which we held that a defendant is not permitted “to mount a general reliability challenge to the results of the Intoxilyzer 8000[.]” At the subsequent bench trial, Zanni renewed his objection to the admissibility of the test results, but the objection was overruled. Based on this Court’s precedent in Reid and the precedent set forth in State v. Vega, 12 Ohio St.3d 185, 465 N.E.2d 1303 (1984), we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

{¶ 2} During the early morning hours of July 4, 2012, Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Bobby Brown observed Zanni commit a traffic violation on High Street in Chillicothe, Ohio. Trooper Brown proceeded to pull Zanni over. During the traffic stop, Trooper Brown made several observations that led him to believe that Zanni had been under the influence of alcohol. Trooper Brown also administered various field sobriety tests. Zanni was then arrested and transported to the Ross County Sheriff’s Office, where he submitted a breath specimen analyzed by an Intoxilyzer 8000 breath-testing device. The breath test resulted in a reading of .123 breath alcohol concentration. Zanni was then cited for operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol in violation of R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(a) and (A)(1)(d), each being a misdemeanor of the first degree. Zanni was also cited for a turn signal violation under R.C. 4511.39.

{¶ 3} After pleading not guilty to all of the offenses at his arraignment, Zanni filed a motion in limine requesting that the trial court make a preliminary determination of the admissibility of the Intoxilyzer test results. Specifically, Zanni challenged the reliability of the Intoxilyzer 8000 under Evid.R. 702 and 703 of the Ohio Rules of Evidence. The trial court ordered the parties to submit briefs concerning whether it could entertain a challenge to the

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general reliability of the device. Both parties submitted briefs, and ultimately, the trial court decided that our decision in Reid required it to overrule the motion.

{¶ 4} Thereafter, Zanni waived his right to a jury trial and the state dismissed the charge under R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(a). The remaining case proceeded to a bench trial.

{¶ 5} At the bench trial, the parties stipulated to Zanni’s operation of the vehicle, to the state’s compliance with Director of Health regulations in the operation of the Intoxilyzer 8000, to probable cause for arrest, and to venue. Zanni also renewed his objection to the admission of the Intoxilyzer results for the reasons previously stated in his motion in limine. Zanni’s objection was overruled, a printout of the Intoxilyzer test results were admitted, and Zanni was found guilty of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol in violation of R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(d).2

{¶ 6} On appeal, Zanni asserts the following assignment of error:

Assignment of Error:

The trial court erred to the prejudice of the defendant in overruling without hearing his motion in limine challenging upon specific grounds the reliability of the breath testing device, an Intoxilyzer 8000, and then admitting into evidence, over objection, the machine results at trial. In doing so, the trial court denied the defendant the exercise of his right under the confrontation clause of the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 10 of the Ohio Constitution and further denied him the right to substantive due process under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

{¶ 7} Zanni asserts that the admission of the Intoxilyzer results, without first determining

the scientific reliability of the device, violated several of his constitutional rights. First, Zanni contends that his rights under the confrontation clause were violated. Next, he contends that he was denied his right to substantive due process. Finally, while not explicitly stated in his sole

2 Zanni was also found guilty of the turn signal violation under R.C. 4511.39; but on appeal, he only challenges his conviction under R.C. 4511.19(A)(1)(d).

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assignment of error, Zanni argues that the existing law in Ohio violates the separation of powers doctrine.

{¶ 8} Generally, trial courts possess broad discretion to determine whether to admit, or to exclude, evidence. E.g., State v. Morris, 132 Ohio St.3d 337, 2012-Ohio-2407, 972 N.E.2d 528, ¶ 19. Consequently, an appellate court ordinarily reviews a trial court’s evidentiary ruling under the abuse of discretion standard of review. Id. The abuse of discretion standard is not appropriate, however, when a trial court’s decision is based upon an erroneous interpretation of the law. Id. at ¶ 16. Instead, whether a trial court properly applied the law presents a legal question that an appellate court reviews independently and without deference to the trial court. Id.

{¶ 9} R.C. 4511.19(D)(1)(b) governs the admissibility of evidence regarding a defendant’s breath-alcohol concentration:

In any criminal prosecution * * * for a violation of division (A) or (B) of this section * * * the court may admit evidence on the concentration of alcohol * * * in the defendant’s * * * breath * * * at the time of the alleged violation as shown by chemical analysis of the substance withdrawn within three hours of the time of the alleged violation. * * * The bodily substance withdrawn under division (D)(1)(b) of this section shall be analyzed in accordance with methods approved by the director of health by an individual possessing a valid permit issued by the director pursuant to section 3701.143 of the Revised Code.

{¶ 10} R.C. 3701.143, meanwhile, grants the Ohio Director of Health the authority to approve techniques or methods to chemically analyze a person’s breath to determine alcohol

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content. The Director of Health has approved the “Intoxilyzer model 8000 (OH-5)” as an “evidential breath testing instrument[] for use in determining whether a [defendant]’s breath contains a concentration of alcohol prohibited” under R.C. 4511.19. Ohio Adm.Code 3701-53- 02.

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