FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT: ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEE:
JEFFREY A. MODISETT PATRICK J. ARATA
Attorney General of Indiana Fort Wayne, Indiana
JANET BROWN MALLETT
Deputy Attorney General
Indianapolis, Indiana
STATE OF INDIANA, )
)
Appellant-Plaintiff, )
)
vs. ) No. 02A05-9906-CR-262
)
SABRINA L. RUMPLE, )
)
Appellee-Defendant. )
OPINION - FOR PUBLICATION
We reverse.
The facts are that on October 5, 1998, Officer Karl Niblick of the
Fort Wayne Police Department observed as Rumple operated a vehicle on Interstate Highway
69 at a high rate of speed and nearly caused an accident.
Officer Niblick stopped Rumple, and she agreed to take a BAC DataMaster test.
The test results indicated that Rumple had a BAC of .14%.
The State charged her with operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Rumple filed a motion to suppress the test results. The trial court
granted the motion, explaining its decision as follows:
The Defendant moves to suppress the breath test result on essentially three grounds:
That the Department of Toxicology has failed to promulgate regulations reflecting the change
in the statutory language in I.C. 9-30-5-1 which took effect on July 1,
1997.
That the State Department of Toxicologys methods used to test the equipment for
certification fall short of accepted scientific principles.
That the Department of Toxicology has failed to independently test and certify the
simulator solutions.
The 1997 amendment of I.C. 9-30-5-1 made it an offense to operate a
motor vehicle if the individuals blood alcohol content was .10 percent or more
per two hundred and ten liters of breath or if the blood alcohol
content was .10 percent or more per 100 milliliters of blood. Prior
to 1997 it was an offense to operate a motor vehicle if the
individuals [sic] blood alcohol content was .10 percent or more by weight of
alcohol in his blood.
The BAC DataMaster in this cause printed a ticket expressing the defendants blood
alcohol content per two hundred and ten liters of breath. The DataMaster
had been certified within 180 days of the Defendants breath test and after
the effective date of the 1997 amendment.
The 1997 amendment of I.C. 9-30-5-1 does not render the regulations previously adopted
under I.C. 9-30-6-5 invalid. Because the BAC DataMaster was properly certified by
the Department of Toxicology and the printed ticket states the defendants blood
alcohol content per two hundred and ten liters of breath the Court is
required to take Judicial notice of the result.
The defendant has presented extensive evidence challenging the Department of Toxicologys methods used
in the testing and certification of the BAC DataMaster. It is the
defendants position that the Department certification is not in accordance with accepted scientific
principles.
The defendant specifically challenges the standards, controls, linearity and precision as it relates
to the lack of duplicate testing used by the Department of Toxicology.
When the legislature passed I.C. 9-30-6-5 it granted the Department of Toxicology
great leeway as to the adoption of standards. Because the certification process
used by the department is in compliance with the standards adopted the defendants
challenge must fail.
2[6]0 IAC 1.1-2-1 and 2[6]0 IAC 1.1-2-2 set out the requirements for inspecting
and certification of the chemicals used as simulators for the certification of
breath test equipment. It is required that the Department of Toxicology independently
test and certify the simulator.
The only evidence submitted indicates that the Guth simulators were certified by the
manufacturer but not independently tested and certified by the Department of Toxicology.
14.The proponent of evidence is responsible for showing its [sic]
admissibility. Because the State of Indiana has failed to present any evidence
to show the regulation has been complied with the Court must grant the
Defendants Motion to Suppress.
Record at 128-30.
We agree with the trial courts conclusions regarding the first two contentions upon
which Rumples motion to suppress was premised. That is, the Department of
Toxicology did not fail to promulgate appropriate regulations and the methods used to
test the equipment for certification were not inadequate. We conclude, however, the
trial court erred with respect to Rumples third argument.
Concerning the third argument, the trial court agreed with Rumples contention that the
Department of Toxicology failed to independently test and certify the simulator solutions, and
that such rendered the results of the BAC DataMaster inadmissible. We must
examine Ind. Code Ann. § 9-30-6-5 (West Supp. 1999) in the context of
the relevant administrative regulations in order to determine whether those materials require independent
testing and certification of the simulator solutions pursuant to 260 IAC 1.1-2-1 and
-2, therefore also requiring proof of same prior to admission of the breath
test results into evidence.
We are called upon to construe the meaning of IC § 9-30-6-5.
The interpretation of a statute is a legal question, and is reviewed de
novo. State v. Hensley, 716 N.E.2d 71 (Ind. Ct. App.
1999). When construing a statute, our primary task is to give effect
to the intent of the legislature. State v. Maillard, 695 N.E.2d
637 (Ind. Ct. App. 1998), trans. denied. We consider the
plain, ordinary meaning of words and phrases used in a statute to discern
the legislatures intent and we presume that the legislature intended its language to
be applied in a logical manner consistent with the statutes underlying policies and
goals. Id. at 640. In construing a provision, we will assume
that the legislature did not enact a useless provision. Robinson v. Wroblewski,
704 N.E.2d 467 (Ind. 1998). Therefore, when possible, every word is
to be given effect and no part of the statute is to be
construed so as to be meaningless, if it can be reconciled with the
rest of the statute. State v. Hensley, 716 N.E.2d 71.
IC § 9-30-6-5(d) provides that results of chemical breath tests are not admissible
in evidence if:
the test operator;
the test equipment;
the chemicals used in the test, if any; or
the techniques used in the test;
have not been approved in accordance with the rules adopted under subsection (a).
Pursuant to the mandate in IC § 9-30-6-5(a), the Department of Toxicology promulgated
rules governing the inspection and certification of breath test equipment. Those rules,
which may be found at 260 IAC 1.1-2-1 and 260 IAC 1.1-2-2, state,
in pertinent part:
All breath test equipment approved by the director shall be inspected at least
once each 180 days at their usual location (building). If such location
(building) is changed, the equipment must be reinspected before it can be certified
for use.
Such inspection shall include verification that the equipment is in good operating condition
and satisfies the accuracy requirements set out in subsection (e)(2).
Only persons authorized by the director of the state department of toxicology of
Indiana University School of Medicine shall inspect approved breath test equipment for certification.
All such authorized inspectors shall report their findings to the director.
(e) Breath test equipment shall meet the following standards:
Tests shall be made using a known ethanol-water or ethanol-gas solution to simulate
an ethanol-breath solution.
Such test results shall not deviate more than minus eight percent (-8%) from
the known alcohol content of the ethanol-water or ethanol-gas test solution. . .
. No test result for purpose of certification shall exceed the known ethanol
content of the test solution.
For the purpose of inspecting the breath test equipment, the analytical result shall
be expressed to the third decimal place.
(f) Chemicals (if required) shall be of sufficient strength and quality to
allow the breath test device to operate in the manner specified in subsection
(e)(2). This requirement is deemed to have been satisfied if the ampoule
lot number has been certified after examination in the state department of toxicology.
260 IAC 1.1-2-1.
All breath test equipment and/or chemicals shall be certified as to compliance with
standards specified in 260 IAC 1.1-2-1(e) and (f) at least once each 180
days.
The certification of inspection and compliance of breath test equipment and/or chemicals shall
be in writing by the director of the state department of toxicology of
Indiana University School of Medicine.
Such certification shall be based on information provided by authorized inspectors and any
other evidence the director, at his discretion, may require.
The current certificate of inspection and compliance shall be sent to the clerk
of the circuit court in the county in which the instrument and/or chemicals
are used. All certificates of inspection shall remain on file in the
Indiana University School of Medicine and shall be made available to anyone for
viewing only during regular officer hours.
260 IAC 1.1-2-2.
Pursuant to the regulations reproduced above, the Department of Toxicology is required to
periodically test breath-test machines by using a simulator solution. The critical question
here is whether the chemicals referred to in IC § 9-30-6-5(d)(3) include the
simulator solution. If so, then according to IC § 9-30-6-5(a) and (d)(3),
the simulator solution must comply with the procedures set out in 260 IAC
1.1-2-1 and 2 with respect to certification and testing. The trial court
determined that the chemicals referred to in IC § 9-30-6-5(d)(3) includes the simulator
solution used to calibrate the BAC DataMaster machine. Therefore, according to the
trial court, the BAC DataMaster breath test is inadmissible unless the State demonstrates
that the simulator solution was approved in accordance with the rules adopted under
IC § 9-30-6-5(a), i.e., 260 IAC 1.1-2-1 and -2.
It appears that three machines have predominantly been used to conduct BAC tests
in Indiana. Those machines include the Breathalyzer, the BAC DataMaster, and the
Intoxilyzer. Pursuant to Indiana statutory and regulatory law, the inspection process for
all three machines requires the use of either an ethanol-water or ethanol-gas simulator
solution. 260 IAC 1.1-2-1(e)(1). Of the three machines, only the Breathalyzer
requires the use of chemicals to administer the actual breath test itself.
According to 260 IAC 1.1-4-1, the operator of a Breathalyzer machine must
insert ampoules of fluid chemicals into the machine at the time of testing.
Such chemicals are not necessary when administering a breath test with a
BAC DataMaster. 260 IAC 1.1-4-7 and 8.
The qualifying phrase, if any, in IC § 9-30-6-5(d)(3) when referring to chemicals
used in the test, indicates that chemicals are sometimes, but not always, used
in the context to which the statute is addressed. As reflected above,
chemicals are always used in calibrating a breath test machine, but only sometimes
used in administering the actual breath test itself. If the chemicals in
IC § 9-30-6-5(d)(3) were construed to refer to the simulator solution chemicals used
to calibrate machines that measure BAC, the if any in that provision would
be rendered superfluous because chemicals are always used in that process, no matter
what machine is being tested. On the other hand, some machines use
chemicals in administering the breath test, and some do not. Thus, in
order to give meaning to the qualifying phrase if any, we conclude that
IC § 9-30-6-5(d)(3) refers to the chemicals used in a breath test machine
when administering the actual breath test.
Our interpretation is supported contextually by the remainder of IC § 9-30-6-5(d).
The subject of subsection (d) is identified at its beginning as the [r]esults
of chemical tests involving a persons breath. According to subsection (d), those
results are not admissible if the test (1) operator, (2) equipment, and the
(3) chemicals and (4) techniques used in the test have not been approved
according to the appropriate procedures. It is apparent that the test in
this context refers to the breath test itself, and not to any test
that might be performed on the machine used to administer the breath test.
Because IC § 9-30-6-5(d)(3) does not refer to the simulator solution used to
test the BAC DataMaster, IC § 9-30-6-5(a), which governs the approval and certification
of chemicals used in BAC breath tests, is not applicable. The trial
courts conclusion to the contrary was erroneous.
We have previously stated that the trial court did not err in denying
Rumples motion to suppress to the extent that the motion was premised upon
the contentions that (1) the Department of Toxicology failed to promulgate appropriate regulations
and (2) that the Department of Toxicologys certification testing methods fall short of
accepted scientific principles.
See footnote
Having decided that the trial court erred in determining
that the Department of Toxicology was required to present evidence that the simulator
solution used to calibrate the BAC DataMaster in question complied with the procedures
set out in 260 IAC 1.1-2-1 and 2, we must reverse the grant
of Rumples motion to suppress.
Judgment reversed.
GARRARD, J., and DARDEN, J., concur.
Pursuant to the authority granted by I.C. § 9-30-6-5 (1991), and the Regulations
promulgated thereto, 260 IAC 1.1, inspection and tests of the following instrument were
conducted on the date below shown, the results of which are hereby certified,
to-wit:
The instrument is in good operating condition, satisfying the accuracy requirements set out
by State Department of Toxicology Regulations.
Instrument
Date Identification LOCATION
6/17/98 881324 Fort Wayne Police Department
/s/ James E. Klaunig
James E. Klaunig, Ph.D
Professor and Director of Toxicology
Director, State Department of Toxicology
Record at 212.
The above document constituted prima facie evidence that the certification test was conducted
pursuant to the relevant regulations. At the most, Rumples challenge to the
certification testing created an issue to be decided by the trier of fact,
i.e., was the BAC DataMaster machine used in Rumples case functioning properly at
the time of his test? See Mullins v. State, 646 N.E.2d
40 (Ind. 1995). The trial court did not err in determining that
Rumple had not carried her burden with respect to the specific BAC DataMaster
machine in question by attacking generally the Department of Toxicologys testing methods.