SECOND DI VI SI ON

A NDREWS, P. J.

, M ILLER, P. J.

, and BRA NCH, J.

N O T IC E : M otions for r e c ons i de r a tion m us t be

ph y sic a l ly r e ce iv ed i n our c le r k ’s offic e w ithin te n

da y s of the da te of de c is ion to be de e m ed tim e ly file d.

http://w w w .ga a ppe a l s .us /r ule s

Febr uar y 5, 2016



# I n th e Co u r t o f

A p p eals o f

G eo r g ia

A1 5 A1 80 8 . THE STATE v . TITTLE.

B R A N C H , J u d g e.

In t h i s DUI cas e, t h e St at e ap p eal s fro m an o rd er o f t h e t ri al co u rt t hat pro h i b i t s

t h e St at e fro m i n t ro d uci n g t he d efen d an t ’ s p ri or D UI co nv i ct i o n as p art o f i t s cas e in

ch i ef. Fi n d i n g th at t he tri al co u rt ’ s ru l i ng co n fl i ct s wi t h t h e Geo rg i a Su p rem e Co urt ’ s

recen t d eci s i o n i n S t a t e v. Fr os t , 2 97 Ga. 2 9 6 (7 7 3 SE2 d 7 0 0 ) (2 0 1 5), we rev ers e.

Th e rel ev an t fact s are un d i s p u t ed an d t h e reco rd s h ows t h at o n M ay 9

, 2 0 1 4,

a car d ri ven b y J o s h u a Ti t t le was i nv o l v ed i n a s i n g l e-car acci d en t i n Cl ay t o n Co u n t y

.

Th e res p o n d i n g o ffi cer d et ect ed a s t ro n g o do r o f al co h o l co m i n g fro m Ti tt l e’ s p ers o n

an d o b s erv ed t h at Ti tt l e’ s s p eech w as s l u rred

. Ti tt l e ad m i tt ed t h at h e had co n s u m ed

al co h o l i c b ev erag es at s o m e p o in t b efo re d ri v i n g, an d h e p erfo rm ed p o o rl y o n a fi el d

s o b r i e t y t es t ad m i n i st ered b y t h e o ffi cer. Th e o ffi cer arres t ed Ti t t l e an d read h i mGeo rg i a’ s im p li ed co n s en t n o t i c e

, 1 b u t Ti t t l e refu s ed t o s ub m i t t o an y ch em i cal

t es t i n g

. Ti t t l e was su b s eq u en t l y i n d i ct ed o n o n e co un t each o f fai l u re t o m ai n t ai n l an e

an d DUI l es s s afe. 2

1 Th e ap pl i cab le i m

p l i ed co n s en t no t i ce fo r s u s pect s ag e 2 1 o r ov er i s s et fo rt h

i n OCGA § 4 0 -5 -6 7.1 (b ) (2 ) an d s t at es :

“ Geo r g i a l aw req u i res y o u t o s ub m i t to s t at e ad m i ni s t ered

ch em i cal t es t s o f y o u r b l o o d

, b reat h

, u ri n e, o r o t h er b o d il y s ub s tan ces

fo r t h e p u rp o s e o f d et erm i n i n g i f y o u are u n d er t h e in fl u en ce o f al co h o l

o r d ru g s. If y o u refu s e t h i s t es t i n g, y o u r G eo rg i a d ri ver’ s l i cen s e o r

p ri v il eg e t o d ri v e o n t h e h i g h way s o f t h i s s t at e wi ll b e s u s p en d ed fo r a

m i n i m um p eri o d o f o ne y ear. Y o u r refu s al t o s u b m i t t o t h e req u i red

t es t i n g m ay

b e o ffered i n t o ev i d en ce ag ai n s t y o u at t ri al . If y o u s u b m i t

t o t es t i ng an d t h e res u l t s i n d i cat e an al co h o l co n cen t rat i o n o f 0 .0 8 g ram s

o r m o re, y ou r Geo rg i a d ri v er’s l i c e n s e o r p ri v i l eg e t o d ri v e o n th e

h i g h way s o f t hi s s t at e m ay b e s u s p en d ed fo r a m in i m u m p eri o d of o ne

y ear. Aft er fi rs t s u b m i t t in g t o th e req u i red s t at e tes t s, y o u are en ti t l ed t o

ad d i ti o n al ch em i cal tes t s o f y o u r bl o o d

, b reat h

, u ri n e, o r o t h er b o di l y

s u b s t an ces at y o u r own ex p en s e an d fro m q u al i fi ed p ers o n n el of y o u r

o wn ch o o s in g. W i l l y o u su b m it t o t h e s tat e ad m i n is t ered ch em i cal t es t s

o f y ou r (d es i g n at e wh i ch t es t s ) u n d er t h e i m p l i ed co n sen t l aw? ”

2 See O CGA § 4 0 -6 -3 9 1 (a) (1 ) (m ak i n g it i l l eg al fo r “ [a] p ers o n [t o ] d ri v e o r

b e in act u al p h y s i cal co n tr o l o f an y m o v i n g v eh i cl e wh i l e

. . . [u ] n d er th e i n fl u en ce

o f al co h o l t o t he ex ten t t h at i t i s l es s s afe fo r t h e p ers o n t o d ri v e”).

2Pri o r to t ri al

, t h e S t a t e fi l ed n o t i ce o f it s i n t en t t o offer i n t o ev i d en ce Ti t t l e’ s

2 0 0 6 co n v i ct i o n fo r DUI. Th e St at e i n t en ded t o o ffer t h at ev i d en ce p u rs uan t t o OCGA

§ 2 4-4 -4 1 7 , wh i ch pro vi d es , i n rel ev an t p art :

In a cri m i n al p ro ceed i n g i n v o l v i n g a p ro s ecu t i o n fo r a v i o l at i o n o f Co de

Sect io n 4 0-6 -3 9 1, ev i d en ce o f t h e co m m i ss i o n o f an o t h e r v i ol at i o n o f

Co d e Sect io n 4 0 -6 -3 9 1 o n a d i ffer e n t o c c a s i o n b y t h e s am e accu s ed

s h al l b e ad m i s si b l e wh en

. . . [t ] h e accu s ed refu s ed i n t h e cu rren t cas e t o

t ak e t h e s t at e ad m i n i s t ered t es t req u i red b y Co d e Sect i o n 4 0 -5

- 5 5 an d

s u ch ev i d en ce is rel ev an t to p ro ve k n o wl ed g e, p l a n

, o r ab s en ce o f

m i s t ak e o r acci d en t

.

OCGA § 2 4 -4 -4 1 7 (a) (1 ).

Ti t t l e o p p os ed t h e ad m is s i o n o f th i s ev i d en ce an d fo ll o wi ng a heari ng

, t h e t ri al

co u rt ru l ed t h at t h e p ri o r DUI co n v i ct i o n co u l d n ot b e i n t ro d u ced as p art o f th e St at e’ s

cas e i n ch i ef. Rel y i n g o n t hi s C o u r t ’s d e c i s i o n i n Fr o s t v. S t a t e

, 3 2 8 Ga. Ap p

. 3 3 7

(7 6 1 SE2 d 8 7 5 ) (2 0 1 4 ) (“ Fr o s t I ”), t h e t ri al co u rt co n cl u d ed t h at Ti t t l e’ s p ri o r DUI

co n vi ct i o n co u l d b e i n t ro d u ced o n l y i f, du ri n g t he pres en t at i o n o f hi s defen s e, Ti t t l e

at t em p t ed “ t o su g ges t t h at h e d i d n o t t ak e t he t es t b ecau s e h e d id no t u n d ers t an d i t

,

o r h e d i d n o t k n o w t h at h e co u l d t ak e a t es t

, o r t h at h e wo u l d n ev er t ak e s u ch a t es t .”

Fr o st I

, 32 8 Ga. A p p. at 34 3 (2 ) (ci t at i o n an d p u n c t u a t i o n o m it t ed ). Un d er t h o s e

ci rc u m s t a n c es

, t h e St at e co ul d i n t ro d u ce Ti t t l e’ s p ri o r DUI co nv i ct i o n o n l y in

3reb u t t al

, “ t o s h o w [Ti t t l e’ s ] k n o wl ed g e, p l an or ab s en ce of m i s t ak e o r acci d en t .” Id

.

Th e St at e n o w ap p eal s fro m t h e t ri al co u rt ’ s o rd er.

Aft er t h e p art i es fi l ed t h ei r b r i efs in th is cas e, t h e Geo rg i a Su p rem e Co u rt

i s su ed i t s d eci si o n i n S t a t e v. Fr o s t (“ F r o st II ”), wh ich rev ers ed th e Fr o s t I d eci s i o n

rel i ed u p o n b y t h e t ri al co urt

. F r o s t

, 2 9 7 G a. at 3 0 5 -3 0 6. Th e Su p rem e Co u rt h el d t h at

t h e Geo rg i a Ev i d en ce Co d e al l o ws t h e St at e t o i n t ro d uce a d efen dan t ’ s pri o r DUI

co n vi ct i o n as p art o f i t s cas e i n ch i ef i n an y DUI p ro s ecu ti o n “ i n wh ich ‘ t h e accu s ed

refu sed

. . . t o t ak e t h e s t at e ad m i n i s t ered t es t req u i red b y Co de Sect i o n 4 0 -5 -5 5 ,’ ”

b ecau s e s u ch ev i den ce i s, at th e v ery l eas t

, rel ev an t t o p ro v e k n owl ed ge. Id . at 3 0 3,

q u o t i n g OCGA § 2 4 -4 -4 1 7 (a) (1 ). In reach i n g t h i s co n cl u s i o n

, th e Co u rt n ot ed t h at

a d e f e n d a n t ’ s refu s al t o s u b m i t t o t h e s t at e m an d at ed -ch em i cal t es ts “ g en eral l y i s

ad m i s s i b l e, s ee OCGA § 4 0

- 6

- 3 9 2 (d ), an d a t ri er o f fact m ay i n fer fro m s u ch a

refu sal t hat

, i f t he accu sed h ad s u b m i t t ed t o t h e t es t

, i t w o u l d h av e sh o wn s o m e

p res en ce o f an i n t o x i can t .” Id . at 3 04 . Th e Co u rt t h en ex p l ai n ed :

Pro o f t h at t h e accu s ed on p ri o r o ccas i o n s h ad d ri v en u n der t h e i n fl u en ce

o f t h e s a m e o r a s im i l ar i n t o x i can t m ay s t ren g t hen s u b s t an t i al l y th e

i n feren ce ab o u t th e p res en ce o f an in t o xi can t

. Th i s is s o becau s e, as we

n o t ed i n [ S t a t e v. Jo nes

, 2 9 7 Ga. 1 5 6 (7 7 3 SE2 d 1 7 0 ) ( 2 0 1 5 ) (“ Jo n es

II ”)]

, i t m i g h t p ro p erl y b e i n ferred fro m ev i d en ce o f p ri o r o ccas i o n s o n

wh i ch t h e accu s ed had d ri v en u n d er t h e i n fl u en ce t h at t he accu s ed h ad

4an awaren es s t h at h i s i n g es t i on o f an i n t o x i can t i m p ai red h i s ab i l i t y t o

d ri v e s afel y

. Su ch a waren es s

, i n t u rn

, wo u l d offer an ex p l an at i o n fo r

wh y t h e accu s ed refu s ed t h e t es t o n t hi s o ccas i o n, n am el y

, t h at h e w as

co n s ci ou s o f h i s g u il t an d k n ew t h at t h e tes t res u l t s l ik el y w o u ld t en d t o

s h o w t h at h e was

, i n fact

, u n d er t h e i n fl uen ce of a pro h i bi t ed su b st an ce

t o an ex t en t fo rb i dd en b y OCGA § 4 0-6 -3 9 1 (a). See Jo n es II

, 2 97 Ga.

at 1 5 9 (2 ) (7 7 3 SE2 d 1 7 0 ). Pri o r o c cas i o n s o n wh i ch th e accu s ed w as

arres t ed an d ch arg ed w i t h d ri v i n g u nd er t h e i n fl u en ce al s o co u ld p erm i t

an i n f e r e n ce in s o m e ci rcu m s t an ces t hat t h e accu s ed h ad acq u i red

k n o wl ed g e ab o u t t h e m ean s b y wh i c h l aw en fo rcem en t offi cers

d et erm i ne wh et h er an d t o wh at ex ten t a d ri ver i s u n der t h e i n fl u en ce o f

an i nt o x i can t, an d s u ch awaren es s l i k ewi s e m ig ht h el p t o ex p l ai n a

refu s al i n t h e p res en t cas e t o s u b m i t to a t es t

. In ei t h er ev en t

, th e t ri er o f

fact m i g h t wel l co n cl u d e t h at an ad v ers e i n feren ce ab o u t t h e p res en ce o f

an i n t o x i can t i s m o re warran t ed t h an i t ot h erwi s e wo u l d b e, an d t h e tri er

o f fact m i g h t d eci d e t ha t t h e i n feren ce can bear m o re wei g h t t h an i t

o t h erwi se co u l d

. Th i s i s t ru e wh en t h e accu s ed refu s ed th e req ui red t es t s

o n t he p ri o r o ccas i on s

, an d i t i s t r u e e v e n w h en th e accu s ed o ffers n o

ev i d en ce t o ex p l ai n o r ex cu s e h i s refu s al o n t hi s o ccas i o n

.

Id . at 3 0 5

.

Ap p ly i n g Fr o s t II t o t h e i n s t an t cas e, we fi n d t h at OCGA § 2 4 -4 -4 1 7 (a) (1 )

p erm i t s t h e St at e t o i n t ro d u ce ev i d en ce o f Ti t t l e’ s pri o r DUI co n v i ct io n d u r i n g i t s

cas e i n ch i ef. W e t h erefo re rev ers e t h e o rd er o f t h e t ri al co u rt l i m i t i n g t h e St at e’ s u s e

o f t h i s ev i d en ce t o i t s reb u t tal cas e.

Ju d g men t r ever sed . An d r ews , P. J., a n d Mi l ler

, P. J., co n cu r

.

5