Case Name: Howard S. BROOKS, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1991-04-03
Citations: 577 So. 2d 680
Docket Number: No. 90-2279
Parties: Howard S. BROOKS, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
Judges: GUNTHER and WARNER, JJ., concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 577
Pages: 680–680

Head Matter:
Howard S. BROOKS, Appellant, v. STATE of Florida, Appellee.
No. 90-2279.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fourth District.
April 3, 1991.
Richard L. Jorandby, Public Defender, and Joseph R. Chloupek, Asst. Public Defender, West Palm Beach, for appellant.
Robert A. Butterworth, Atty. Gen., Tallahassee, and James J. Carney, Asst. Atty. Gen., West Palm Beach, for appellee.

Opinion:
LETTS, Judge.
In this case in which the defendant was found guilty of DUI manslaughter, the jury was instructed that the presence of ".10 per cent or more by weight of alcohol in the [defendant's] blood . shall be pri-ma facie evidence that the person was under the influence of alcoholic beverages to the extent that his normal faculties were impaired." We reverse.
We must follow the dictates of the Florida Supreme Court which recently has unequivocally held that such an instruction is reversible error. Wilhelm v. State, 568 So.2d 1 (Fla.1990).
We reverse and remand for a new trial.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
GUNTHER and WARNER, JJ., concur.