Case Name: STATE of Florida, Appellant, v. Dean A. TOWNSEND, Appellee
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1999-11-17
Citations: 746 So. 2d 495
Docket Number: No. 99-00275
Parties: STATE of Florida, Appellant, v. Dean A. TOWNSEND, Appellee.
Judges: THREADGILL, A.C.J., and CASANUEVA, J., Concur.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 746
Pages: 495–497

Head Matter:
STATE of Florida, Appellant, v. Dean A. TOWNSEND, Appellee.
No. 99-00275.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.
Nov. 17, 1999.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Susan D. Dunlevy, Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for Appellant.
Clinton A. Curtis and Kristen M. Buz-zanca of Peterson & Myers, P.A., Winter Haven, for Appellee.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Dean A. Townsend was charged by information with DUI manslaughter in violation of section 316.193(3)(c)3, Florida Statutes (1995); vehicular homicide in violation of section 782.071, Florida Statutes (1995); and two counts of DUI with serious bodily injury in violation of section 316.193(3)(e)2. The State appeals an interlocutory order that granted in part Townsend's motion in limine. We treat this appeal as a petition for writ of certiorari. See, e.g., State v. Pettis, 520 So.2d 250 (Fla.1988) (holding that certiorari is proper for review of order denying motion in limine); State v. Sawyer, 561 So.2d 278 (Fla. 2d DCA 1990) (reviewing by certiorari order granting defendant's motion in limine). For the following reasons, we grant the petition in part, deny it in part, and certify a question to the Florida Supreme Court.
In his motion in limine, Townsend alleged that rule 11D-8.012, Florida Administrative Code, failed to sufficiently provide for the proper collection, storage and transportation of blood samples taken pursuant to the implied consent law in sections 316.1932-.1934. Townsend argued that because of the rule's inadequacies, it did not offer the necessary standards to ensure the scientific reliability of the blood-alcohol test results. In the order under review, the trial court held that the administrative rule was inadequate and that the State would have to lay a traditional predicate for the admission of the blood-alcohol test results pursuant to Robertson v. State, 604 So.2d 783 (Fla.1992) (requiring proof that test was reliable, performed by qualified operator with proper equipment, and expert testimony as to test's meaning). The trial court further held that the State would not be entitled to have the jury instructed on the presumptions of impairment set forth in section 316.1934(2).
In State v. Miles, 732 So.2d 350 (Fla. 1st DCA 1999), the First District decided the issue presented in this case by affirming a trial court decision that found the rule inadequate to protect the due process rights of persons charged with DUI. As to the jury instruction, however, the First District held that the State would be entitled to the legislatively created presumptions of impairment once it laid the tradi tional predicate for the admission of the blood-alcohol test results. We agree with the First District and adopt the holding of Miles. Accordingly, we deny in part the State's petition for certiorari by upholding the trial court's decision to require a Robertson predicate for the admission of the blood-alcohol test results in Townsend's trial. We grant the petition in part so that the State may receive the jury instructions regarding the statutory presumptions of impairment if it successfully introduces the evidence of test results. We join with the First District in certifying the following question to the Florida Supreme Court as one of great public importance:
WHERE THE STATE LAYS THE THREE-PRONGED PREDICATE FOR THE ADMISSIBILITY OF BLOOD-ALCOHOL TEST RESULTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ANALYSIS SET FORTH IN ROBERTSON V STATE, 604 So.2d 788 (Fla.1992), THEREBY ESTABLISHING THE SCIENTIFIC RELIABILITY OF THE BLOOD-ALCOHOL TEST RESULTS, IS THE STATE ENTITLED TO THE LEGISLATIVELY CREATED PRESUMPTIONS OF IMPAIRMENT?
See Miles, 732 So.2d at 353.
Petition granted in part, denied in part; question certified.
THREADGILL, A.C.J., and CASANUEVA, J., Concur.
BLUE, J., Concurs with opinion.