Opinion ID: 2411770
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the urinalysis evidence

Text: The alcohol level in appellant's blood sample drawn and tested by the police was .13%. The blood sample was tested for drugs and was negative. A urinalysis also was taken while appellant was treated at the hospital, and it showed traces of marijuana and amphetamines. The chemist could not say these drugs were present in sufficient amount to impair, and because these drugs were not present in the blood but had passed from the blood into the urine, date and time of ingestion could not be calculated. Appellant claims that before such information crosses the threshold of relevancy the Commonwealth has the burden of showing the drugs were present in a sufficient amount to impair driving ability and were present in his blood at the time of the accident. Appellant further claims that even if there is some slight relevancy, such evidence should not have been admitted because its prejudicial effect and highly inflammatory nature far outweighed probative value, if any existed. Commonwealth v. Morrison, Ky., 661 S.W.2d 471 (1983). The prosecutor used this evidence in closing argument to show the defendant had a predisposition towards wantonness, stating: . . . not accepting responsibility for his own actions, but laying the blame off into someone else. What type of person would do that? The same type of person who would get out on the roads of Ohio County, smoke marijuana, use amphetamines, drink and drive and kill people. The Commonwealth argues that while the chemist could not say the drugs were ingested that day, this testimony was relevant nevertheless. It is the Commonwealth's contention that the evidence was relevant to show wanton conduct. The Commonwealth further contends that given the appellant's blood alcohol level was .13, other evidence of drugs is harmless. The issue is whether this evidence showed only a predisposition to act wantonly, or whether it is probative to show the appellant was acting wantonly by driving under the influence of drugs as well as alcohol on this occasion; that is, did the evidence cause the ultimate fact to be determined, wanton conduct, to be more or less probable? Glens Falls Insurance Co. v. Ogden, Ky., 310 S.W.2d 547 (1958). A majority of this Court believes that, under the circumstances, if it was error to admit this testimony, it was harmless.