Opinion ID: 2224667
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Evidence is Sufficient to Sustain the Conviction.

Text: Baran claims there was insufficient evidence that the breath test result was reported by weight of alcohol in the blood as required by Indiana Code § 9-11-2-1(a), and that as a result, the trial court erred in denying his motion for judgment on the evidence. Our standard of review on a claim that the evidence was insufficient is well established. This Court neither reweighs the evidence nor judges the credibility of the witnesses. Platt, 589 N.E.2d at 227. We consider only the evidence most favorable to supporting the verdict. Id. If there is substantial evidence of probative value to support the conclusion that the defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, we affirm the conviction. Id. The only evidence concerning the result of the breath test was the printout from the breath test machine which read: BAC Test VALUE TIME AIR BLANK .00 03:36 SUBJECT TEST .11 03:37 AIR BLANK .00 03:37 REPORTED VALUE .11 03:37 Baran argues that (1) because the machine tests breath, but Indiana Code § 9-11-2-1(a) requires evidence of alcohol in the blood, there must be evidence of the process by which the machine converts the content of alcohol in the subject's breath to the content of alcohol in the subject's blood, and (2) there must be evidence that the test result number on the printout represents the percentage by weight of alcohol in the blood. The State responds that the trial court may take judicial notice that Intoxilyzer 5000 machines determine the percentage of alcohol by weight in a person's blood. Conversion from breath content to blood content issue. Baran relies on Melton v. State (1992), Ind. App., 597 N.E.2d 359, 361, trans. denied, and Shuman v. State (1986), Ind. App., 489 N.E.2d 126, 129-30, trans. denied. The Court of Appeals in Daum v. State, 625 N.E.2d at 1298, rejected this same argument. The Daum court noted that neither Melton nor Shuman controlled because they both involved tests taken from blood samples reduced to plasma or serum. Alcohol content of whole blood is not the same as the alcohol content of either the plasma or serum portion of blood. Therefore, the results of tests performed on plasma or serum require conversion to obtain the percentage of alcohol by weight in whole blood, or BAC. In the present case, Daum's blood alcohol content was tested by an Intoxilyzer breath test machine which expresses its results by the required percentage by weight of alcohol or BAC. See Burp [v. State (1993), Ind. App.], 612 N.E.2d 169 at 174; 260 [Ind. Admin. Code] 1.1-2-1(e)(2). Therefore, no conversion is necessary to establish BAC supporting a conviction [of operating a vehicle with .10%, or more, by weight of alcohol in the blood.] Daum, 625 N.E.2d at 1298 (some citations omitted). We agree with the rationale set out in Daum and Judge Rucker's dissenting opinion in this case. [8] Pursuant to Indiana Administrative Code tit. 260, r. 1.1-2-1(e)(2), breath test equipment is tested for accuracy using a known ethanol-water or ethanol-gas solution, measured as a percentage of weight by volume. [9] Thus, in order to be properly certified by the Department of Toxicology, the machines must measure blood alcohol content as a percentage of alcohol by weight in the blood. Courts are permitted to take judicial notice of Indiana law. Hernandez v. State (1982), Ind., 439 N.E.2d 625, 631; Ind.Evidence Rule 201. [10] In fact, courts are required to take judicial notice of the regulations concerning breath testing. Ind. Code § 4-22-9-3; Hatch, 547 N.E.2d at 277. Judicial notice relieves the party having the burden of establishing a particular fact from submitting formal proof of that fact. Hutchinson v. State (1985), Ind., 477 N.E.2d 850, 854. Accordingly, the trial court was entitled to take judicial notice of the fact that the Intoxilyzer 5000 machine automatically performs the conversion which Baran claims is required. Meaning of Results on Printout Issue. Similarly, because the breath test equipment must measure blood alcohol content as a percentage of alcohol by weight in the blood in order to be properly certified by the Department of Toxicology, the trial court was entitled to take judicial notice of the fact that the Intoxilyzer 5000 machine printout expresses the test result as a percentage of alcohol by weight in the blood. We note that the trial court did not notify the parties that it would take judicial notice of the conversion from breath content to blood content and the meaning of the results on the printout. [11] Because this was a bench trial and the court was commanded by statute to take judicial notice that the breath testing machines must measure blood alcohol content as a percentage of alcohol by weight in the blood, the absence of notice was not reversible error. Where a jury serves as the factfinder in a criminal case, however, the trial court must: expressly take judicial notice of the effect of the Administrative Code's standards and regulations for the selection and certification of breath test equipment and chemicals; and instruct the jury that it may, but is not required to, accept as conclusive any fact judicially noticed. Ind.Evidence Rule 201(g). [12]