Opinion ID: 1805532
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Certified Machine Required

Text: Trooper Thompson testified that the intoxilyzer was calibrated every month. Johnston's objection to this testimony as not the best evidence and request for the certificate of calibrations was overruled. The trial court simply accepted the testimony of Trooper Thompson without requiring the production of a certificate. Johnston presented a certificate, which was attached to the record, dated August 3, 1988, 130 days after the test was given on March 26. The preceding date of calibration could be no earlier than April 3, 1988, to be within the required statutory period. There is no evidence in the record to establish that the machine had been calibrated within the statutory period, or 120 days before August 3, 1988. It is certainly clear that the machine was not calibrated every month as Trooper Thompson testified. Trooper Thompson's testimony notwithstanding, the State did not produce any evidence that the machine was properly certified and made no effort to carry its burden that even if the intoxilyzer was not properly certified the deficiency did not affect the accuracy of the test. The intoxilyzer had no certificate of calibration to meet the requirements of the statute. Strictly enforcing the statutory requirements, there is no support for the accuracy of the results absent evidence of proper certification. The trial court abused its discretion in finding a sufficient predicate for admitting the results of the intoxilyzer in the testimony of Trooper Thompson. This error substantially prejudiced the defendant's right to a fair trial. In light of the foregoing the verdict of the Circuit Court should be reversed and remanded for a new trial with properly admitted evidence. REVERSED AND REMANDED FOR A NEW TRIAL. HAWKINS and DAN M. LEE, P.JJ., and ROBERTSON, SULLIVAN, ANDERSON, PITTMAN and BLASS, JJ., concur. ROY NOBLE LEE, C.J., dissents.