Opinion ID: 1810711
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Bonine

Text: Bonine was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatal accident after the vehicle he was driving struck and killed a motorcyclist. On the DUI manslaughter count, the State alleged in the alternative that Bonine was impaired by alcohol or a controlled substance, or had a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher. In a dissenting opinion, Judge Harris summarized the evidence supporting both impairment and unlawful blood-alcohol level: A witness observed the defendant's vehicle weaving in front of him to such an extent that the witness dropped back, only to observe the defendant's vehicle further up the road stopped by the side of the highway about a quarter of a mile beyond the accident scene where it had run into a concrete sign/bench. The witness saw a motorcycle on the ground and the body of the victim lying in the ditch. The motorcycle had been rear-ended. The witness then observed appellant staggering back toward the scene of the accident and heard him admit that he had hit the motorcyclist but thought it was a deer. An officer described the defendant as smelling of alcohol and as having slurred speech. Further, defendant admitted to having consumed beer on the day in question and his blood-alcohol level was .226. Bonine, 811 So.2d at 869 (Harris, J., dissenting). The theories of defense were reasonable doubt that Bonine was impaired and unreliability of the blood-alcohol evidence. As in Cardenas, the trial court instructed the jury that the crime of DUI could be established either by actual impairment or by having a blood-alcohol level of .08 or higher. The court also instructed the jury on the presumption of impairment. Utilizing a general verdict form, the jury found Bonine guilty as charged, and Bonine appealed the conviction. The Fifth District, sitting en banc, determined that giving the instruction despite the State's failure to comply with the requirements of the implied consent law constituted error under Miles, and held that the error was harmful per se. See Bonine, 811 So.2d at 866.