Court Opinion

ID: 9940569
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-02-14 19:07:30.42603+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:45:03.892736
License: Public Domain

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STATE       OF    LOUISIANA                                                                          NO.       2023    KW    1101

VERSUS

JERED       C.    SELLERS                                                                FEBRUARY                14,     2024

In    Re:              Jered       C.    Sellers,           applying for                supervisory writs,                      20th
                       Judicial          District           Court,       Parish          of     West          Feliciana,         No.
                       21- WFLN- 742.

BEFORE:                PENZATO,          HESTER,        AND      MILLER,          JJ.

         WRIT          GRANTED          IN     PART      AND     DENIED       IN        PART.              The    trial        court

incorrectly determined that                                 relator' s blood- alcohol                            test       results

were        admissible              as       presumptive            evidence             of         intoxication.                See
La.    R. S.           32: 664( A) & (          D) (     prior      to      repeal          by          2022     La.    Acts     No.
393, §           1).         To         that    extent,            the      writ         is         granted.            However,
notwithstanding                     the        unavailability                of         the         blood- alcohol              test
results           as      presumptive              evidence            of    intoxication,                       assuming        the
results          are       otherwise                                the
                                                reliable,                    State         may          use    blood- alcohol
test        results            obtained                without           strict            compliance                  with      the
presumptions                 in         La.      R. S.         32: 662,           i. e.,            as         circumstantial

evidence           that       would           allow      the     fact -finder                 to        draw     an    inference
of    the        defendant' s             intoxication.                     See     State                                      2008-
                                                                                                 Shirley,
                                                                                                     v.

2106 (      La.         5/ 5/ 09),        10    So. 3d       224,      233.             Accordingly, the                     ruling
denying           relator'         s     motion        to     suppress            is     reversed               in     part,     and

this        matter            is        remanded            to      the       trial             court            for        further
proceedings.

                                                                 ARP
                                                                 CHH

         Miller,             J.          concurs,            and       would            note              that "       otherwise

reliable"               contemplates              the       establishment                  of       a     proper        chain       of

custody.