Roseborough v. Commonwealth
Roseborough v. Commonwealth
Opinion of the Court
UPON A REHEARING EN BANC
Lawrence W. Roseborough (appellant) was convicted by the trial court of driving while intoxicated (DWI), in violation of Code § 18.2-266. After granting his petition for appeal, a panel of this Court affirmed his conviction, with one judge
Appellant contends that the trial court “err[ed] in admitting” a certificate of analysis containing the results of his breath test because the “test was not administered pursuant to the implied consent law.” Essentially, appellant argues that, although he asked the arresting officer to administer a breath test—-without the officer prompting or even mentioning the test to appellant—the trial court should have excluded the results of the test to which he voluntarily submitted. He bases this argument on the fact that, although the officer had probable cause for appellant’s arrest, he had not seen appellant commit the DWI, as required for a misdemeanor arrest under Code § 19.2-81.
Assuming without deciding that the officer lacked the statutory authority to arrest appellant, we find the trial court did not err in admitting the certificate of analysis from the breath test into evidence. We find the officer did not need to rely on the implied consent statute to obtain the breath sample from appellant because appellant expressly volunteered to provide the sample before the officer could even mention the provisions of the implied consent statute to him. Thus, we affirm appellant’s conviction.
I. BACKGROUND
On January 15, 2007, Charles Banks was working as a security guard at the Watergate at Landmark apartment complex in the City of Alexandria. At about 2:00 a.m., he “[hjeard an accident.” Banks rushed to the scene, which was on the complex’s private road rather than on a public street. As he arrived, Banks observed appellant standing beside the
Officer Seth Weinstein responded within thirty minutes of the crash. Appellant told Officer Weinstein that his friend, Jay, was driving the truck, but Jay “ran off.” Appellant could not tell the officer Jay’s last name, his phone number, or his address, other than to say that Jay lived somewhere in the apartment complex. Appellant admitted that he had been drinking at a bar in the District of Columbia. Appellant then said, “I brought [Jay] back here,” which the officer believed was an admission that appellant had been driving the truck.
Appellant smelled of alcohol, he swayed as he walked, his eyes were bloodshot and watery, and he spoke very loudly. He refused to perform any field sobriety tests at the scene. The officer arrested him for DWI based on appellant’s admissions and the officer’s observations at the scene. In a search pursuant to that arrest, Officer Weinstein discovered a remote key for the truck in appellant’s pocket. The ignition key was still in the ignition of the truck.
As Officer Weinstein was transporting appellant to the detention center after his arrest, appellant said “he was considering blowing [into the Intoxilyzer
At trial,
Appellant objected to introduction of the certificate. He argued that, because the officer did not have statutory authority for his arrest under Code § 19.2-81 (both because the DWI, a misdemeanor offense in this case, did not occur in the officer’s presence and because the accident did not occur on a public highway), the implied consent statute did not apply to say that appellant was “deemed as a condition of such operation [of his car] to have consented to a blood test or breath test.” Therefore, he contended, the certificate was not admissible. Appellant did not argue that the certificate failed to meet any of the evidentiary requirements found in Code § 18.2-268.9 for admission of a certificate of analysis nor did he make any argument regarding hearsay or other rules of
The trial court overruled appellant’s objections and admitted the certificate. The court then found appellant guilty of DWI.
When examining the issues involved in this appeal, we are mindful that we review the evidence presented to the trial court in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth, as the party that prevailed below, see Flowers v. Commonwealth, 49 Va.App. 241, 249, 639 S.E.2d 313, 317 (2007); however, we review questions of law de novo, see Williams v. Commonwealth, 53 Va.App. 50, 55, 669 S.E.2d 354, 356 (2008).
A. The Question Presented by Appellant
In his argument to the trial court, appellant claimed that his arrest was unlawful and, therefore, Code § 18.2-268.2(A), commonly referred to as the implied consent statute, required the exclusion of the certificate of analysis from his trial. He did not argue to the trial court that a different foundation for the admission of the certificate applied if the breath test was collected without the reliance on the implied consent statute, as he now argues before this Court en banc. Instead, he argued to the trial court that the implied consent statute prohibited admitting this certificate, essentially claiming that a BAC certificate is not admissible under any set of circumstances unless the exact provisions of the implied consent statute are followed.
Appellant continued this argument when he framed his question presented, which reads “Did the trial court err in admitting the certificate of analysis into evidence over the defendant’s objection that the breath test was not administered pursuant to the implied consent law?” This question
It is the duty of courts to apply the correct legal principles, and not to blindly follow incorrect “legal” doctrines presented by the parties on appeal. See U.S. Nat’l Bank of Oregon v. Indept. Ins. Agents of Am., 508 U.S. 439, 446-47, 113 S.Ct. 2173, 2178-79, 124 L.Ed.2d 402 (1993) (noting that, even if the parties agree “on the legal issue presented,” a court is not limited to the legal theories presented by the parties and may consider and apply alternative interpretations of the law because, otherwise, the courts would be forced to issue advisory opinions about the application of legal frameworks that do not actually exist); Elliott v. Commonwealth, 267 Va. 464, 472, 593 S.E.2d 263, 268 (2004) (“The Court cannot be forced to accept a flawed construction of a statute or prevented from saving a statute from invalidity simply because of an oversight or tactical decision by one or both of the parties.”). Therefore, in order to answer appellant’s question as it is framed, this Court must first address the legal premise underlying the question presented—that the implied consent law is a rule for excluding
B. Actual Consent to Administer a Breath Test
For the purposes of this opinion, we assume without deciding that Officer Weinstein did not have statutory authority to arrest appellant. See Code §§ 19.2-81 and 18.2-266. We note that our discussion here should be guided by recognizing the “well-settled appellate principle” that an appellant “show that the [trial] court abused its discretion” in admitting evidence at trial. Joseph v. Commonwealth, 249 Va. 78, 85, 452 S.E.2d 862, 867 (1995).
1. Code § 18.2-268.2
Our analysis of this case begins with the uncontested fact that Officer Weinstein never read the implied consent law to appellant and did not obtain appellant’s consent to blow into the Intoxilyzer by informing him of the implied consent law. Instead, appellant volunteered to take the test before Officer Weinstein had even decided if he could use the implied consent law to obtain a breath sample from appellant—and after Officer Weinstein had informed appellant of his Miranda rights. Appellant actually initiated the taking of the test and explicitly volunteered to take it before he could be informed of the implied consent statute.
Code § 18.2-268.2(A) addresses when a person is deemed to consent to a breath test. The statute simply states:
*662 Any person, whether licensed by Virginia or not, who operates a motor vehicle upon a highway, as defined in § 46.2-100, in the Commonwealth shall be deemed thereby, as a condition of such operation, to have consented to have samples of his blood, breath, or both blood and breath taken for a chemical test to determine the alcohol, drug, or both alcohol and drug content of his blood, if he is arrested for violation of § 18.2-266, 18.2-266.1, or subsection B of § 18.2-272 or of a similar ordinance within three hours of the alleged offense.
Code § 18.2-268.2(A). In other words, a person driving on Virginia’s roads has implicitly consented to take a breath test, so officers can refer to this statute when they want to convince a driver to provide a sample for a breath test.
2. Thomas and Durant
Appellant points to several Virginia appellate decisions that have addressed the admissibility of breath test certificates under Code § 18.2-268.2 and argues that these cases required the exclusion of the certificate of analysis in this case. However, these cases are clearly distinguishable and do not support appellant’s position.
Since the arrest was untimely, the defendant is not deemed to have consented to the testing of his breath under the “implied consent” law. Moreover, defendant’s actual consent in this case was invalid because it was based upon a belief, generated by the officer’s recitation of the law, that he was bound to submit to a test. Hence, receipt of the certificate in evidence was improper.
Id. at 254, 308 S.E.2d at 122 (emphasis added).
The Supreme Court did not conclude its analysis in Thomas, as appellant would now have us do, by simply finding that the arrest was unlawful or “untimely.” Instead, the Court specifically continued its analysis by also noting that Thomas’s actual consent was invalid because the officer obtained that consent by informing Thomas that “he was bound to submit to a test,” when the law did not actually require that Thomas consent to provide a breath sample because his arrest was more than two hours after the accident. Id. Thus, the Supreme Court clearly considered both whether the provisions of the
Here, in contrast to the facts in Thomas, actual consent was legitimately obtained for the test. Officer Weinstein never informed appellant about the provisions of the implied consent statute nor had he even raised the issue of an Intoxilyzer test. Thus, appellant’s consent was not tainted by a belief that he was required to provide the sample under Virginia’s implied consent statutes, as was the situation in Thomas. Before the officer could even decide whether the provisions of the implied consent statute applied in this situation, appellant initiated this discussion by saying, without any previous mention of implied consent or of taking a breath sample for testing, that he wanted to take the Intoxilyzer test.
As appellant volunteered to provide the breath sample, without being influenced by the provisions of the implied consent law, those provisions are irrelevant here. Thomas, rather than supporting appellant’s argument, instead suggests—with its discussion of actual consent—that consent to take a breath test, obtained without any reliance on the provisions of the implied consent statute, can produce a certificate of analysis that is not excluded by that statute.
In Durant v. City of Suffolk, 4 Va.App. 445, 448, 358 S.E.2d 732, 734 (1987), the same basic sequence of events occurred as in Thomas. An officer arrested Durant without having statutory authority for the arrest, the officer then informed Durant of the implied consent law, and Durant subsequently submitted to a breath test. Id. This Court, relying on Thomas, found the results of that test should have been excluded from
Thomas and Durant hold that a suspect cannot legitimately consent to a breath test if (1) he is unlawfully or untimely arrested and if (2) the officer informs the suspect of the provisions of the implied consent law, and if (3) the suspect then consents to provide a breath sample under the mistaken belief that he could be penalized under the implied consent law for refusing to cooperate. See Bristol v. Commonwealth, 272 Va. 568, 574-75, 636 S.E.2d 460, 464 (2006) (A “driver’s timely arrest triggers the statutory consent requirement, [so] the arrest must be completed before the driver may be required to take the test.” (emphasis added)).
Other states with statutes similar to Code § 18.2-268.2 have considered arguments like those raised by appellant here. In People v. Ward, 307 N.Y. 73, 120 N.E.2d 211 (1954), the police asked, in a “ ‘gentlemanly manner,’ ” if Ward would submit to a blood test, and he then agreed to the test without any mention by the police officers of the state’s implied consent law.
In State v. Wetherell, 82 Wash.2d 865, 514 P.2d 1069, 1073 (1973), the Washington appellate court found that defendant Wright
While the implied consent law provides an incentive for a driver to submit to a breath test, if an arresting officer does not discuss that law with a driver in order to obtain a breath sample, the provisions of Code § 18.2-268.2 are not implicated. As appellant here voluntarily provided the breath sample for the Intoxilyzer test without any recourse to the implied consent law, we find that Code § 18.2-268.2 did not apply.
4. Appellant’s Additional Arguments
Appellant contends to this Court en banc that the fact that the breath test was voluntarily taken does not automatically render its results admissible at trial. We do not necessarily disagree.
Appellant argued only that Code § 18.2-268.2(A) itself, and particularly as interpreted in Durant and Thomas, precluded introduction of the certificate of analysis because the arrest was unlawful.
Appellant also claims that his objection at trial preserved his argument now made to this Court en banc that the certificate of analysis was not admissible under Code § 18.2-268.9. However, again, appellant never argued that the certifi
Appellant’s counsel, who was also trial counsel, acknowledged at trial the Commonwealth’s argument that appellant “voluntarily took the test, and therefore it was a voluntary action by the defendant, [and] therefore [the BAC certificate] should come in against him.” Therefore, appellant’s counsel acknowledged the Commonwealth’s position that appellant expressly consented to taking the breath test, and his counsel recognized this express consent as a potential basis for admitting the certificate of analysis. Thus, it was incumbent upon appellant to object at trial if he did not believe the proper foundation under Code § 18.2-268.9 (or otherwise) was laid for the admission of the BAC certificate based upon appellant’s voluntary, express consent to blow into the Intoxilyzer. However, appellant made no such objection to the proper foundation for the certificate’s admission under appellant’s express consent to take the breath test.
Consequently, the trial court was never asked to make a ruling on whether a proper foundation had been laid for admission of the results of the breath test, whether under some provision in the Code or under the common law of Virginia. If appellant had made such an objection, then the Commonwealth could have laid any additional foundation for the document that was needed, especially as the officer who performed the test was already on the stand and testifying. Instead, as appellant explained at trial, his objection was based on the fact that the misdemeanor arrest occurred on private property, where the officer had not observed the commission of the misdemeanor, and, thus, the implied consent law did not apply to allow the officer to administer the test. Therefore, it is not surprising that the trial court based
Furthermore, the Commonwealth, as the proponent of the certificate of analysis, was required to respond only to appellant’s arguments against the administration of the breath test. However, the Commonwealth was not required to address every possible objection to the certificate’s admission, even arguments that were not presented by appellant. Thus, the Commonwealth was required only to answer the specific objections that appellant did make against the administering of the breath test. See Wright v. Norfolk & W. Ry. Co., 245 Va. 160, 170, 427 S.E.2d 724, 729 (1993) (“[A] litigant will not be permitted to invite a trial court to commit error, either through agreeing or failing to object, and then be permitted to successfully complain of such error on appeal.” (emphasis added)); cf. Neal v. Commonwealth, 15 Va.App. 416, 422, 425 S.E.2d 521, 524-25 (1992) (explaining that the specifics of the objection are important to preserving an evidence issue for appeal).
Here, the trial court was never asked to consider the question from the perspective now presented by appellant on appeal en banc—that Code § 18.2-268.9, rather than Code § 18.2-268.2, excluded the certificate. In addition, appellant never made any objections based on Code § 18.2-268.9 requiring the Commonwealth to prove that the certificate of analysis met the requirements of that statute. Moreover, the wording of appellant’s question presented in this Court continues to frame the issue here in the same way it was treated by the parties and the trial court at the trial level. For all of these reasons, the provisions of Code § 18.2-268.9 do not affect our analysis here.
The dissent, in discussing the provisions of Code § 18.2-268.9, suggests that this Court advances an argument that the Commonwealth did not make at trial. However, in making this claim, the dissent mischaracterizes events at the trial level. The effect of appellant’s request for a breath test, without any mention of the implied consent statute by the
Appellant also argues that, if the certificate is not admitted pursuant to the implied consent statute, then the presumptions included in Code § 18.2-269 do not apply. He points out that he argued to the trial court that, if the implied consent law did not apply, then “you don’t get the results in under [Code §] 18.2-269, and therefore it makes the certifi
Code § 18.2-269 allows a trial court to apply a rebuttable presumption that an accused was under the influence when a breath sample is obtained “in accordance with the provisions of §§ 18.2-268.1 through 18.2-268.12” and when the breath test indicates that the accused had a BAC of .08 or more. Code § 18.2-269 also allows a presumption that the accused is not under the influence of intoxicants if the results indicate a BAC level of .05 or less. But Code § 18.2-269(A)(2) also acknowledges that, if a presumption does not apply, “such facts may be considered with other competent evidence in determining the guilt or innocence of the accused.” Clearly, therefore, Code § 18.2-269 does not exclude a certificate of analysis simply because the rebuttable presumption does not apply at trial. The certificate here was not “irrelevant,” even if the presumption in Code § 18.2-269 did not apply, because it still presented information relevant to the factual question of whether appellant was intoxicated while driving. See Clay v. Commonwealth, 262 Va. 253, 257, 546 S.E.2d 728, 730 (2001) (“Evidence is relevant if it tends to prove or disprove, or is pertinent to, matters in issue.”). The trial court did not err in determining that the certificate was relevant to this question, even if it did not give rise to a rebuttable presumption. See Swisher v. Commonwealth, 256 Va. 471, 487, 506 S.E.2d 763, 772 (1998) (“The decision to refuse or admit evidence based on relevance rests within the discretion of the trial court....”).
III. CONCLUSION
We find the officer did not need to resort to the implied consent law to obtain a breath sample because appellant explicitly asked to take the breath test without being informed about the implied consent statute. Thus, as the officer did not rely upon Code § 18.2-268.2(A) to obtain the sample, that statute was irrelevant here and did not require the exclusion of the certificate of analysis.
Affirmed.
. We review the evidence on appeal in the light most favorable to the parly who prevailed below, here, the Commonwealth, and also grant to the Commonwealth all reasonable inferences fairly deducible from that evidence. Sabo v. Commonwealth, 38 Va.App. 63, 69, 561 S.E.2d 761, 764 (2002).
. An Intoxilyzer is a machine used by the police to take a breath sample and to test that sample for alcohol content.
. At trial, appellant also made a motion to suppress the evidence collected by Officer Weinstein, arguing that the officer effectuated the arrest without probable cause. The trial court denied this motion. Appellant requested appellate review of this ruling in his petition for appeal, but this Court did not grant his petition in relation to that question presented. Therefore, the issue of probable cause is not before us, and we may not review the trial court's finding that the officer had probable cause to arrest appellant. See Rules 5A:12 and 5A:15.
. The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Whitehead v. Commonwealth, 278 Va. 105, 677 S.E.2d 265 (2009) (as amended October 22, 2009), is not applicable to this case for the following reasons. First, a significant portion of the testimony at trial of the Commonwealth's witness, Officer Weinstein, addressed appellant’s volunteering to take the breath test. In fact, this evidence was so pervasive that, in addition, appellant’s trial counsel (who is also appellant’s counsel on appeal) apparently felt he had to actually address the Commonwealth’s evidence and argument that appellant had volunteered to take the test. Indeed, appellant’s counsel stated during his argument to the trial court, "At one point, if I just add [sic] [heard], the Commonwealth argue that while the defendant voluntarily took the test, and therefore it was a voluntary action by the defendant, therefore it should come in against him.” (Emphasis added).
Thus, the argument that the certificate of analysis should be admitted because appellant voluntarily requested the breath test was first made in the trial court. Contra Whitehead, 278 Va. at 114, 677 S.E.2d at 270 (where ”[t]he first appearance of the concealment theory in the record is in the opinion of the Court of Appeals”). As noted above, not only did the Commonwealth present this argument through Officer Weinstein’s testimony, but, in addition, appellant’s own trial counsel also actually addressed this very argument before the trial judge. During argument before this Court, appellant’s counsel acknowledged that the trial court heard argument on whether appellant’s explicit and voluntary consent to take the test made the certificate admissible. Therefore, it is clear that both appellant and the trial court were certainly "on notice” at the trial level of the argument that the certificate was admissible because appellant had voluntarily requested the test. Id. at 115, 677 S.E.2d at 270.
Moreover, our analysis here also does not require any new factual determinations. Id. The uncontradicted evidence proved appellant volunteered to take the breath test, and his counsel admitted during sentencing that appellant "voluntarily took the test.”
. Appellant’s argument at trial was not based on a failure to present the appropriate foundation for introduction of the certificate. Instead, he argued that the implied consent law prohibited introduction of the certificate, an argument that had more in common with a motion to suppress than an objection based on the rules of evidence. Appellant simply argued that, because the test was not administered pursuant to the implied consent statute, the certificate was not admissible. The dissent, however, shifts appellant’s argument to a position that he never argued to the trial court and that is not raised by his Question Presented—i.e., that a sufficient foundation was not laid for introduction of the certificate at trial.
. We note that appellant's Question Presented claims the alleged error occurred because the breath test itself was not "administered” pursuant to the implied consent statute. The question does not allege that an error occurred because the certificate failed to meet some foundation requirement for admission of evidence established in the Code or in the common law of Virginia.
. At trial and on appeal, appellant did not argue that his willingness to submit to the test was involuntary or tainted in any way. He argued simply that the fact that the officer did not have authority to arrest him—along with the requirement that a lawful arrest precede a breath test taken under the implied consent statute—required that the trial court exclude the certificate of analysis from his Intoxilyzer test. Appellant makes this argument even though he actually initiated the taking of the breath test himself without ever being informed of the provisions of the implied consent statute.
. Under Code § 18.2-268.3, a driver may be subjected to civil or criminal penalties for "unreasonably” refusing to take a breath or blood test pursuant to Code § 18.2-268.2.
. At the time of Thomas’s arrest, Code § 18.2-268, the precursor to the current implied consent statute, required that a suspect be arrested within two hours of an accident in order for the implied consent law to apply. The current statute extends the time to three hours. Code § 18.2-268.2(A). Appellant has never argued that the test was administered more than three hours after the accident.
. Another important distinction exists between this case and Durant. In Durant, the Court found the officer did not have probable cause to arrest Durant. 4 Va.App. at 448, 358 S.E.2d at 734. Here, the trial court found the officer had probable cause to arrest appellant (we presume in this opinion, supra, only that the officer did not have statutory authority to arrest him). That probable cause finding by the trial court is not subject to review here as the question of probable cause is not before us in this appeal. See supra fn. 3.
. Under Code § 18.2-268.3, a driver unreasonably refusing to submit to a breath test can have his or her driver’s license suspended for a year or more.
. At the time, Section 71-a of the New York Vehicle and Traffic Law provided, in part:
"1. Any person who operates a motor vehicle ... in this state shall be deemed to have given his consent to a chemical test of his breath, blood, urine, or saliva for the purpose of determining .the alcoholic content of his blood provided that such test is administered at the direction of a police officer having reasonable grounds to suspect such person of driving in an intoxicated condition. If such person refuses to submit to such chemical test the test shall not be given but the commissioner shall revoke his license ... to drive....”
Ward, 120 N.E.2d at 212. The court found that it did not need to address Ward’s argument that the officers were required to apprise him of the provisions of the statute before administering the test "where, as here, the defendant voluntarily submitted to the test and there is no claim or hint of coercion.” Id. at 213.
. Section 32-5-192(a) of the Alabama Code states, in part:
Any person who operates a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state shall be deemed to have given his consent, subject to the provisions of this division, to a chemical test or tests of his blood, breath or urine for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of his blood if lawfully arrested for any offense arising out of acts alleged to have been committed while the person was driving a motor*667 vehicle on the public highways of this state while under the influence of intoxicating liquor.
. Wright’s and Wetherell's appeals were consolidated.
. Appellant was unable to provide this Court with any citation to an out-of-state court that excluded a BAC certificate solely on the basis that the breath sample was voluntarily provided by a defendant rather than pursuant to the provisions of an implied consent law.
. The record in this case contains no evidence that the officer ever read the implied consent law to appellant or that appellant had any knowledge of the statute prior to his submission to the breath test.
. We also do not necessarily agree that the certificate was inadmissible under Code § 18.2-268.9. We simply find that this discussion is precluded by Rules 5A:18 and 5A:20, and by the framing of the question presented.
. Appellant argues to this Court that the Commonwealth had to prove the test equipment was reliable, the qualifications of the person conducting the test, and the chain of custody of the breath sample if the sample was not obtained pursuant to the implied consent statute. He did not make this objection at trial, so the trial court never had an opportunity to consider whether the Commonwealth had established this foundation. We do note that the record clearly indicates that Officer Weinstein was certified on the Intoxilyzer, that Officer Weinstein administered appellant’s BAC test, and that the attestation on the certificate as well as the officer’s testimony indicated the Intoxilyzer was working properly. However, the trial court made no ruling on these facts as appellant never raised this issue at trial.
. Appellant’s position seems to be that no BAC test results are admissible if the suspect’s arrest was unlawful—whether or not an appropriate foundation is established at trial for the introduction of the results of the test.
. As discussed in footnote 4, supra, we find that Whitehead is not applicable here as the issue of appellant voluntarily asking to take the breath test was indeed raised at trial. The dissent disregards the fact that appellant expressly volunteered to provide a breath sample, even insisting on taking the test, before the officer had an opportunity even to suggest that appellant should provide a breath sample under the implied consent statute. The dissent also overlooks the response of appellant's counsel to this fact while before the trial court, made during his argument that the sample was not obtained legitimately pursuant to the implied consent statute. In addition, the dissent fails to acknowledge the fact that appellant's counsel responded not once, but twice, to the argument that appellant provided the sample independently of the
. It is interesting to note that, although Whitehead was released prior to oral argument in this case, appellant never asked for leave to address this issue. In fact, even at oral argument, appellant did not raise the issue of Whitehead nor did he request permission to brief this additional issue. Indeed, at oral argument, even though virtually all of the questions dealing with Whitehead were addressed to appellee’s counsel, appellant’s counsel never mentioned Whitehead during any of his argument to this Court sitting en banc—during either the first part of his argument or in his rebuttal.
Dissenting Opinion
join, dissenting.
Because the analysis and holding of the majority rests entirely upon the sort of appellate fact-finding by this Court that our Supreme Court sought to restrain in Whitehead v. Commonwealth, 278 Va. 105, 677 S.E.2d 265 (2009), modified, Rec. No. 080775 (Oct. 22, 2009), and because I disagree with the merits of the majority’s analysis and its conclusion that by voluntarily taking the breath test, appellant somehow conceded the admissibility of the test results in court, I dissent from the holding and judgment in this ease. Furthermore, I believe such a holding is contrary to both the basic rules of evidence and existing case law. I would hold that the trial court erred in admitting the certificate containing the results of appellant’s breath test pursuant to the implied consent statute, and I would, thus, reverse the conviction and remand for a new trial if the Commonwealth is so advised.
I. Applicability of Whitehead v. Commonwealth
When this case was originally appealed to this Court, the Attorney General filed a brief that took the identical legal position as that taken by the prosecutor in the trial court— that the certificate was admissible because the implied consent statute both applied and its requirements were satisfied. The entire focus of both parties before the three-judge panel of this Court was whether the implied consent statute applied to an arrest following an accident, which may or may not have occurred “upon a highway of the Commonwealth.” There was no assertion by the Attorney General that any other rationale existed for admitting the certificate in this case.
In Whitehead, this Court, sitting en banc, affirmed Whitehead’s conviction on the theory that she “aid[ed] in the concealment of the stolen property.” 278 Va. at 114, 677 S.E.2d at 270. However, this legal theory was never argued by the Commonwealth, either in the trial court or before this Court on appeal. As our Supreme Court noted, “[t]he first appearance of the concealment theory in the record is in the opinion of the Court of Appeals.” Id. Similarly, in this case, the first appearance of the alternative basis for admitting the certificate was in the panel majority’s opinion, and was neither raised in the trial court nor argued before the three-judge panel. Only when we granted en banc review did the Office of the Attorney General, apparently having determined that the panel majority had advanced a better theory for the admissibility of the certificate than it had, abandon its earlier appellate position and adopt the analysis and arguments of the panel majority. The Attorney General’s nouveau position is not necessarily too little, but in my view, it comes too late.
While appellate courts may affirm the ruling of a trial court when it has reached the right result for the wrong reason, this rule does not always apply. In Whitehead, our Supreme Court expressly adopted the holdings of this Court in Harris v. Commonwealth, 39 Va.App. 670, 675-76, 576 S.E.2d 228, 231 (2003) (“[T]he proper application of this rule does not include those cases where, because the trial court has rejected the right reason or confined its decision to a specific ground, further factual resolution is needed before the right reason may be assigned to support the trial court’s decision.” (emphasis added)), and in Blackman v. Commonwealth, 45 Va.App. 633, 642-43, 613 S.E.2d 460, 465 (2005) (“[A]n appellee may argue for the first time on appeal any legal ground in
In this ease, the trial court clearly confined its ruling to a specific ground—that the implied consent statute applied to the breath test in this case—and, as in Whitehead, additional fact-finding regarding the foundation for the majority’s alternate theory of admissibility would clearly be necessary. The concealment theory at issue in Whitehead was “an alternative means of establishing guilt” under the Code. 278 Va. at 114, 677 S.E.2d at 270. As such, it required proof of different elements than those advanced at trial. Similarly, and as discussed more fully below, the alternative basis for the certificate’s admission advocated by the majority involves different foundational requirements that in turn necessitates additional fact-finding.
Moreover, a “right result, wrong reason” analysis is inappropriate here for two other reasons. First, the “right reason” was never before the trial court, either explicitly or implicitly. Although the majority points to the testimony of Officer Weinstein that Roseborough took the breath test voluntarily, Weinstein was a witness, not the attorney for the Commonwealth. Thus, while the fact that Roseborough took the test voluntarily was arguably before the trial court, the issue that the test was admissible on that basis was not since the prosecutor never asked the trial court to consider that alternate basis for admissibility. Second, in finding that the foundation was sufficient for admitting the certificate of analysis under its alternative means of establishing admissibility, the majority also steps into the role of a trial court and engages in precisely the kind of appellate fact-finding Whitehead prohibits.
For these reasons, I would decide the merits of the issue presented in this appeal solely upon the basis raised by the parties in the trial court and originally presented to this Court on appeal.
The majority finds that “[a]s appellant volunteered to provide the breath sample, without being influenced by the provisions of the implied consent law, those provisions are irrelevant here.” See supra at 664, 688 S.E.2d at 888. This statement by the majority combines and confuses two otherwise distinct legal issues: the voluntariness of appellant’s breath test when arrested and the admissibility of the certificate of analysis from appellant’s breath test as an exhibit at trial. As already noted above, notwithstanding the testimony of Officer Weinstein, it is clear from the record that the Commonwealth laid the foundation and sought the admission of the certificate based solely upon the applicability of the implied consent statute. Furthermore, the record unequivocally demonstrates that the trial court admitted the certificate on that basis and no other. Yet, the majority simply ignores what was actually argued to the trial court as well as the rationale stated by the trial court for its ruling, and finds another rationale for the certificate’s admissibility. The majority then substitutes that rationale for the one that was actually advanced in and accepted by the trial court. The majority begins with the notion that because appellant agreed to submit to the breath test, the provisions of the implied consent statute are inapplicable. The majority then ultimately concludes that because the taking of the breath test was voluntary, the results were ipso facto admissible at trial in the absence of an objection more specific than the one made here.
In response, I must initially point out that every submission to a breath test is essentially a voluntary act, whether conducted pursuant to Code § 18.2-268.2(A) or not. Our statutory scheme contemplates that by driving on the highways of the Commonwealth, one has consented to taking a breath or blood test. See Code § 18.2-268.2. This consent can only be withdrawn by an affirmative act revoking that consent. The only legal distinction between breath tests conducted pursuant to Code § 18.2-268.2 and those that are not is the foundation that is necessary in order to admit the test results as an exhibit at trial. It is axiomatic that criminal defendants do
The majority is content to look at Code § 18.2-268.2 in a vacuum stating that “[t]his statute does not address all instances when a breath test may be taken and includes no language addressing the admissibility of the resulting certificates of analysis at trial.” See supra at 662, 688 S.E.2d at 887. While this may be true in a literal sense, the majority has overlooked one of the most basic principles of appellate review. “[WJhen a given controversy involves a number of related statutes, they should be read and construed together in order to give full meaning, force, and effect to each.” Ainslie v. Inman, 265 Va. 347, 353, 577 S.E.2d 246, 249 (2003) (citing Kole v. City of Chesapeake, 247 Va. 51, 56, 439 S.E.2d 405, 408 (1994)). Therefore, we cannot merely examine Code § 18.2-268.2 in isolation, but must consider it in relation to other sections of the Code that concern the admissibility of such evidence.
Barring a stipulation by the parties, before a certificate of analysis from a breath test may be admitted into evidence, the Commonwealth must first lay an adequate foundation for its
Code § 18.2-268.9 outlines two categories of foundational requirements for the use of breath-test results as evidence in a prosecution for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
To be capable of being considered valid as evidence in a prosecution under §§ 18.2-266 ... chemical analysis of a person’s breath shall be performed by an individual possessing a valid license to conduct such tests, with a type of equipment and in accordance with methods approved by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, Division of Forensic Science. The Division shall test the accuracy of the breath-testing equipment at least once every six months. The Division shall establish a training program for all individuals who are to administer the breath tests. Upon a person’s successful completion of the training program, the Division may license him to conduct breath-test analyses. Such license shall identify the specific types of breath test equipment upon which the individual has successfully completed training....
Code § 18.2-268.9 (emphasis added).
Thus, no breath test evidence may be considered for admission unless the test was conducted by a properly licensed operator on properly approved equipment. The remaining language in Code § 18.2-268.9 states the foundational requirements for the admissibility of certificates reporting the analyses of breath tests, but expressly limits those requirements to
Any individual conducting a breath test under the provisions of § 18.2-268.2 shall issue a certificate which will indicate that the test was conducted in accordance with the Division’s specifications, the equipment on which the breath test was conducted has been tested within the past six months and has been found to be accurate, the name of the accused, that prior to administration of the test the accused was advised of his right to observe the process and see the blood alcohol reading on the equipment used to perform the breath test, the date and time the sample was taken from the accused, the sample’s alcohol content, and the name of the person who examined the sample. This certificate, when attested by the individual conducting the breath test, shall be admissible in any court in any criminal or civil proceeding as evidence of the facts therein stated and of the results of such analysis----
Code § 18.2-268.9 (emphasis added).
Basically, in order to introduce the results of a breath test in any prosecution under Code § 18.2-266, the operator and equipment must comply with the first paragraph of Code § 18.2-268.9 as part of the foundation for admissibility of the test results. However, if the implied consent statute is applicable, the only remaining foundational requirements are found in Code § 18.2-268.9 itself, and the certificate of analysis is admissible if the requirements of both the first and second paragraphs of that statute have been satisfied. In essence, the properly attested certificate by a certified operator using approved equipment, when coupled with the applicability of the implied consent statute, provides the necessary foundation. On the other hand, if the implied consent statute does not apply, as the majority suggests was the case here, then the streamlined statutory foundational requirements for admitting the certificate of analysis contained in the second paragraph of Code § 18.2-268.9 are likewise inapplicable. Under those circumstances, the test results would only be admissible following the laying of a proper foundation consistent with both
However, the majority circumvents that result by reasoning from the negative and asserts that the trial court did not err in admitting the certificate because:
[ajppellant argued only that Code § 18.2-268.2(A) itself and particularly as interpreted in Durant and Thomas, precluded introduction of the certificate of analysis because the arrest was unlawful. Although appellant could have argued at trial that Code § 18.2-268.9 precluded introduction of the certificate here, he never made this argument to the trial court ... [and] does not argue that the ends of justice require consideration of Code § 18.2-268.9 or the foundation requirements for the certificate.
See supra at 669, 688 S.E.2d 890 (emphasis in original).
However, in making this assertion, the majority disregards a number of significant facts in the record. First, the Commonwealth offered no alternative basis for the admission of the certificate of analysis other than the applicability of Code § 18.2-268.2(A) “itself ” In fact, the sole foundation laid by the Commonwealth for the admissibility of the certificate was that (1) Officer Weinstein was a certified breathalyzer operator, (2) he advised appellant of the statutory presumption of sobriety found in Code § 18.2-269(A)(1), and (3) he substantially followed all of the procedures required for taking and admitting the results of a breath test pursuant to Code § 18.2-268.2 et seq. (the implied consent statutes). Thus, it seems obvious from the record that, in context, the exhibit was
Second, appellant objected to the admission of the certificate of analysis pursuant to the implied consent statute, arguing that the Commonwealth failed to establish that he had been validly arrested—a prerequisite for the admissibility of test results obtained pursuant to Code § 18.2-268.2(A). See Bristol v. Commonwealth, 272 Va. 568, 636 S.E.2d 460 (2006). The Commonwealth never responded to this argument by asserting the inapplicability of Code § 18.2-268.2(A), as the majority now does on appeal. Instead, the Commonwealth argued that the implied consent statute did in fact apply and was satisfied, advancing no other argument in support of its position. After hearing lengthy arguments from both the prosecutor and defense counsel that focused exclusively on whether the arrest requirement of the implied consent statute was satisfied, the trial court stated, “I’m going to overrule the objection, [and] admit the Certificate of Analysis.” Furthermore, the trial court expressly stated that, in doing so, it relied on Easton v. Commonwealth, No. 2119-04-2, 2005 WL 1507103 (Va.Ct.App. Jun. 28, 2005),
In Easton, the appellant challenged the admissibility of her certificate of analysis on the grounds that the requirements of the implied consent statute were not satisfied. This Court disagreed and affirmed her conviction because the certificate was admissible under the implied consent statute. In admitting the certificate of analysis, the trial court expressly noted that Easton was “almost identical” to the issue before it and then stated “Mr. Whitestone [counsel for appellant], you have a court reporter here. You can give the Court of Appeals another opportunity to revisit [sic], but in my estimation, they have already decided.” (Emphasis added). This statement by the trial court undoubtedly confirms that it admitted the certificate pursuant to the implied consent statute.
Here, the Commonwealth offered the certificate of analysis into evidence and, in doing so, both proffered a foundation procedurally consistent with the requirements of a breath test taken pursuant to Code § 18.2-268.2 and specifically argued that the test was administered in compliance with the implied consent statute. Appellant then objected to the admission of the certificate based upon his perceived defect in the foundation for admissibility advanced by the Commonwealth. The trial court, after hearing arguments from both counsel which focused exclusively on whether or not the foundational requirements for the admissibility of the certificate of analysis had been met pursuant to the implied consent statute, and considering an unpublished decision from this Court which dealt with the very point in issue, admitted the evidence over appellant’s objection. In other words, the context of the decision by the trial court to admit the certificate of analysis as an exhibit was framed by (1) the foundation tendered by the Commonwealth, (2) the objection made by appellant to the sufficiency of that foundation, and (3) the arguments of counsel and the consideration of precedent which dealt with the arguments advanced. The rules of court surely require no more of an advocate in order to preserve the point for appeal than was done here. In my view, by requiring that counsel must respond to arguments, or grounds for admission of an exhibit, never advanced by the proponent of the exhibit, the majority has improperly advanced, sua sponte, an argument on behalf of the Commonwealth that was never made by the Commonwealth before this case reached this Court en banc. For these reasons, I disagree with the majority and would
In that vein, Virginia’s implied consent statute, Code § 18.2-268.2(A), provides:
Any person, whether licensed by Virginia or not, who operates a motor vehicle upon a highway, as defined in § 46.2-100, in the Commonwealth shall be deemed thereby, as a condition of such operation, to have consented to have samples of his blood, breath, or both blood and breath taken for a chemical test to determine the alcohol, drug, or both alcohol and drug content of his blood, if he is arrested for violation of § 18.2-266, 18.2-266.1, or subsection B of § 18.2-272 or of a similar ordinance within three hours of the alleged offense.
Thus, the results of a breath test administered pursuant to Code § 18.2-268.2(A) are admissible against the accused in a trial for driving under the influence, so long as the accused has first been validly arrested. Durant v. City of Suffolk, 4 Va.App. 445, 448, 358 S.E.2d 732, 734 (1987). Appellant argues on appeal, as he did to the trial court, that the statutory requirements for a valid, warrantless arrest were not satisfied in this instance.
Code § 19.2-81 delineates the circumstances under which an officer may arrest a person without a warrant. For misdemeanors, the general rule is that an officer may not make a warrantless arrest of a person, unless the crime was committed in the officer’s presence. Galliher v. Commonwealth, 161 Va. 1014, 1021, 170 S.E. 734, 736 (1933). “An offense is committed within the presence of an officer, within the meaning of this rule, when he has direct personal knowledge, through his sight, hearing, or other senses that it is then and there being committed.” Id.
The offense for which appellant was arrested is a misdemeanor, and was not committed “within the presence” of the officer. The officer arrived at the scene approximately thirty minutes after the single vehicle accident within the private,
“[T]he legislature set forth certain exceptions to the misdemeanor presence rule in Code § 19.2-81, indicating that a deviation from the presence requirement is authorized only in these limited circumstances.” Penn v. Commonwealth, 13 Va.App. 399, 404, 412 S.E.2d 189,192 (1991), aff'd, 244 Va. 218, 420 S.E.2d 713 (1992). The exception to the presence requirement of Code § 19.2-81 that concerns the issue before us involves motor vehicle accidents occurring on “any of the highways ... of the Commonwealth.” (Emphasis added). Pursuant to the statute, “such officer may, within three hours of the occurrence of any such accident involving a motor vehicle, arrest without a warrant at any location any person whom the officer has probable cause to suspect of driving or operating such motor vehicle while intoxicated in violation of § 18.2-266----” Code § 19.2-81 (emphasis added). Appellant argues that this exception does not apply because the gated roadways of the Watergate at Landmark apartment complex do not constitute a “highway of the Commonwealth” for purposes of Code § 19.2-81.1 agree.
This Court has not previously had occasion to construe the phrase “highways of the Commonwealth” in the context of Code § 19.2-81. “Statutory interpretation presents a pure question of law and is accordingly subject to de novo review. ...” Washington v. Commonwealth, 272 Va. 449, 455,
Code § 19.2-81 provides no express definition of the word “highway.” Consequently, we must look to the plain, commonly understood meaning of the word in order to ascertain the intent of the legislature. See Hulcher v. Commonwealth, 39 Va.App. 601, 605, 575 S.E.2d 579, 581 (2003). Traditionally, a “highway” is considered to be “a road or way on land ... that is open to public use as a matter of right whether or not a thoroughfare.” Webster’s Third New International Dictionary 1069 (1961).
Appellant argues that the definition of “highway” contained in Code § 46.2-100 should be applied to the warrantless arrest requirements of Code § 19.2-81. However, the introductory paragraph of Code § 46.2-100 limits the application of that definition stating: “The following words and phrases when used in this title, for the purpose of this title, have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section.... ” (Emphasis added). Put simply, the definition of highway used in Code § 46.2-100 is not, by itself, controlling on the issue of whether or not an officer can make a warrantless arrest of a person pursuant to Code § 19.2-81. Nevertheless, this definition, though not controlling, is helpful to our analysis as it is illustrative of how “highway” has been interpreted by the courts in other circumstances.
The Supreme Court of Virginia has consistently held that a highway is not limited to public roads. See Furman v. Call, 234 Va. 437, 439-40, 362 S.E.2d 709, 711 (1987) (holding that where the evidence was undisputed that the roads around and in a condominium complex were open to the public twenty-four
In drafting Code § 19.2-81, the General Assembly was explicit about the type of road to which it was referring with respect to the “accident” exception to the misdemeanor presence requirement. While the definition in Code § 46.2-100 applies only to “highways,” Code § 19.2-81 uses the language “highways ... of the Commonwealth.” By adding the qualifying language, “of the Commonwealth,” the General Assembly clearly intended to precisely limit the instances to which this exception applies. Thus, if a road does not qualify as a highway under Code § 46.2-100, it certainly would not qualify as a highway “of the Commonwealth” under Code § 19.2-81.
Clearly, the use of the roadways within the Watergate at Landmark was restricted in such a way as to exclude the
Because the accident did not occur on a “highway of the Commonwealth,” the statutory exception to Code § 19.2-81 did not apply, making appellant’s warrantless arrest for driving while intoxicated invalid, as it did not occur in the presence of the arresting officer.
For the foregoing reasons, I would reverse appellant’s conviction and remand for a new trial should the Commonwealth be so advised.
. In fact, the Attorney General waived oral argument before the panel.
. For example, the results of a preliminary breath test, which are always taken voluntarily, are never admissible at trial as evidence of guilt. Code § 18.2-267(E); see also Stacy v. Commonwealth, 22 Va.App. 417, 470 S.E.2d 584 (1996).
. The General Assembly has expressly noted that it considers Code §§ 18.2-268.2 through 18.2-268.9 as a series of related “steps.” See Code § 18.2-268.11 ("The steps set forth in §§ 18.2-268.2 through 18.2-268.9 relating to taking, handling, identifying, and disposing of blood or breath samples are procedural and not substantive. Substantial compliance shall be sufficient.” (emphasis added)).
. While Code § 19.2-187 deals with the general admissibility of certificates of analyses, Code § 18.2-268.9 specifically addresses the use of breath-test results as evidence.
. In Easton, unlike the appellant here, Easton conceded to the trial court that she was validly arrested.
. The Commonwealth argues that the language "at any location” in Code § 19.2-81 applies to the location of the accident. That, however, is a misreading of the statute. The words, "at any location” apply only to where the arrest may occur, not the location of the accident. As appellant correctly notes, the words "such accident" refer the reader to prior language in the statute, which indicate that the "accident” exception to the presence requirement is limited to those that occur "on any of the highways ... of the Commonwealth.” Code§ 19.2-81.
. The Commonwealth does not claim that any of the other statutory exceptions to the presence requirement apply.
Reference
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- Lawrence W. ROSEBOROUGH v. COMMONWEALTH of Virginia
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