The Massachusetts Prosecutors'manual: Operating Under
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THE MASSACHUSETTS PROSECUTORS’ MANUAL: OPERATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Eighth Edition 2015 Written by Kimberly A. Fogarty Updated and Revised by Andrea Nardone Staff Attorney, Vehicular Crimes One Bulfinch Place, Suite 202 Boston, Massachusetts 02114 617-723-0642 www.mass.gov/mdaa Tara Maguire Executive Director THE MASSACHUSETTS PROSECUTORS’ MANUAL: OPERATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Eighth Edition 2015 Written by Kimberly A. Fogarty Updated and Revised by Andrea Nardone Staff Attorney, Vehicular Crimes Acknowledgements The Massachusetts District Attorneys Association and this author express their deep appreciation to the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, Highway Safety Division, without whose support and generosity the Massachusetts Prosecutors OUI Manual would not have been created. This author would like to acknowledge the following people who were particularly helpful in sharing their expertise and creative insight: . John Bosse, Assistant District Attorney, Berkshire County . Officer Peter Buck, Athol Police Department . Gregory Connor, Assistant District Attorney, Norfolk County . John T. Dawley, Jr. Assistant District Attorney, Middlesex County . Sergeant Don Decker, State Drug Evaluation and Classification Coordinator . Steven Greenbaum, Assistant District Attorney, Northwestern County . Lieutenant Daniel Griffin, Massachusetts State Police, Traffic Programs . Trooper John Jakobowski, Massachusetts State Police, Traffic Programs . Special Agent Benjamin Lavine, CSX Transportation Police . Jason Lederman, Assistant District Attorney, Berkshire County . Paul Machado, Assistant District Attorney, Bristol County . Detective Richard MacLean, Amherst Police Department . Trooper Jamie Magarian, Massachusetts State Police . William J. Melkonian, Director of Training and Supervisor of Motor Vehicle Offense Prosecutions, Essex County . Trooper Michael Miskell, Massachusetts State Police . Lieutenant Stephen C. Mullaney, Massachusetts State Police . Trooper Kevin Packard, Massachusetts State Police . Andrew Padellaro, Assistant Clerk Magistrate, Lynn District Court . Neil Scannell, Legal Counsel, Driver Control Unit, Registry of Motor Vehicles . Nicholas Walsh, Assistant District Attorney, Suffolk County . Lieutenant Stephen Walsh, Massachusetts State Police THIS MANUAL WAS FUNDED BY A GRANT AWARDED TO THE MASSACHUSETTS DISTRICT ATTORNEYS ASSOCIATION BY THE HIGHWAY SAFETY DIVISION, OFFICE OF GRANTS AND RESEARCH, EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY. POINTS OF VIEW IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE OFFICIAL POSITION OR POLICIES OF THE MASSACHUSETTS DISTRICT ATTORNEYS ASSOCIATION OR THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter I: Alcohol Toxicology ......................................................................................... 3 Alcohol Defined ........................................................................................................... 3 How Does Alcohol Travel Through the Body? .............................................................. 4 Absorption phase .................................................................................................... 4 Absorptive or post-absorptive phase?.................................................................. 5 Distribution phase ................................................................................................... 5 Elimination phase .................................................................................................... 6 Retrograde extrapolation......................................................................................... 6 Effects of Alcohol ......................................................................................................... 7 What are the outward signs of impairment?............................................................ 8 How is this information useful at trial? .................................................................... 8 Chapter II: The Elements of an OUI Case ....................................................................... 11 Operation of a Motor Vehicle .................................................................................... 11 Definition of a motor vehicle ................................................................................. 11 Definition of operation .......................................................................................... 11 Circumstantial evidence of operation .................................................................... 12 Defendant’s admission as evidence of operation ................................................... 13 Public Way ................................................................................................................ 14 Under the Influence of Alcohol .................................................................................. 16 Manner of operation ............................................................................................. 17 Visible signs of impairment .................................................................................... 18 Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs)............................................................... 20 Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) ..................................................................... 20 Walk and Turn ................................................................................................... 22 One-Leg Stand ................................................................................................... 23 Non-standardized tests .......................................................................................... 24 Measuring Alcohol Concentration: Blood/Breath .................................................. 24 Various methods used to measure blood alcohol level .......................................... 25 The Preliminary/Portable Breath Test Devices (PBT) .......................................... 25 The Breath Test.................................................................................................. 26 The blood test .................................................................................................... 28 .08 per se .................................................................................................................. 30 Subsequent Offense .................................................................................................. 31 The Arraignment ................................................................................................ 31 The Pretrial Hearing ........................................................................................... 32 MDAA MASSACHUSETTS PROSECUTORS OUI MANUAL i Subsequent OUI Trial ......................................................................................... 33 Chapter III: Pretrial Preparation .................................................................................... 45 Discovery ................................................................................................................... 45 What MUST you provide to the defense? .............................................................. 45 1. Automatic and Mandatory discovery ......................................................... 45 2. Other discovery .......................................................................................... 47 What should the defense provide to you? ............................................................. 47 MASSACHUSETTS RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE .................................................. 48 RULE 11. PRETRIAL CONFERENCE AND PRETRIAL HEARING ................................... 48 RULE 13. PRETRIAL MOTIONS ............................................................................... 51 RULE 14. PRETRIAL DISCOVERY ............................................................................. 53 Preparing Your Case For Trial ................................................................................. 61 Witnesses: who you should summons for trial ...................................................... 61 When you have numerous police officers as witnesses ...................................... 61 When there is a breath test result ..................................................................... 62 When there is a blood test done in lieu of a breath test ..................................... 62 When there is a blood test done for medical purposes ...................................... 63 When the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test was administered ................. 63 Other potential sources of evidence ...................................................................... 64 When there is a collision .................................................................................... 64 When you have a BAC result and significant time has elapsed from the time of the offense to the time of the test ..................................................................... 66 When the defendant’s car has been towed ........................................................ 67 Other potential witnesses .................................................................................. 67 Other potential evidence ................................................................................... 67 Pre-trial motions you should file ...........................................................................