Commonwealth v. Gause , 2017 Pa. Super. 160 ( 2017 )

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2017 PA Super 160COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Appellee
v.
ARTEE LINARD MAURICE GAUSE
Appellant No. 151 MDA 2015
Appeal from the Judgment of Sentence December 2, 2014
In the Court of Common Pleas of York County
Criminal Division at No(s): CP-67-CR-0008850-2013
BEFORE: BENDER, P.J.E., BOWES, J., PANELLA, J., LAZARUS, J., OTT, J.,
STABILE, J., DUBOW, J., MOULTON, J., and RANSOM, J.
OPINION BY LAZARUS, J.: FILED MAY 24, 2017
Artee Linard Maurice Gause appeals from the judgment of sentence,
entered in the Court of Common Pleas of York County, following his
convictions of driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance
("DUI") - general impairment,' DUI - controlled substance,2 and driving
' 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3802(a)(1). Section 3802(a)(1) provides:
(a) General impairment. --
(1) An individual may not drive, operate or be in actual
physical control of the movement of a vehicle after
imbibing a sufficient amount of alcohol such that the
individual is rendered incapable of safely driving, operating
or being in actual physical control of the movement of the
vehicle.
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without stop lights (brake lights) in violation of period for requiring lighted
lamps.3 After careful review, we vacate the judgment of sentence and
discharge Gause.
The trial court summarized the facts of this case as follows.
[O]n September 25, 2013, at around 1:20 in the morning,
Officer [Erika] Eiker encountered a vehicle lacking illuminated
taillights. [4] During the ensuing stop, the officer asked [Gause]
for his license and registration and questioned where [Gause]
was coming from. [Gause] provided the requested items without
any fumbling and informed the officer that he was traveling from
a friend's home[.] Officer Eiker smelled alcohol and [Gause]
stated that he had consumed one 12 -ounce can of beer.
[Gause] then completed field sobriety tests with varying levels of
success.[5] On cross-examination, defense counsel elicited from
(Footnote Continued)
2 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3802(d)(2). Section 3802(d)(2) provides:
(d) Controlled substances. --An individual may not drive,
operate or be in actual physical control of the movement of a
vehicle under any of the following circumstances:
(2) The individual is under the influence of a drug or
combination of drugs to a degree which impairs the
individual's ability to safely drive, operate or be in actual
physical control of the movement of the vehicle.
3 75 Pa.C.S.A. § 4302(a)(1).
4At the hearing on Gause's omnibus pretrial motion, Officer Eiker stated that
Gause's brake lights were functioning, but not his taillights. N.T. Omnibus
Pretrial Hearing, 7/29/14, at 15.
5 Officer Eiker stated that she directed Gause to perform certain standard
field sobriety tests. The tests included the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus
(HGN), walk and turn, one -leg stand, and the Romberg balance tests. Gause
showed no impairment on the HGN test. On the walk -and -turn, he showed
some impairment. On the one -leg stand, Gause did not show sufficient clues
for DUI impairment. On the Romberg balance test, while directed to close
(Footnote Continued Next Page)
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Officer Eiker that during the encounter she neither smelled nor
saw marijuana. Moreover, the officer testified that [Gause's]
speech was not slurred and that, outside of the field sobriety
tests, [Gause's] balance and coordination were fine. Officer Eiker
went on to testify that she gives the Romberg Test when she
suspects marijuana usage because she associates eyelid
tremors, as in this case, with marijuana usage. [T]hough. . .
[Gause] submitted himself to a drug recognition evaluation, he
refused chemical testing.
Trial Court Opinion, 4/16/15 at 5-6 (citations to record omitted).
Following trial, a jury convicted Gause of the aforementioned charges.
The trial court merged the DUI convictions for sentencing purposes and
sentenced Gause to a term of 5 years of intermediate punishment, including
45 days to be served in county prison and 90 days of house arrest, and
imposed a $1,500 fine, plus costs of prosecution. On the summary offense
of driving without brake lights, the court imposed a $25 fine, plus the costs
of prosecution. Gause filed post -sentence motions, which the trial court
denied. This timely appeal followed.
Gause raises the following issues for our review:
1. Whether Officer Eiker's opinion testimony that body
tremors and eyelid tremors are indicative of marijuana
impairment should have been excluded?
(Footnote Continued)
his eyes and lean slightly backward, Gause misjudged the passing of 12
seconds for 30 seconds, but there was no testimony that this indicated
impairment. See N.T. Omnibus Pretrial Hearing, 7/29/14, at 10-14; N.T.
Trial, 10/9/14, at 72. Additionally, at trial, Officer Eiker stated that she did
ask Gause if he had any physical limitations and he told her that "he had
been shot in one of his legs ten years ago[.]" Id. at 68.
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2. Whether Officer Eiker should have been denied the ability
to testify as to her opinion that body tremors and eyelid tremors
are indicative of marijuana impairment when the trial court ruled
prior to the beginning of trial that the Commonwealth's
witnesses could not render an opinion?
3. Whether Officer Eiker's and Officer George's testimony
regarding eyelid and body tremors should have been excluded
even if they did not render an opinion because the testimony
was irrelevant without their opinion?
4. Whether there was insufficient evidence to support the
[j]ury's finding of guilt on count 2, DUI-[c]ontrolled [s]ubstance,
because the Commonwealth failed to present sufficient evidence
that Mr. Gause was incapable of safely operating an automobile
because of drug consumption?
5. Whether there was insufficient evidence to support the
[j]ury's finding of guilt on count 1, DUI, [g]eneral [i]mpairment,
when Officer George testified that he had excluded alcohol as a
factor of impairment?
6. Whether the [j]ury's verdict as to count 2 is against the
weight of the evidence when there was no testimony as to the
drug(s) that Mr. Gause was supposedly impaired by?
7. Whether the verdict as to count 1 is against the weight of
the evidence when Officer George had specifically excluded
alcohol impairment?
Appellant's Brief at 6-7.
Gause first argues that the trial court committed reversible error when
it permitted Officer Eiker to offer her opinion that eyelid and body tremors
are indicative of marijuana impairment. We agree. Officer Eiker's lay
opinion was incompetent and the trial court should have excluded it as
inadmissible under Pennsylvania Rule of Evidence 701.
Prior to the start of trial, the court ruled that Officer Eiker could testify
to her observations of body and eyelid tremors "but not to any conclusions
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as to what those tremors signified." N.T., 10/9/14, at 13. During trial, the
court reversed its earlier ruling and, over defense counsel's objection,
permitted Officer Eiker to attribute Gause's body and eyelid tremors to
marijuana impairment. Officer Eiker testified that, in her opinion, Gause was
under the influence of a controlled substance, and that she formed this
opinion, in part, on body and eyelid tremors:
Q: [B]ased on your training, your experience, your education,
your observations of [Gause], performance on those tests, did
you form an opinion at the time of your contact with [Gause]
whether or not you believed he was impaired?
A: Yes. At the time of my contact with him, just, you know, the
totality of everything, you know, his behavior, the body tremors,
the eyelid tremors, the clues on the walk and turn, you know, his
poor perception of time with the Romberg balance test, and also
the very strong presence of eyelid tremors during that test.
Id. at 75-76 (emphasis added). On re -direct, Officer Eiker testified that "if
they have tremors in the eyelids, it's a general indicator that the individual,
you know, has ingested marijuana [.]" Id. at 103.
Gause submitted to a drug evaluation test, performed by Officer Scott
George. Officer George also administered the Romberg balance test; this
time, Gause estimated the passage of 30 seconds at the 19 -second point.
Id. at 116-117. During the Romberg balance test, Gause exhibited eyelid
and body tremors. Office George testified: "When his eyes were closed, he
had distinct and sustained eyelid tremors[.]" Id. He also administered the
walk and turn test and the one -leg stand test. Gause passed the one -leg
stand test, but stepped off the imaginary line in the walk and turn test.
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Officer George acknowledged that Gause's leg injury could affect his ability
to perform the walk and turn test and the one -leg stand test, and thus could
affect the reliability of those tests. Id. at 131-32. Officer George stated
that he believed Gause was "impaired by both a drug and the alcohol that he
had in his system[,]" id. at 120, but acknowledged on cross-examination
that Gause was not over the legal limit of .081'6 and also acknowledged his
preliminary hearing testimony that "if a subject is impaired by alcohol, we
don't do drug evaluations at that point[.]" Id. at 124-25.
The trial court recognized in its Pa.R.A.P. 1925(b) opinion that it was
error to admit Officer Eiker's opinion testimony as to whether body tremors
and eyelid tremors are indicative of marijuana usage, and that it was error
to alter the pretrial ruling that precluded that opinion during trial. The court
stated:
Turning to Officer Eiker's opinion testimony that [Gause] was
marijuana impaired, we immediately observe that the Superior
Court has very clearly stated that there is "a need for expert
testimony in the area of marijuana." Commonwealth v.
DiPanfilo, 993 A.2d 1262, 1267 (Pa. Super. 2010). However,
in [DiPanfilo], the Superior Court also said that expert
testimony is not required in every marijuana case. Id. This
dichotomy was clarified in a footnote, which states the following:
[I]f apolice officer stopped a driver who was driving
erratically, and the driver then rolled down his window and
greeted the officer through a cloud of marijuana smoke,
showing the typical signs of heavy marijuana use, it would
be difficult to imagine that expert testimony would be
6
No chemical testing was performed.
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necessary to establish the link between erratic driving and
the driver's marijuana use.
Id. at n. 5.
Trial Court Opinion, 4/16/15, at 5. The trial court went on to observe,
correctly, that an expert is required to render an opinion as to marijuana
impairment unless the circumstances are so telling of recent marijuana use
as to form a clear connection between marijuana use and impairment. Id.
The court also observed, again correctly, that the facts presented in the
instant case were within the DiPanfilo holding that an expert is necessary
to present conclusions to a jury about the effects of marijuana on a
defendant. The court stated:
By the officer's own testimony, the facts of our case do not align
with, nor closely resemble, the hypothetical sketched out by the
DiPanfilo [C]ourt in [its] footnote. In the officer's candid and
credible testimony, we did not hear evidence of erratic driving or
hear about billowing marijuana smoke. With the exception of his
eyelid tremors and some failure at field sobriety tests, the officer
did not testify about anything else that would indicate marijuana
usage so recent as to obviate the necessity of an expert to
explain whether [Gause] would have been under the influence of
marijuana.
Trial Court Opinion, supra at 7.
Our standard of review is well settled: "The admissibility of evidence
is a matter for the discretion of the trial court and a ruling thereon will be
reversed on appeal only upon a showing that the trial court committed an
abuse of discretion." Commonwealth v. Poplawski, 130 A.3d 697, 716
(Pa. 2015) (citation omitted). Pursuant to Pennsylvania Rule of Evidence
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701, Opinion Testimony by Lay Witness, lay witness testimony in the form of
an opinion is limited to one that is:
(a) rationally based on the witness's perception
(b) helpful to clearly understanding the witness's testimony or to
determining a fact in issue; and
(c) not based on scientific, technical, or other specialized
knowledge within the scope of Rule 702.
Pa.R.E. 701 (emphasis added). Our cases further hold that lay witnesses
may testify to someone's readily observable physical condition or
appearance that does not require medical training. Commonwealth v.
Counterman, 719 A.2d 284 (Pa. 1998). Cf. Commonwealth v. Jones,
121 A.3d 524 (Pa. Super. 2015) (police officer's smelling burnt marijuana
emanating from defendant's vehicle during traffic stop provided reasonable
grounds to request chemical testing).
In Commonwealth v. Griffith, 32 A.3d 1231 (Pa. 2011), the
Pennsylvania Supreme Court declined "to read into subsection 3802(d)(2) a
mandatory requirement for expert testimony to establish that the
defendant's inability to drive safely was caused by ingestion of a drug, even
if it is a prescription drug, or drug combination." Id. at 1238. In Griffith,
the criminal complaint was based on an eyewitness's account Griffith driving
in a reckless and dangerous manner, a police officer's observations of
Griffith, including her failure to pass three field sobriety tests, and blood
tests indicating the presence of Diazepam (valium) and nordiazepam. Id. at
1233. Additionally, Griffith acknowledged that she had taken a different
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prescription medication, specifically, Soma 350, on the morning of the
incident, and police found prescription pill bottles for Soma in the open
center console of Griffith's vehicle. Id.
The Griffith Court stated: "Depending on the specific facts and
circumstances, expert testimony may be helpful, or perhaps even necessary,
to prove causation under subsection 3802(d)(2)[.]" Id. (emphasis added).
Accordingly, the question of whether expert testimony is necessary in such
cases "must be evaluated on a case -by -case basis, taking into account not
just the specific drug at issue . . . but also the nature and overall strength of
the Commonwealth's evidence[. ]" Id. at 1239. In essence, the Court
determined that expert testimony is not necessary to establish impairment
under subsection 3802(d)(2) where there exists other independent evidence
of impairment. In our opinion, the facts and circumstances of the case
before us clearly fall within the "expert testimony necessary" classification.
Notably, the Commonwealth provided no evidence that Gause had
recently ingested marijuana. On the contrary, Officer Eiker testified that
Gause had stopped at a lighted intersection, with his headlights and turn
signal properly activated, and that she stopped him after he had turned and
she saw that his taillights were not illuminated. N.T. Jury Trial, 10/9/14, at
84-85.7 Officer Eiker testified that when she activated her lights, Gause
We have viewed Officer Eicker's dashboard camera video, which confirms
these observations.
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properly signaled and pulled over immediately to the curb. Gause provided
his license, registration and proof of insurance without fumbling. Id. at 85-
87. There was no evidence that an odor of marijuana emanated from his
person or from his vehicle at the time he was stopped. Id. at 88. There
was no testimony that Gause's eyes were bloodshot. Nor did Officer Eiker
testify that she discovered any physical evidence of recent marijuana usage.
Further, there was no admission from Gause that he had recently smoked
marijuana, nor was there eyewitness testimony to establish recent ingestion
of marijuana.
Rather, to support its case, the Commonwealth presented Officer
Eiker's testimony that Gause exhibited "eye tremors," in particular when his
eyes were closed during the Romberg balance test. Although Officer Eiker
could testify as to her observations of an apparent physical condition, a
qualified expert is required to provide the connection between the symptoms
observed and the drug allegedly influencing the defendant's driving. See
DiPanfilo, supra; see also Commonwealth v. Allison, 703 A.2d 16 (Pa.
1997) (lay witness could not testify regarding "split and opened" condition of
complainant's hymen in absence of qualified expert testimony to explain
significance of these personal observations); Commonwealth v. Yanoff,
690 A.2d 260 (Pa. Super. 1997) (murder defendant attempted to elicit
objectionable opinion by asking police officer whether victim had appeared
to be under influence of drugs; officer had not been qualified to render such
opinion); Commonwealth v. Yedinak, 676 A2d 1217, 1222 (Pa. Super.
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1996) (Beck, J., dissenting) ("[A]fter a proper foundation has been laid, a
lay witness may testify as to his or her observations. However, a qualified
expert is required to provide the connection between the symptoms
observed and the drug allegedly influencing the defendant's driving.").
It is clear to this Court that Officer Eiker's observation of "eyelid
tremors" is not the typical and obvious indicia of marijuana use, such as the
distinct odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the person or the vehicle.
Further, it is eminently clear that attributing body or eyelid tremors to
marijuana use requires specialized knowledge within the scope of Pa.R.E.
702. Unlike staggering, stumbling, glassy or bloodshot eyes, and slurred
speech, the "ordinary signs of intoxication discernable by a layperson," eye
tremors are not an ordinary sign of ingestion of a controlled substance, in
particular, marijuana. As the trial court acknowledged, Officer Eiker's
testimony as to her observations did not obviate the necessity of an
expert to explain whether "eye tremors," or "body tremors," would indicate
that someone was under the influence of marijuana and that this impaired
his ability to safely drive, in violation of section 3802(d)(2).8 See Di
8 Officer Eiker acknowledged on cross-examination that there are other
causes of eye tremors. N.T. Trial, supra at 105. According to the Mayo
Clinic, eye tremors, or eye twitches, are also an indication of stress, bright
light, caffeine excess, fatigue, irritation of the eye surface or inner eyelids,
physical exertion, smoking, wind and alcohol use. Additionally, eye tremors
can also be caused by various medical conditions, including dry eyes,
glaucoma, blepharitis, corneal abrasion, and Tourette's syndrome. See
(Footnote Continued Next Page)
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Panfilo, supra; cf. Commonwealth v. Jones, 121 A.3d 524 (Pa. Super.
2015) (as matter of first impression, police officer's smelling strong, distinct
odor of burnt marijuana emanating from vehicle during traffic stop provided
reasonable grounds, by itself, to request chemical testing); Commonwealth
v. Etchison, 916 A.2d 1169 (Pa. Super. 2007). Because it required
specialized knowledge, Officer Eiker's testimony was inadmissible as "lay
opinion." See Pa.R.E. 701.9
The trial court, however, determined that this was harmless error.
The trial court stated that it did "not believe that defense counsel, in this
case, relied to his detriment on our pretrial ruling. Rather than a finding
that there was prejudice, at most, we believe there may have been harmless
error." Trial Court Opinion, 4/16/15, at 10-11. We disagree.
Officer Eiker's testimony regarding body and eye tremors was central
to the Commonwealth's case pertaining to marijuana impairment, as it was
the only factor she attributed to marijuana impairment. Without expert
testimony to explain a connection, if any, the jury was permitted to engage
in speculation that the observation of eye tremors indicates marijuana
(Footnote Continued)
http://www.rnayoclinic.org/synnptonns/eye-twitching/basics/causes/synn-
20050838 (last visited 3/20/2017).
9
We do not address the issue of whether Officer Eiker could have testified
as an expert in this case. Officer Eiker was not "qualified" as an expert
pursuant to the Pennsylvania Rules of Evidence, which is required prior to
admissibility. See Pa.R.E. 702. That issue, therefore, is not before us.
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impairment, or, at the least, ingestion. We cannot characterize this as
harmless. See Commonwealth v. Williams, 573 A.2d 536, 538-39 (Pa.
1990) ("Error is considered to be harmless where: (1) the error did not
prejudice the defendant or the prejudice was de minimis; or (2) the
erroneously admitted evidence was merely cumulative of other, untainted
evidence which was substantially similar to the erroneously admitted
evidence; or (3) the properly admitted and uncontradicted evidence of guilt
was so overwhelming and the prejudicial effect of the error was so
insignificant by comparison that the error could not have contributed to the
verdict."), citing Commonwealth v. Story, 383 A.2d 155, 162 (Pa. 1978).
See also Commonwealth v. Brennan, 696 A.2d 1201, 1203 (Pa. Super.
1997) ("Harmless error exists where the appellate court is convinced
beyond a reasonable doubt that the erroneously admitted evidence could not
have contributed to the verdict. If there is a reasonable probability that an
error may have contributed to the verdict, the error is not harmless.")
(internal citations omitted).
We conclude, therefore, that the trial court erred in admitting Officer
Eiker's lay opinion testimony and this error was not harmless. Without this
testimony, the evidence, even viewed in the light most favorable to the
Commonwealth as verdict winner, did not support a conviction of DUI -
controlled substance. In fact, there was a total lack of proof that Gause was
under the influence of a drug to a degree that his ability to safely drive was
impaired. Thus, the conviction under subsection 3802(d)(2) cannot stand.
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See Commonwealth v. LaBenne, 21 A.3d 1287, 1289 (Pa. Super. 2011)
(we view evidence admitted at trial in light most favorable to verdict winner
to determine whether fact -finder could find every element of crime beyond
reasonable doubt).
Additionally, we agree with Gause's argument that the evidence does
not support a conviction under subsection 3802(a)(1).
The standard we apply in reviewing the sufficiency of the
evidence is whether viewing all the evidence admitted at trial in
the light most favorable to the verdict winner, there is sufficient
evidence to enable the fact -finder to find every element of the
crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In applying the above test,
we may not weigh the evidence and substitute our judgment for
the fact -finder. In addition, we note that the facts and
circumstances established by the Commonwealth need not
preclude every possibility of innocence. Any doubts regarding a
defendant's guilt may be resolved by the fact -finder unless the
evidence is so weak and inconclusive that as a matter of law no
probability of fact may be drawn from the combined
circumstances. The Commonwealth may sustain its burden of
proving every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt
by means of wholly circumstantial evidence. Moreover, in
applying the above test, the entire record must be evaluated and
all evidence actually received must be considered. Finally, the
finder of fact while passing upon the credibility of witnesses and
the weight of the evidence produced, is free to believe all, part
or none of the evidence.
LeBenne, 21 A.3d at 1289.
Section 3802(a)(1) of the Vehicle Code provides:
An individual may not drive, operate or be in actual physical
control of the movement of a vehicle after imbibing a sufficient
amount of alcohol such that the individual is rendered incapable
of safely driving, operating or being in actual physical control of
the movement of the vehicle.
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75 Pa.C.S.A. § 3802(a)(1) (emphasis added). In order to prove a violation
of this section, the Commonwealth must show: (1) that the defendant was
the operator of a motor vehicle and (2) that while operating the vehicle, the
defendant was under the influence of alcohol to such a degree as to render
him incapable of safe driving. Commonwealth v. Palmer, 751 A.2d 223,
228 (Pa. Super. 2000). To establish the second element, the
Commonwealth must show that alcohol has
substantially impaired the normal mental and physical
faculties required to safely operate the vehicle.
Substantial impairment, in this context, means a
diminution or enfeeblement in the ability to exercise
judgment, to deliberate or to react prudently to changing
circumstances and conditions. Evidence that the driver
was not in control of himself, such as failing to pass a field
sobriety test, may establish that the driver was under the
influence of alcohol to a degree which rendered him
incapable of safe driving, notwithstanding the absence of
evidence of erratic or unsafe driving.
Id. (citations and footnote omitted).
As noted above, Officer Eiker stated that she did detect the odor of
alcohol when she questioned Gause, and that he readily acknowledged he
had consumed a 12 -ounce Coors Light beer about a half hour earlier. She
also acknowledged that Gause was cooperative and did not exhibit the
typical indicators of alcohol impairment; there was no evidence of erratic
driving, slurred speech, difficulty in handing over required documents, and
no inability to stand without support. Officer Eiker stated that Gause
answered her questions appropriately and correctly. Additionally, as far as
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the "vehicle in motion" and "personal contact" phases, two of the three
phases for determining general impairment, Officer Eiker testified that she
did not notice any signs of impairment. N.T. Trial, supra at 89-90. The
final phase, the field sobriety tests, yielded inconsistent results; however,
both Officer Eiker and Officer George recognized that the reliability of those
tests could be affected by leg injuries, such as Gause's.
Officer George testified that Gause was not "alcohol impaired," and he
acknowledged that he would not perform a drug evaluation if, in fact, a
subject is alcohol -impaired. Yet, Officer George testified that at the
conclusion of his evaluation, he believed Gause was "impaired by both a
drug and the alcohol that he had in his system." N.T. Jury Trial, 10/9/14, at
120 (emphasis added).
We have evaluated the entire record, and, viewing the evidence in the
light most favorable to the Commonwealth, we conclude the Commonwealth
did not meet its burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Gause
was under the influence of alcohol to such a degree as to render him
incapable of safe driving. Palmer, supra. The evidence pertaining to
marijuana should have been excluded, and after Office George stated that
Gause was not "alcohol impaired," his conclusion that Gause was impaired
by "both a drug and alcohol" is not supported by the record and must fail.
Therefore, the evidence was insufficient to support a finding of DUI -general
impairment under the statute. Cf. Commonwealth v. Segida, 985 A.2d at
880 (circumstantial evidence sufficient to establish guilt for DUI -general
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impairment where defendant admitted to police officer at scene of one -
vehicle accident that he had been drinking at local club and was driving
when he lost control of his vehicle, officer smelled strong odor of alcohol
coming from defendant's person and his breath, defendant performed very
badly on field sobriety tests, blood alcohol test at hospital revealed very high
blood alcohol content of 0.326 percent, and officer opined that "due to traffic
on the road" it was "doubtful" that accident had occurred two or three hours
or even ten minutes prior to his arrival on scene); Commonwealth v.
Teems, 74 A.3d 142, 146 (Pa. Super. 2013) (evidence of guilt sufficient
under section 3802(a)(1) where officer responding to call reporting disabled
vehicle observed defendant sitting in driver's seat of vehicle, in lane of
traffic, depressing brakes, car had lost its tires, defendant could not recall if
he struck anything or when or where accident might have occurred, officer
noticed strong odor of alcohol from defendant, defendant had red, glassy
eyes and slurred speech, defendant failed to blow properly into portable
alcohol breath test machine, and blood test at hospital revealed that he had
BAC of .143); Commonwealth Feathers, 660 A.2d 90 (Pa. Super. 1995)
(defendant's glassy eyes, slurred speech, odor of alcohol, inability to stand
without support and failure of field sobriety tests was sufficient to support
DUI conviction); Commonwealth v. Kowalek, 647 A.2d 948 (Pa. Super.
1994) (defendant's bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, strong odor of alcohol,
difficulty in producing driver's license and registration and failure of field
sobriety tests deemed sufficient to support DUI conviction). We conclude,
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therefore, that the evidence was also insufficient to convict Gause under
subsection (a)(1).
Based on our disposition of Gause's first five claims, we find it
unnecessary to address Gause's final two issues challenging the weight of
the evidence.
Judgment of sentence vacated. Appellant is discharged.
Judgment Entered.
J seph D. Seletyn, Es .
Prothonotary
Date: 5/24/2017
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