State v. Quaale

Fll E
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
STATE OF WASHINGTON, )
) No. 89666-6
Petitioner, )
)
v. ) EnBanc
)
RYAN RICHARD QUAALE, )
)
Respondent. ) Filed DEC 18 2014
MADSEN, C.J.-The arresting trooper in this DUI (driving under the influence)
trial testified that he had "no doubt" that the defendant was impaired based solely on a
horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test. We hold that the testimony was an improper
opinion on guilt and affirm the Court of Appeals.
FACTS
Washington State Patrol Trooper Chris Stone saw a truck, driven by Ryan Quaale,
speed by in a 25-mile per hour zone on a residential street. Trooper Stone's radar
captured Quaale's speed at 56 miles per hour. Trooper Stone activated the lights on his
patrol car and attempted to pull the truck over. In response, Quaale turned off his truck's
headlights and accelerated.
No. 89666-6
Trooper Stone pursued. Quaale lost control and overshot a corner, skidding into a
homeowner's yard before he regained control and sped away for several more blocks.
After Trooper Stone activated his siren, Quaale pulled the truck over and stopped.
Quaale exited his truck but did not attempt to flee on foot. As a part of standard pursuit
protocol, Trooper Stone ordered Quaale to the ground and handcuffed him. As he
approached Quaale, Trooper Stone smelled a strong odor of"intoxicants" on Quaale's
breath. Partial Verbatim Report of Proceedings (RP) at 12.
Trooper Stone then performed the HGN test on Quaale. The HGN test is a
routinely used field sobriety test in which the administrator tells the subject to follow a
pen or fingertip with his or her eyes as the administrator moves the stimulus from side to
side. After consuming alcohol, a person will have difficulty smoothly following the
stimulus; the person's eyes will jerk or bounce as they move from side to side.· Trooper
Stone testified that in his opinion, the HGN test is very important to determining
impairment because, unlike the walk the line test, which a person can practice, the HGN
test measures an involuntary reflex. Id. at 27. Trooper Stone did not perform any other
sobriety tests on Quaale in the field.
During the HGN test, Trooper Stone observed Quaale's eyes bounce and have
difficulty tracking the stimulus. Trooper Stone placed Quaale under arrest for DUI,
reckless driving, and attempting to elude. At the station, Trooper Stone informed Quaale
of the implied consent warnings for a breath test. Quaale refused to take the test.
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No. 89666-6
Quaale was charged with attempting to elude a police vehicle and with felony
DUI. The DUI was charged as a felony because Quaale had been previously convicted of
vehicular homicide while under the influence. RCW 46.61.502(6)(b)(i).
Quaale was tried twice. At the first trial, the jury convicted him of attempting to
elude but could not agree on a verdict for the DUI charge. During a second trial on the
DUI charge, the State concluded its direct examination of Trooper Stone with the
following questions:
Q. In this case, based on the HGN test alone, did you form an opinion
based on your training and experience as to whether or not Mr. Quaale's
ability to operate a motor vehicle was impaired?
[Defendant's objection that the question goes to the ultimate
issue is overruled]
Q .... Did you form an opinion?
A. Absolutely. There was no doubt he was impaired.
RP at 33.
In closing, the State argued that the odor of intoxicants and Quaale's erratic
driving supported its theory of driving while impaired by alcohol, but the State
primarily relied on the HGN test. Indeed, during its rebuttal, in response to the
defense explanation for the odor of intoxicants, the State said, "The horizontal
gaze nystagmus is not caused by alcohol that he may have spilled on his clothes; it
is what is inside your body. The eyes in this case are more than the window to the
soul; they are the window to his intoxication level." Clerk's Papers (CP) at 153-
54.
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The State also remarked on Quaale's revoked license during closing in
violation of the court's ruling. The jury found Quaale guilty ofDUI.
On appeal, Quaale argued that the trooper's testimony amounted to an improper
opinion on guilt. He also argued that the prosecutor committed misconduct when she
commented on his revoked license and that the trial court improperly denied a motion to
dismiss under CrR 8.3(b) alleging "governmental misconduct whe[re] there has been
prejudice to the rights of the accused which materially affect the accused's right to a fair
trial." The Court of Appeals reversed Quaale's DUI conviction, holding that the
trooper's opinion testimony violated Quaale's "constitutional right to have a fact critical
to his guilt determined by the jury." State v. Quaale, 177 Wash. App. 603, 617-18, 312
P.3d 726 (2013). The Court of Appeals ordered a new trial and did not reach the other
issues that Quaale raised, including the prosecutor's misconduct. !d. at 619. The State
filed a petition for review regarding the opinion testimony issue, which we granted. 1
State v. Quaale, 179 Wn.2d 1022,320 P.3d 719 (2014).
DISCUSSION
We review decisions to admit evidence using an abuse of discretion standard.
State v. Demery, 144 Wash. 2d 753, 758, 30 P.3d 1278 (2001). The trial court is given
considerable discretion to determine if evidence is admissible. !d. "Where reasonable
persons could take differing views regarding the propriety of the trial court's actions, the
1
The State's petition for review also raised the argument that the defendant did not properly
preserve the right to appeal the admission of the opinion testimony because he failed to object to
the testimony of the witness at the time of trial. This argument was not raised in the Court of
Appeals. We decline to review this argument pursuant to RAP 13.7(b), which grants the court
discretionary scope of review.
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trial court has not abused its discretion." !d. However, the trial court has abused its
discretion on an evidentiary ruling if it is contrary to law. State v. Neal, 144 Wash. 2d 600,
609, 30 P.2d 495 (1996). "An abuse of discretion exists '[w]hen a trial court's exercise
of its discretion is manifestly unreasonable or based on untenable grounds or reasons."'
ld. (alteration in original) (quoting State v. Stenson, 132 Wash. 2d 668, 701, 940 P.2d 1239
(1997)).
At trial, defense counsel objected to a question posed by the prosecutor-whether
the testifying trooper formed an opinion about Mr. Quaale's impairment based on the
HGN test alone-because the question went to the ultimate issue. The state correctly
points out that, under Washington's rules of evidence, opinion testimony is not
objectionable merely because it embraces an ultimate issue that the jury must decide. ER
704 states, "'festimony in the form of an opinion or inferences otherwise admissible is
not objectionable because it embraces an ultimate issue to be decided by the trier of fact.''
An opinion that embraces an ultimate issue, however, must be "otherwise
admissible." !d. When opinion testimony that embraces an ultimate issue is inadmissible
in a criminal trial, the testimony may constitute an impermissible opinion on guilt. City
of Seattle v. Heatley, 70 Wash. App. 573, 579, 854 P.2d 658 (1993). Here, the trooper's
opinion based solely on the HGN test was inadmissible under our decision in State v.
Baity, 140 Wash. 2d 1, 991 P.2d 1151 (2000).
In Baity, we considered whether a drug recognition protocol employed by police
officers to detect behavior associated with certain drugs constituted novel scientific
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No. 89666-6
evidence generally accepted in the scientific community, satisfying the Frye test for
admissibility of expert testimony. Id. at 3; Frye v. United States, 54 App. D.C. 46, 293 F.
1013 (1923). Police officers trained to use this protocol are often referred to as drug
recognition experts (DREs). DREs use a 12-step procedure to classify behavioral
patterns associated with seven categories of drugs. 140 Wash. 2d at 6. Officers employ the
HGN test as one ofthe 12 steps. Id. at 6-7.
We analyzed whether the HGN test satisfied Frye when used for drug detection
and we held that it did. We agreed that the underlying scientific basis of the test-an
2
intoxicated person will exhibit nystagmus -was undisputed. !d. at 12. We also noted
that officers perform the test in the same way whether the officer tests for alcohol or drug
impairment and that the officer also looks for the same result: involuntary jerking in the
driver's eyes. Id. at 13. Thus, our analysis of the HGN test in the DUI drug detection
context, as discussed in Baity, applies equally to the DUI alcohol detection context in this
case.
Although we held testimony on the HGN test admissible as evidence that a person
was intoxicated on drugs, we placed limits on that testimony because the HGN test
merely shows physical signs consistent with ingestion of intoxicants. !d. at 13-14, 17-18.
We said that an officer may not testify in a manner that casts an "aura of scientific
certainty to the testimony." !d. at 17. The officer also cannot predict the specific level of
2
"Nystagmus is the involuntary oscillation of the eyeballs, which results from the body's attempt
to maintain orientation and balance. HGN is the inability of the eyes to maintain visual fixation
as they turn from side to side or move from center focus to the point of maximum deviation at
the side." Baity, 140 Wash. 2d at 7 n.3.
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No. 89666-6
drugs present in a suspect. ld. We further instructed that a DRE officer, properly
qualified, could express an opinion that a suspect's behavior and physical attributes are
consistent or inconsistent with those behaviors and physical signs associated with certain
categories of drugs. I d.
Here, the trooper's testimony violated the limitations set out in Baity. The trooper
testified that he had "no doubt" the defendant was impaired based on the HGN test alone.
This testimony was improper for two reasons. First, the trooper cast his testimony in a
way that gave it an aura of scientific certainty. By testifying that he had "no doubt," the
trooper implied that the HGN test may reveal that someone is intoxicated and "impaired"
on alcohol when the test simply shows physical signs consistent with alcohol
consumption. Although an officer may testify that the test revealed signs consistent with
alcohol consumption, the officer here cast his conclusion in absolute terms and
improperly gave the appearance that the HGN test may produce scientifically certain
results.
Second, the trooper testified to a specific level of intoxication when he testified
that the defendant was "impaired." The State argues that the trooper's testimony falls
within our holding in Baity because the trooper did not testify to a specific blood alcohol
level; he simply said the defendant was "impaired." But the conclusion that the
defendant was impaired rests on the premise that the defendant consumed a sufficient
level of intoxicants to be impaired. Even though the testimony did not include a
numerical blood alcohol level, the testimony implicitly includes a specific level of
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No. 89666-6
intoxication; that the alcohol consumed impaired the defendant, which is the legal
standard for guilt. The HGN test alone cannot reveal specific levels of intoxication, and
consequently, the trooper's testimony violated Baity.
Under Baity, the trooper's opinion was inadmissible, and the trial court should
have excluded the testimony. We must now determine if the inadmissible testimony on
the ultimate issue of Quaale's impairment while driving amounted to an improper opinion
on guilt.
Opinions on guilt are improper whether made directly or by inference. State v.
Montgomery, 163 Wash. 2d 577, 594, 183 P.3d 267 (2008). Impermissible opinion
testimony regarding the defendant's guilt may be reversible error because such evidence
violates the defendant's constitutional right to a jury trial, which includes the independent
determination ofthe facts by the jury. State v. Kirkman, 159 Wn.2d 918,927, 155 P.3d
125 (2007). Before opinion testimony is offered, the trial court must determine
admissibility of the testimony. Montgomery, 163 Wash. 2d at 591. In making this
determination the court will consider the circumstances of the case, including the
following factors: (1) the type ofwitness involved, (2) the specific nature ofthe
testimony, (3) the nature of the charges, (4) the type of defense, and (5) the other
evidence before the trier of fact. !d. Some areas, however, are clearly inappropriate for
opinion testimony in criminal trials, including personal opinions, particularly expressions
of personal belief, as to the defendant's guilt, the intent of the accused, or the veracity of
witnesses. Id.
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No. 89666-6
The case before us presents an improper opinion on guilt by inference because the
trooper's opinion went to the core issue and the only disputed element: whether Quaale
drove while under the influence of alcohol. See id. at 594. Quaale was charged with
felony DUI under RCW 46.61.502. The statute indicates, in relevant part, that "[a]
person is guilty of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor ... if the
person drives a vehicle within this state ... [w]hile the person is under the influence of or
affected by intoxicating liquor." RCW 46.61.502(1)(c). Whether Quaale was affected by
intoxicating liquor was the only issue in dispute. The jury was instructed as follows: "A
person is under the influence of or affected by the use of intoxicating liquor if the
person's ability to drive a motor vehicle is lessened in any appreciable degree." CP at 92
(Instruction 5).
The trooper's testimony that Quaale was "impaired" parroted the legal standard
contained in the jury instruction definition for "under the influence." The word "impair"
means to "diminish in quantity, value, excellence, or strength." WEBSTER'S THIRD NEW
INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY 1131 (2002). Thus, the trooper concluded that alcohol
diminished Quaale in such an appreciable degree that the HGN test could detect Quaale's
impairment. Because the trooper's inadmissible testimony went to the ultimate factual
issue-the core issue ofQuaale's impairment to drive-the testimony amounted to an
improper opinion on guilt.
The State argues that this case is analogous to Heatley. In Heatley, Division One
of the Court of Appeals held that an officer's testimony constituted a permissible opinion
that embraced an ultimate issue. 70 Wash. App. at 579-80. The officer testified that the
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No. 89666-6
defendant was '"obviously intoxicated and affected by the alcoholic drink that ... he
could not drive a motor vehicle in a safe manner."' !d. at 576. We find Heatley
distinguishable.
The court noted in Heatley that "Evenson's opinion was based solely on his
experience and his observation of Heatley's physical appearance and performance on the
field sobriety tests." !d. at 579-80. The officer observed that Heatley's eyes were
bloodshot and watery, his face was flushed, his balance was unsteady, and he had a
"'strong odor'" of alcohol on his breath. !d. at 576. The officer performed a series of
field sobriety tests, including asking Heatley to recite the alphabet, count backwards,
walk heel to toe, and touch his nose. !d. The officer testified that he arrived at his
conclusion "'[b]ased on [Heatley's] physical appearance and my observations of that and
based on all the tests I gave him as a whole.'" !d.
Here, the testimony in question is distinguishable from that in Heatley because
Trooper Stone's opinion was based solely on the HGN test, which is expert testimony
subject to our decision in Baity. As has been explained, the HGN test can indicate the
presence of alcohol in a suspect but it cannot establish impairment. In contrast, the
officer in Heatley based his testimony on observations of the defendant, such as the
defendant's unsteady balance, the defendant's bloodshot eyes, and the odor of alcohol on
the defendant's breath. A lay witness may express an opinion on another person's
intoxication when the witness had the opportunity to observe the affected person. !d. at
580. Unlike the officer in Heatley, Trooper Stone based his opinion on expert and not lay
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No. 89666-6
testimony, and in doing so, he gave impermissible opinion testimony that constituted an
improper opinion on guilt.
This improper opinion on guilt violated Mr. Quaale's constitutional right to have a
fact critical to his guilt determined by the jury. Constitutional error is harmless only if
the State establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that any reasonable jury would have
reached the same result absent the error. State v. Brown, 147 Wash. 2d 330, 341, 58 P.3d
889 (2002). As the Court of Appeals noted, the officer testified and the State argued that
the HGN test alone established that Quaale's ability to drive a motor vehicle was
impaired. Quaale, 177 Wash. App. at 618. That assertion, improperly admitted, was
offered by an officer in a manner that "cast an aura of scientific certainty," significantly
increasing the weight the jury likely attached to it. In light of the fact that there were no
other tests administered, such as field sobriety tests or a breath test, this improper
evidence renders the officer's "absolute certainty" more significant. As the Court of
Appeals noted, the jury in the first trial convicted Quaale on the eluding charge but
deadlocked on the DUI count, suggesting that the only other evidence, poor driving, was
attributed to the fact that Quaale was trying to elude the officer. !d. Under these
circumstances, the error in admitting the testimony was not harmless beyond a reasonable
doubt. We therefore reverse the judgment and sentence and remand the case for a new
trial.
CONCLUSION
We hold that Trooper Stone's testimony that he had "no doubt" the defendant was
impaired was an improper opinion on the defendant's guilt and therefore inadmissible.
Trooper Stone based his opinion solely on a HGN test, which can indicate physical signs
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No. 89666-6
consistent with alcohol consumption. The test, however, cannot establish impairment by
itself, and testimony to the contrary violates the limitations imposed by our decision in
Baity. We therefore affirm the Court of Appeals, reverse the judgment and sentence, and
remand the case for a new trial.
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No. 89666-6
WE CONCUR:
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State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
OWENS, J. (dissenting) - Without a basis in case law or any evidence in the
record, the majority improperly creates a new bright-line rule regarding the limits of a
particular test that police officers routinely use to determine alcohol impairment, the
horizontal gaze nystagmus (HGN) test. The parties did not raise the issue of the HGN
test's scientific merits at trial, and there is no evidence in the record regarding any
scientific studies on the test, its accuracy, or its limits. We are not optometrists or
drug recognition experts, and we should not make such conclusive scientific
determinations in the absence of evidence and testimony from experts in the field.
This is particularly problematic because limiting the conclusions that can be drawn
from the HGN test creates a way for drunk drivers to evade prosecution by refusing
the breath test and being so uncooperative with police officers that conducting other
sobriety tests is not feasible.
The actual issue in front of the trial court was whether Trooper Chris Stone's
statement that he had "no doubt" Ryan Quaale was impaired, Partial Verbatim Report
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
ofProceedings (PVRP) at 33, was an opinion on an issue of fact (and thus
permissible) or an opinion on his guilt (and thus impermissible). Under our long-
standing precedent on opinion testimony, Trooper Stone's testimony did not constitute
an impermissible opinion on Quaale' s guilt. I respectfully dissent.
FACTS
In addition to the majority's listed facts, I would note that Trooper Stone gave
extensive foundation testimony about the HGN test. Officers administer the HGN test
to persons suspected of driving under the influence (DUI). Generally, officers take a
pen or other stimulus, hold it 12 to 15 inches away from a suspect's face, and move
the pen from side to side to check for eye nystagmus. Put simply, eye nystagmus is
the involuntary jerking of the eye, and persons who are intoxicated from alcohol
exhibit nystagmus. The crucial foundation testimony Trooper Stone gave about the
HGN test was that if the nystagmus of the eye starts earlier in the test, it means the
test subject is more impaired. Specifically, when the prosecutor asked Trooper Stone
when the eye nystagmus started in this case, Trooper Stone responded:
The bouncing in this case began immediately. As soon as I started to
move the pen, it began immediately. The higher the impairment, the
sooner it begins to bounce. So if you don't see it until forty-five, ...
then they are ... most likely they are not going to be impaired.
Anything before that is going to be more impaired and after that is going
to be less impaired.
PVRP at 25. Quaale did not object to that testimony.
2
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
ANALYSIS
As explained below, the majority's rigid holding regarding the limits of the
HGN test is not supported by case law or the evidence in the record. The key case the
majority relies on-State v. Baity, 140 Wash. 2d 1, 991 P.2d 1151 (2000)-did not
address HGN tests in the DUI alcohol detection context, and it did not contemplate
the limits of the HGN test with regard to alcohol impairment. Further, there is no
record in this case regarding the scientific merits of the HGN test because Quaale did
not object at trial and did not submit any evidence regarding the limitations of the
HGN test. This newly created strict limit on the HGN test is particularly concerning
because it will incentivize drunk drivers to evade other standard field sobriety tests,
putting law enforcement officials in an untenable situation.
1. The Majority's Reliance on Baity Is Misplaced
The majority errs by relying on Baity to limit testimony regarding the HGN test
in the DUI alcohol detection context because Baity did not address that issue. Baity
did not address whether the HGN test alone can identify someone who is impaired as
opposed to someone who has merely consumed alcohol. The primary issue in Baity
was whether "a drug recognition protocol, used by trained drug recognition officers to
determine if a suspect's driving is impaired by a drug other than alcohol, meets the
requirements of Frye v. United States, [54 App. D.C., 293 F. 1013] (1923), for novel
scientific evidence." !d. at 3 (emphasis added). The drug recognition protocol
3
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
involved the HGN test, and we held that HGN testing "is generally accepted in the
relevant scientific communities" and thus that "the forensic application of HGN to
drug intoxication in the DRE [(drug recognition expert)] context satisfies Frye." !d. at
14. We noted that
an officer may not testify in a fashion that casts an aura of scientific
certainty to the testimony. The officer also may not predict the specific
level of drugs present in a suspect. The DRE officer, properly qualified,
may express an opinion that a suspect's behavior and physical attributes
are or are not consistent with the behavioral and physical signs
associated with certain categories of drugs.
!d. at 17-18. That language from Baity does not say that the HGN test alone cannot
show impairment from alcohol-it did not even contemplate what exactly HGN can
show in the alcohol detection context. Baity simply prohibits DRE officers from
testifying in a manner that implies a suspect's "drug intoxication" is a scientific fact
and from placing specific numbers on a suspect's intoxication level. See id.
Here, Trooper Stone's testimony did not violate the actual limits imposed by
Baity because (1) this is an alcohol impairment case and (2) he did not imply Quaale's
impairment was a scientific fact and did not put a specific level on Quaale' s
impairment. Trooper Stone merely stated that he had "no doubt" that Quaale was
impaired from alcohol based on the HGN test. That testimony is very similar to a
case in which our Court of Appeals properly held that an officer's testimony
constituted a permissible opinion on the ultimate issue of fact. See City ofSeattle v.
4
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
Heatley, 70 Wash. App. 573, 576-77, 579-80, 854 P.2d 658 (1993) (holding that the
officer's testimony that the defendant was "'obviously intoxicated and affected by the
alcoholic drink that ... he could not drive a motor vehicle in a safe manner"' was not
an impermissible opinion on guilt).
The majority intensely focuses on the prosecutor's question as to whether
"based on the HGN test alone" Trooper Stone could determine whether Quaale was
impaired. PVRP at 33. The majority combines that question and Trooper Stone's
response with its own scientific determination that the HGN test alone cannot show
impairment in order to reverse. However, the majority's intense focus on the
prosecutor's question and Trooper Stone's response ignores the fact that the jury
heard extensive foundation testimony about the HGN test and assumes that the jury
heard Trooper Stone's "no doubt" testimony in a vacuum. Quaale did not object
during the crucial foundation testimony for what the HGN test can show regarding
impairment. The jury properly heard and considered Trooper Stone's testimony that
the sooner nystagmus starts during the HGN test, the more impaired the suspect is-
and that Quaale's nystagmus started immediately. Additionally, the jury heard
testimony that (1) Quaale was driving 56 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour
residential zone; (2) Quaale overshot a corner and skidded into a homeowner's yard,
leaving 98 feet of skid marks; (3) Trooper Stone immediately smelled a strong odor of
intoxicants on Quaale's breath when he approached Quaale; and (4) when Trooper
5
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
Stone drove Quaale to the station, he had to roll the windows down because the
alcohol smell was so strong.
2. The HGN Test Issue Was Not Presented to the Trial Court and There Is No
Evidence in the Record about Its Merits
Not only is the issue of whether the HGN test alone can show impairment not
discussed in Baity, but the parties here did not present that issue to the trial court. The
amicus group Washington Foundation for Criminal Justice cited cases from foreign
jurisdictions detailing extensive trial court records including studies and criticisms of
HGN testing, but even they admit that "[t]he parties did not present such a record to
the trial court in Quaale." Br. of Amicus Curiae Wash. Found. for Criminal Justice at
13. There is nothing in the record contradicting the scientific accuracy of Trooper
Stone's foundation testimony about what the HGN test shows. I am unwilling to take
the majority's leap and make my own scientific determination when the issue was not
presented to the trial court. Instead, we should adhere to our precedent and apply the
factors we have traditionally used to determine whether testimony is an impermissible
opinion on guilt. State v. Demery, 144 Wash. 2d 753, 759, 30 P.3d 1278 (2001).
3. Under the Demery Factor Analysis, the Testimony in This Case Was
Permissible
We consider the unique circumstances of each case to determine whether
testimony constitutes an improper opinion on guilt, guided by the following factors:
"(1) 'the type of witness involved,' (2) 'the specific nature of the testimony,' (3) 'the
6
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
nature of the charges,' (4) 'the type of defense, and' (5) 'the other evidence before the
trier of fact."' !d. (quoting Heatley, 70 Wash. App. at 579). Applying those factors,
Trooper Stone's testimony was not an impermissible opinion on guilt. I will discuss
each factor in turn.
A. The Type of Witness Involved
The witness who offered the challenged testimony was a state trooper. Opinion
testimony from police officers carries an "'aura of reliability"' that could unduly
influence a jury. State v. Montgomery, 163 Wash. 2d 577, 595, 183 P.3d 267 (2008)
(quoting Demery, 144 Wash. 2d at 765). This factor weighs against admissibility.
B. Nature of the Charges and the Specific Nature of the Testimony
The charge at issue was DUI, and the testimony was that Trooper Stone had
"no doubt" Quaale was impaired. PVRP at 33. Generally, that type of testimony is
admissible, as officers as well as laypersons may offer an opinion that a defendant
was intoxicated. State v. Easter, 130 Wash. 2d 228, 235, 922 P.2d 1285 (1996) (citing
State v. Forsyth, 131 Wash. 611,230 P. 821 (1924)). However, "opinion testimony
should be avoided if the information can be presented in such a way that the jury can
draw its own conclusions." Montgomery, 163 Wash. 2d at 591. Also, opinions on
ultimate issues are more problematic when the opinions parrot the legal standard. !d.
at 594.
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State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
Trooper Stone's testimony did not parrot the legal standard, and it is
substantially similar to testimony our courts have found not to be improper opinions
on guilt. First, Trooper Stone's opinion did not parrot the legal standard, as the word
"impaired" does not appear in the DUI statute. See RCW 46.61.502. Rather, a person
is guilty of a DUI for driving "[ w ]hile the person is under the influence of or affected
by intoxicating liquor." RCW 46.61.502(1 )(c). Trooper Stone did not testify that he
believed Quaale was "under the influence" or "affected by intoxicating liquor."
Rather, he testified that he believed Quaale was "impaired." PVRP at 33.
Second, Trooper Stone's "no doubt" testimony is permissible conclusory
language in a DUI trial not premised on the breath test. As discussed above, I find
Heatley persuasive and analogous to this case, and we have cited favorably to it on
several occasions. In Heatley, the prosecutor asked the arresting officer to give his
opinion regarding the "'defendant's impairment due to his use of alcohol."' 70 Wn.
App. at 576. The officer responded:
Based on my, his physical appearance and my observations of that
and based on all the tests I gave him as a whole, I determined that Mr.
Heatley was obviously intoxicated and affected by the alcoholic drink
that he'd been, he could not drive a motor vehicle in a safe manner. At
that time, I did place Mr. Heatley under arrest for DWI.
Id. Our Court of Appeals held that testimony did not amount to an impermissible
opinion on guilt. I d. at 580. It reasoned that the officer did not directly testify that he
felt the defendant was guilty. ld. at 579. The fact that the opinion directly supported
8
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
a finding of guilt did not disqualify it; instead, the court noted that "'[i]t is the very
fact that such opinions imply that the defendant is guilty which makes the evidence
relevant and material."' Id. (quoting State v. Wilber, 55 Wash. App. 294, 298 n.l, 777
P.2d 36 (1989)). Moreover, the court reasoned that the officer based his opinion on
his experience and his personal observations of the defendant's appearance and
performance of field sobriety tests. !d. Thus, the opinion had a foundation that
"'directly and logically' supported the officer's conclusion." Id. (quoting State v.
Allen, 50 Wn. App. 412,418,749 P.2d 702 (1988)).
I find few differences here. Trooper Stone never testified that he thought
Quaale was guilty ofDUI. Instead, he testified about the HGN test, Quaale's
dangerous and poor driving, and the strong odor of intoxicants on Quaale's breath-
all of which directly and logically support Trooper Stone's conclusion that he had "no
doubt" Quaale was impaired. Although the prosecutor unartfully asked whether
Trooper Stone formed an opinion based on the HGN test alone, any rational juror
would have clearly processed Trooper Stone's opinion in conjunction with his
personal observations ofQuaale's dangerous driving and breath. The fact that
Trooper Stone's testimony directly supports a finding of guilt is not fatal-that is
precisely what makes it relevant. And Trooper Stone's "no doubt" language mirrors
the permissible conclusory term that the defendant was "'obviously intoxicated'" in
Heatley. Id. at 576.
9
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
Because Trooper Stone's testimony did not parrot the legal standard and is
permissible conclusory language, these factors weigh in favor of admissibility.
C. The Type of Defense
Quaale' s primary defense was that Trooper Stone failed to conduct a thorough
investigation. Trooper Stone's "no doubt" testimony did nothing to hinder Quaale's
defense; arguably, it strengthened it. Read in isolation, Trooper Stone testified that
based on the HGN test alone he concluded Quaale was impaired. On cross-
examination, the officer acknowledged that there are other standard field sobriety tests
that he did not perform, including the "walk and turn" and the "one leg stand,"
because he did not want to risk Quaale running off again. PVRP at 34-3 5. He also
acknowledged that his police report failed to include anything about Quaale's
coordination, attitude, or clothes, or whether he had watery or bloodshot eyes, a
flushed face, or slurred speech. Quaale was able to develop his defense attacking the
investigation and Trooper Stone's credibility for basing his conclusion solely on the
HGN test. Additionally, the defense differentiated between the level of certainty
needed to make an arrest and the level needed to convict. Trooper Stone readily
acknowledged that his investigation is intended to develop probable cause and that
probable cause is not the same as beyond a reasonable doubt.
Thus, Trooper Stone's testimony arguably strengthened Quaale's defense. This
factor weighs in favor of admissibility.
10
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
D. The Other Evidence
The evidence presented to the jury other than the HGN test was the strong
intoxicant odor ofQuaale's breath and his dangerous driving. As mentioned above,
this court has cautioned that "opinion testimony should be avoided if the information
can be presented in such a way that the jury can draw its own conclusions."
Montgomery, 163 Wash. 2d at 591. But here, the State could not present additional
evidence in a way that would have better allowed the jury to draw its own conclusions
about Quaale's impairment because ofQuaale's bad conduct. Trooper Stone did not
· conduct other field sobriety tests because Quaale had just led him on a chase down a
residential road at night, and far from backup in a remote area, Trooper Stone feared
that Quaale would attempt to flee again if he released him to perform the other tests.
The State could not submit evidence from a breath test because Quaale refused to take
it. The State has a legitimate concern when it asks, "How would DUI prosecutions
based on a refusal to take the breath test be prosecuted if the police officer cannot
express an opinion regarding the defendant's impairment?" Suppl. Br. ofPet'r at 8.
The majority's decision will seriously hinder DUI prosecutions in which defendants
refuse the breath test and are so uncooperative that field sobriety tests other than the
HGN test are not feasible.
In DUI prosecutions not involving the breath test, the State often has to prove
that the suspect was affected by alcohol using officer testimony alone. The evidence
11
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
rules allow that testimony to go to the ultimate factual issue before the jury. ER 704.
And, as in this case, that testimony is permissible as long as an officer refrains from
testifying that he or she believes that the defendant is guilty. This factor does not
weigh against admissibility because the State did not rely solely on the HGN test to
prove guilt and Quaale's bad conduct hindered Trooper Stone's ability to administer
the other field sobriety tests.
Thus, after analyzing the factors, I would find Trooper Stone's testimony
permissible. While one factor-the fact that the testimony came from a state
trooper-weighs against admissibility, the other factors either weigh in favor of
admissibility or are neutral at best.
CONCLUSION
I would reverse the Court of Appeals and hold that Trooper Stone's testimony
that he had "no doubt" Quaale was impaired did not amount to an impermissible
opinion on guilt. The majority improperly uses Baity to make its own scientific
determination about HGN tests without any basis in the record, and it incentivizes
drunk drivers to be uncooperative with officers in order to limit the amount of
evidence the State can use at trial. I would not come to such rigid conclusions about
what the HGN test can tell us regarding alcohol impairment without a full record
developed at the trial level. After analyzing Trooper Stone's "no doubt" testimony
12
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
under the Demery factors, I conclude that Quaale's right to have facts adjudicated by a
jury was not violated. I respectfully dissent.
13
State v. Quaale
No. 89666-6
Owens, J., Dissenting
14