FOR PUBLICATION
ATTORNEY FOR APPELLANT:
JOHN D. FIEREK
Voyles, Zahn, Paul, Hogan & Merriman
Indianapolis, Indiana
IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA
STEVEN A. FIELDS, )
)
Appellant-Defendant )
)
vs. ) No. 73A01-0306-CR-230
)
STATE OF INDIANA, )
)
Appellee-Plaintiff )
APPEAL FROM THE SHELBY SUPERIOR COURT
The Honorable Russell J. Sanders, Judge
Cause No. 73D02-0206-CM-741
July 20, 2004
OPINION ON REHEARING - FOR PUBLICATION
ROBB, Judge
Steven Fields seeks rehearing of our opinion issued in Fields v. State, 807
N.E.2d. 106 (Ind. Ct. App. 2004). Although we affirm our original opinion
in all respects, we write on rehearing to clarify our holding regarding the
twenty-minute deprivation period required before a chemical breath test can be administered.
In Fields, we held the State satisfied its burden to show that the
chemical breath test was properly administered where the operator instructed Fields to remove
chewing tobacco from his mouth and, after he complied, the operator waited twenty
minutes before administering a chemical breath test. Id. at 111. Fields
argues on rehearing that our decision improperly shifted the burden to him to
show that any tobacco residue that remained in his mouth during the twenty-minute
deprivation period affected the outcome of the chemical breath test.
In his petition for rehearing, Fields correctly states that once the State establishes
the proper procedure and demonstrates that the operator followed the procedure, the burden
shifts to the defendant to rebut the States evidence. Appellants Petition for
Rehearing at 2. See also Mullins v. State, 646 N.E.2d 40, 51
(Ind. 1995). Fields argues, however, that requiring him to prove that any
tobacco residue remaining in his mouth after the twenty-minute observation period affected the
test result relieved the State of the burden of proving part of the
proper procedure: that there was a valid deprivation period. In this
case, the State established that Deputy Lacy followed the proper procedure. Deputy
Lacy instructed Fields to remove the tobacco from his mouth. After Fields
complied, Deputy Lacy waited the required twenty minutes before administering the chemical breath
test. Fields did not place any foreign substance in his mouth during
this time.
Contrary to Fieldss assertion in his petition for rehearing, our holding did not
create a new burden on the defendant; instead, we explained that because Deputy
Lacy followed the proper procedure in administering the breath test, the burden appropriately
shifted to Fields to rebut that evidence, which we ultimately concluded he did
not do. Therefore, we affirm our original opinion in all respects.
BAKER, J. concurs.
RILEY, J. would deny the petition.