Title 40, Chapter 6, Section 392
( 40-6-392)
(a) Upon the trial of any civil or criminal action or proceeding arising out of acts alleged to have been committed by any person in violation of Code Section 40-6-391, evidence of the amount of alcohol or drug in a person's blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance at the alleged time, as determined by a chemical analysis of the person's blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance shall be admissible. Where such a chemical test is made, the following provisions shall apply: (1)(A) Chemical analysis of the person's blood, urine, breath,
or other bodily substance, to be considered valid under this
Code section, shall have been performed according to methods
approved by the Division of Forensic Sciences of the Georgia
Bureau of Investigation on a machine which was operated with all
its electronic and operating components prescribed by its
manufacturer properly attached and in good working order and by
an individual possessing a valid permit issued by the Division
of Forensic Sciences for this purpose. The Division of Forensic
Sciences of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation shall approve
satisfactory techniques or methods to ascertain the
qualifications and competence of individuals to conduct analyses
and to issue permits, along with requirements for properly
operating and maintaining any testing instruments, and to issue
certificates certifying that instruments have met those
requirements, which certificates and permits shall be subject to
termination or revocation at the discretion of the Division of
Forensic Sciences. (B) In all cases where the arrest is made on or after January 1, 1995, and the state selects breath testing, two sequential breath samples shall be requested for the testing of alcohol concentration. For either or both of these sequential samples to be admissible in the state's or plaintiff's case-in-chief, the readings shall not differ from each other by an alcohol concentration of greater than 0.020 grams and the lower of the two results shall be determinative for accusation and indictment purposes and administrative license suspension purposes. No more than two sequential series of a total of two adequate breath samples each shall be requested by the state; provided, however, that after an initial test in which the instrument indicates an adequate breath sample was given for analysis, any subsequent refusal to give additional breath samples shall not be construed as a refusal for purposes of suspension of a driver's license under Code Sections 40-5-55 and 40-5-67.1. Notwithstanding the above, a refusal to give an adequate sample or samples on any subsequent breath, blood, urine, or other bodily substance test shall not affect the admissibility of the results of any prior samples. An adequate breath sample shall mean a breath sample sufficient to cause the breath-testing instrument to produce a printed alcohol concentration analysis. (2) When a person shall undergo a chemical test at the request of
a law enforcement officer, only a physician, registered nurse,
laboratory technician, emergency medical technician, or other
qualified person may withdraw blood for the purpose of determining
the alcoholic content therein, provided that this limitation shall
not apply to the taking of breath or urine specimens. No
physician, registered nurse, or other qualified person or employer
thereof shall incur any civil or criminal liability as a result of
the medically proper obtaining of such blood specimens when
requested in writing by a law enforcement officer; (3) The person tested may have a physician or a qualified
technician, chemist, registered nurse, or other qualified person
of his own choosing administer a chemical test or tests in
addition to any administered at the direction of a law enforcement
officer. The justifiable failure or inability to obtain an
additional test shall not preclude the admission of evidence
relating to the test or tests taken at the direction of a law
enforcement officer; and (4) Upon the request of the person who shall submit to a chemical
test or tests at the request of a law enforcement officer, full
information concerning the test or tests shall be made available
to him or his attorney. The arresting officer at the time of
arrest shall advise the person arrested of his rights to a
chemical test or tests according to this Code section. (b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section, upon the trial of any civil or criminal action or proceeding arising out of acts alleged to have been committed by any person in violation of Code Section 40-6-391, the amount of alcohol in the person's blood at the time alleged, as shown by chemical analysis of the person's blood, urine, breath, or other bodily substance, may give rise to inferences as follows: (1) If there was at that time an alcohol concentration of 0.05 grams or less, the trier of fact in its discretion may infer therefrom that the person was not under the influence of alcohol, as prohibited by paragraphs (1) and (4) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-6-391; or (2) If there was at that time an alcohol concentration in excess of 0.05 grams but less than 0.08 grams, such fact shall not give rise to any inference that the person was or was not under the influence of alcohol, as prohibited by paragraphs (1) and (4) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-6-391, but such fact may be considered by the trier of fact with other competent evidence in determining whether the person was under the influence of alcohol, as prohibited by paragraphs (1) and (4) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-6-391. (c)(1) In any civil or criminal action or proceeding arising out of acts alleged to have been committed in violation of paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-6-391, if there was at that time or within three hours after driving or being in actual physical control of a moving vehicle from alcohol consumed before such driving or being in actual physical control ended an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more grams in the person's blood, breath, or urine, the person shall be in violation of paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-6-391. (2) In any civil or criminal action or proceeding arising out of acts alleged to have been committed by any person in violation of subsection (i) of Code Section 40-6-391, if there was at that time or within three hours after driving or being in actual physical control of a moving vehicle from alcohol consumed before such driving or being in actual physical control ended an alcohol concentration of 0.04 grams or more in the person's blood, breath, or urine, the person shall be in violation of subsection (i) of Code Section 40-6-391. (3) In any civil or criminal action or proceeding arising out of acts alleged to have been committed by any person in violation of subsection (k) of Code Section 40-6-391, if there was at that time or within three hours after driving or being in actual physical control of a moving vehicle from alcohol consumed before such driving or being in actual physical control ended an alcohol concentration of 0.02 grams or more in the person's blood, breath, or urine, the person shall be in violation of subsection (k) of Code Section 40-6-391. (d) In any criminal trial, the refusal of the defendant to permit a
chemical analysis to be made of his blood, breath, urine, or other
bodily substance at the time of his arrest shall be admissible in
evidence against him. (e)(1) A certification by the office of the Secretary of State or
by the Department of Human Resources that a person who drew blood
was a licensed or certified physician, physician's assistant,
registered nurse, practical nurse, medical technologist, medical
laboratory technician, or phlebotomist at the time the blood was
drawn; (2) Testimony, under oath, of the blood drawer; or (3) Testimony, under oath, of the blood drawer's supervisor or
medical records custodian that the blood drawer was properly
trained and authorized to draw blood as an employee of the medical
facility or employer shall be admissible into evidence for the purpose of establishing
that such person was qualified to draw blood as required by this
Code section. (f) Each time an approved breath-testing instrument is inspected,
the inspector shall prepare a certificate which shall be signed
under oath by the inspector and which shall include the following
language: "This breath-testing instrument (serial no. __________) was
thoroughly inspected, tested, and standardized by the undersigned
on (date __________) and all of its electronic and operating
components prescribed by its manufacturer are properly attached
and are in good working order." When properly prepared and executed, as prescribed in this subsection, the certificate shall, notwithstanding any other provision of law, be self-authenticating, shall be admissible in any court of law, and shall satisfy the pertinent requirements of paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of this Code section and subparagraph (g)(2)(F) of Code Section 40-5-67.1. |