Gerlach v. Cove Apartments, LLC, 446 P.3d 624 (2019)

Citation: Gerlach v. Cove Apartments, LLC, 446 P.3d 624 (2019)
Parent Document: Gerlach v. Cove Apartments, LLC, 446 P.3d 624 (2019)
Jurisdiction: Washington (state)
Effective Date: 2019-05-13
Original Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/6659245/gerlach-v-cove-apartments-llc/ ↗

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¶11 Before trial, Gerlach moved in limine to exclude evidence of a blood test taken by the hospital less than an hour after the accident. The test showed that her serum alcohol measurement was 252 mg/dL, which roughly translates to a BAC of .238. After several hearings, the trial court granted Gerlach's motion because Gerlach offered to stipulate to the jury that she was intoxicated at the time of the accident. The court determined that if Gerlach admitted she was intoxicated, evidence of her blood alcohol level was not necessary to establish a defense under RCW 5.40.060(1). The trial court explained that, under Peralta v. State, 187 Wash.2d 888, 389 P.3d 596 (2017), an admission of intoxication was sufficient *821to establish intoxication under RCW 5.40.060(1) and the admission of Gerlach's blood alcohol level would have been more prejudicial than probative under ER 403. Because the trial court misapplied Peralta and ER 403, its exclusion of the blood alcohol evidence was an abuse of discretion.

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