§ 3325 - Permissive inferences - Vermont Statutes

§ 3325. Permissive inferences

(a) Upon the trial of any civil or criminal action or proceeding arising out of acts alleged to have been committed by a person while operating, attempting to operate or in actual physical control of a vessel on the waters of this state, the amount of alcohol in the person's blood or breath at the time alleged as shown by analysis of the person's blood or breath shall give rise to the following permissive inferences or presumptions:

(1) If there was at that time 0.05 percent or less by weight of alcohol in the person's blood or breath, it shall be presumed that the person was not under the influence of intoxicating liquor.

(2) If there was at that time in excess of 0.05 percent but less than 0.08 percent by weight of alcohol in the person's blood or breath, such fact shall not give rise to any presumption or permissive inference that the person was or was not under the influence of intoxicating liquor, but such fact may be considered with other competent evidence in determining whether the person was under the influence of intoxicating liquor.

(3) If there was at that time 0.08 percent or more by weight of alcohol in the person's blood or breath, as shown by analysis of the person's blood or breath, it shall be a permissive inference that the person was under the influence of intoxicating liquor in violation of section 3323 of this title.

(4) If there was at any time within two hours of the alleged offense, 0.10 percent or more by weight of alcohol in the person's blood or breath as shown by analysis of the person's blood or breath, it shall be a permissive inference that the person was under the influence of intoxicating liquor in violation of subdivision 3323(a)(2) or (3) of this title.

(b) Percent by weight of alcohol in the blood shall be based upon milligrams of alcohol per one hundred cubic centimeters of blood.

(c) The foregoing provisions shall not be construed as limiting the introduction of any other competent evidence bearing upon the question whether the person was under the influence of intoxicating liquor, nor shall they be construed as requiring that evidence of the amount of alcohol in the person's blood or breath must be preserved. (Added 1989, No. 65, § 14; amended 1997, No. 57, § 5.)