Application of Baggett

531 P.2d 1011
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedOctober 8, 1974
Docket45693
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 531 P.2d 1011 (Application of Baggett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Application of Baggett, 531 P.2d 1011 (Okla. 1974).

Opinion

SIMMS, Justice.

This is an appeal from the District Court of Oklahoma County, affirming an *1014 order of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety (Department) revoking the drivers license of Appellant, pursuant to 47 O.S.1971, §§ 751-760, hereinafter referred to as the “Implied Conset Law.” Appellant does not contend he was deprived of his operator’s license nor his right to operate a motor vehicle upon the highways of Oklahoma following his refusal to submit to a chemical test pursuant to the ‘Implied Consent Law’ or during the pendency of the proceedings in this case.

On October 9, 1971, about 5:00 p. m. Appellant was driving his automobile down Robinson Street in Oklahoma City. He was stopped by Officers Gaylon and Gris-som. The officers testified they saw Appellant disregard three stop lights. The officers stopped the car. They testified they smelled the odor of alcohol in the vehicle and on the breath of Appellant. One of the officers saw a glass tumbler in the car and said it looked like it was probably bourbon and Coke. Appellant volunteered, “No, it’s bourbon and Seven-Up.” Officer Grissom testified that he informed Appellant of the Miranda warning and the Implied Consent Law, as follows :

“Implied Consent Law Number one. is that you are . . . you have been arrested for driving under the influence of intoxicating beverage or alcohol. Number two is that you are hereby requested to submit to a Breathalyzer or a blood test to determine the alcoholic content of your blood. Number three is that at your own expense you may have an additional test made by a qualified physician or nurse. The rest of it is that at the refusal of either test your license will automatically be revoked by the Department of Public Safety for a period of six months. That’s what I advised him at this time. Maybe not word for word, but the meaning was there.” (emphasis supplied)

When asked what' Appellant’s response was, Officer Grissom testified:

“He just ... At the time I informed him of this, he just shook his head and said, ‘Uh-huh, uh-huh,’ as I was stating these rights to him.”

Officer Grissom further testified:

“Before he was advised of the rights I have just stated, I noticed Mr. Baggett’s balance was fair to good. One particular instance I noticed, he was standing up near the front of his vehicle and I noticed him kind of leaning and at one point he was leaning to the point of almost falling over and he put his hand on the fender of his car to steady himself. That was the only incident I witnessed whereas it would indicate the influence of alcohol.”

Appellant was transported to the police station and taken to the Breathalyzer room by Officer Gaylon. The officer repeated the Implied Consent Law to Appellant, reading from a four feet by four feet sign posted on the wall. Officer Gaylon testified as follows:

“I accompanied Mr. Baggett back to the Breathalyzer Room where I read him the Implied Consent Law of the alcoholic content test, where whenever I read line one, Mr. Baggett interrupted me Before I started reading I asked Mr. Baggett if he would please read along with me as I read it out loud. He looked up at the board as if he was going to read along with me and whenever I finished line one, he said, ‘You don’t need to read anymore, I’ve already finished, boy. You must be a slow reader.’ At that time I started all over and started reading number one again and I got to about in the middle of number two and he said that he was already through reading it, and that I needn’t continue reading. At that time I started over again and I did read completely through the Consent Law, which is posted on the board. Mr Baggett refused either test . . . ”

Officer Gaylon testified that after he read the Implied Consent Law, Appellant responded :

“A. I’ll buy number five.
Q. And what was number five again?
*1015 A. Number five reads, you have the right to refuse either test, but if you do so, your drivers license shall be revoked by the Department of Public Safety for a period of six months.
Q. What happened after he said, ‘I’ll buy number five.’
A. I asked him, I said, ‘Will you take a breath test?’ He said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Will you take a blood test?’ He said, ‘No. I’ll do any other test you want. I’ll stand on my head, I’ll blow up a balloon or walk a straight line, but I won’t take the breath test or blood test.’ ”

Officer Grissom filed an affidavit with the Commissioner of Public Safety to invoke 47 O.S.1971, § 753. Pursuant to this affidavit, the Assistant Commissioner of Public Safety conducted a hearing on December 16, 1971, which resulted in an order revoking Appellant’s drivers license for six months. The District Court of Oklahoma County sustained the order.

Appellant originally alleged seven propositions of error, but in his Reply Brief abandoned one of his allegations. The following issues are presented to this Court: (1) Whether the Officer’s affidavit was sufficient to initiate the revocation; (2) If the issue on revocation should be whether the defendant was in fact, intoxicated; or whether the arresting officer merely had reasonable grounds to believe the defendant was intoxicated; (3) If factual intoxication is the legal test whether there was sufficient evidence to find the defendant was intoxicated; (4) Whether 47 O.S. 1971, § 751 et seq, violates the Constitutional guaranty against self-incrimination; (5) Whether the title of the Act of the Implied Consent Law was sufficient to “clearly express the content of the Implied Consent Law”; (6) Whether the Implied Consent Law satisfies due process requirements.

It should be noted that the first and third propositions present evidentiary issues, involving mixed questions of law and fact. The second, fifth, and sixth propositions present constitutional issues. We shall consider the issues in the order presented.

I. THE SUFFICIENCY OF THE AFFIDAVIT

Appellant argues Officer Grissom’s affidavit was false and based upon hearsay. The affidavit Officer Grissom sent to the Commissioner of Public Safety is on a printed form and states in part as follows:

“I requested the above named person to submit to a chemical test of his breath or blood for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of his blood within two hours after his arrest; That said person refused to submit to such a test at (time and location) 6:00 p.m. 10/9/71, at Oklahoma City Police Station. Indicating a refusal by: Stating, ‘I will not ta.ke a test.’ That he was informed by I. Gaylon that refusal to submit to such a test would initiate action by the Department of Public Safety for the revocation of his license, permit or privilege to drive in the State of Oklahoma for a period of 6 months, as provided in 47 O.S.Supp.1968, § 753: and, That he was informed by H. Allread

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Bluebook (online)
531 P.2d 1011, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/application-of-baggett-okla-1974.