Bilbrey v. State

531 So. 2d 27
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Alabama
DecidedAugust 23, 1988
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 531 So. 2d 27 (Bilbrey v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bilbrey v. State, 531 So. 2d 27 (Ala. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

531 So.2d 27 (1987)

Dennis James BILBREY
v.
STATE.

1 Div. 405.

Court of Criminal Appeals of Alabama.

March 10, 1987.
Rehearing Denied April 14, 1987.
Certiorari Denied June 26, 1987.
On Return to Remand August 23, 1988.

*28 Gary D. Porter, Mobile, for appellant.

Charles A. Graddick, Atty. Gen., and Beatrice E. Oliver, Asst. Atty. Gen., for appellee.

Alabama Supreme Court 86-954.

PATTERSON, Judge.

Appellant, Dennis James Bilbrey, was arrested on July 22, 1986, for driving while under the influence of alcohol, in violation of § 32-5A-191, Code of Alabama 1975. On October 1, 1986, a jury found appellant guilty as charged and the trial court imposed a sentence of forty-eight hours in jail and a fine of $500.

On July 22, 1986, State Trooper Tim McGlothlin observed appellant's vehicle towing a large boat on a trailer which had improper taillights. McGlothlin attempted to effectuate a stop, which was unsuccessful. The officer followed appellant's vehicle for approximately three-fourths of a mile, during which time the vehicle driven by appellant left the roadway on three occasions and almost stopped. The officer's testimony established that appellant's driving was somewhat erratic; however, he acknowledged that the roads in that area were very curvy and in poor condition. McGlothlin followed appellant until appellant arrived at his residence and exited his vehicle. McGlothlin observed nothing unusual about appellant's walk or speech; however, he did observe "a strong odor of alcoholic beverage" about appellant's person and "his eyes were glassy, bloodshot like." When asked for his driver's license, appellant responded that he "didn't have any." Appellant was placed under arrest for driving with a suspended license and having improper lights on his boat trailer. Appellant was then transported to police headquarters for the administration of a photoelectric intoximeter test (P.E.I.). The results of this test indicated that appellant had a .11 percent blood alcohol content. Appellant was then charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

I

Subsequent to the administration of the P.E.I. test, appellant informed McGlothlin that he did not trust the P.E.I. test results and requested that he be taken to a local hospital to obtain an independent test at his expense. McGlothlin testified that he refused to take appellant to the hospital because appellant was under arrest; however, he did make a telephone available to appellant so that appellant could arrange for a blood test to be administered at the jail. McGlothlin stated the following: "We are required to help them minimally, which means give them a phone or allow them the opportunity to get someone. We can't go to the hospital and turn them over to a doctor or anything like that. The person is under arrest." The record is silent as to what action appellant took after being told he could use the phone. Apparently, no arrangements were made; we are not provided with any evidence relating to what action, if any, appellant took to arrange, by telephone, an independent blood test.

Section 32-5A-194(a)(3), Code of Alabama 1975, provides, as follows:

*29 "The person tested may at his own expense have a physician, or a qualified technician, registered nurse or other qualified person of his own choosing administer a chemical test or tests in addition to any administered at the discretion of a law enforcement officer. The failure or inability to obtain an additional test by a person shall not preclude the admission of evidence relating to the test or tests taken at the direction of a law enforcement officer."

We have previously held that there is no obligation on the part of police authorities to advise a defendant of the existence of this code section, Bush v. City of Troy, 474 So.2d 164, 166 (Ala.Cr.App.1984), aff'd, 474 So.2d 168 (Ala.1985), and that this provision requires an accused to first submit to a chemical test directed by an arresting officer as a prerequisite to the taking of additional tests at his request. Gibson v. City of Troy, 481 So.2d 463, 467 (Ala.Cr.App. 1985).

This court has never addressed the issue of what police authorities are required to do when an independent test is requested by a defendant in police custody. Other state courts, with statutory provisions similar to § 32-5A-194(a)(3), have resolved this question. For an excellent treatment of this subject see Annot., 45 A.L.R.4th 11 (1983). There is substantial authority to support the proposition that when an accused is entitled to an independent test, he must be allowed a reasonable opportunity to attempt to procure a timely independent test at his own expense and in no event may police authorities frustrate or interfere with these reasonable efforts without denying him due process of law. See, e.g., Brown v. Municipal Court of Los Angeles Judicial District, 86 Cal.App.3d 357, 150 Cal.Rptr. 216 (1978); In re Newbern, 175 Cal.App.2d 862, 1 Cal.Rptr. 80 (1959); Commonwealth v. Alano, 388 Mass. 871, 448 N.E.2d 1122 (1983); State v. Snipes, 478 S.W.2d 299 (Mo.), cert. denied, 409 U.S. 979, 93 S.Ct. 332, 34 L.Ed.2d 242 (1972); State v. Magai, 96 N.J.Super. 109, 232 A.2d 477 (1967); City of Blain v. Suess, 93 Wash.2d 722, 612 P.2d 789 (1980); State v. Reed, 36 Wash.App. 193, 672 P.2d 1277 (1983). See generally, 45 A.L.R.4th 11. To refuse an accused this reasonable opportunity, upon request, constitutes a violation of due process and results in the suppression of the test conducted by the police authorities. Brown.

We are in accord with the above cited authorities and hold that pursuant to § 32-5A-194(a)(3), due process requires that when an accused has complied with police requests to submit to a blood alcohol test and subsequently requests an independent blood alcohol test, the accused must be allowed a reasonable opportunity to obtain a timely, independent test at his own expense, and police authorities may not frustrate his attempts to do so. What is reasonable will depend upon the circumstances of each case.

In the instant case, appellant contends that the failure of police authorities to transport him to a local hospital was unreasonable under the circumstances. Appellant acknowledges that he was provided with access to a telephone and, apparently, declined its use. It has been held, by other courts, that the denial of telephone access constitutes a denial of the defendant's right to a reasonable opportunity to obtain his own test and, thus, a denial of due process. McCormick v. Municipal Court of Los Angeles Judicial District, 195 Cal.App.2d 819, 16 Cal.Rptr. 211 (1961); People v. Dawson, 184 Cal. App.2d Supp. 881, 7 Cal.Rptr. 384 (1960); Alano; Scarborough v. State, 261 So.2d 475 (Miss.1972), cert. denied, 410 U.S. 946, 93 S.Ct. 1353, 35 L.Ed.2d 613 (1973). It has been generally held that access to a telephone was all that due process required. See, Smith v. Cada, 114 Ariz. 510, 562 P.2d 390 (1977); Alano; Magai; Snipes.

In the instant case, we find that appellant was allowed a reasonable opportunity to arrange an independent test by being allowed access to a telephone.

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531 So. 2d 27, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bilbrey-v-state-alacrimapp-1988.