CHANDLER v. STATE ex rel. DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY

2017 OK CIV APP 47, 419 P.3d 298
CourtCourt of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedSeptember 8, 2017
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2017 OK CIV APP 47 (CHANDLER v. STATE ex rel. DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
CHANDLER v. STATE ex rel. DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY, 2017 OK CIV APP 47, 419 P.3d 298 (Okla. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

OSCN Found Document:CHANDLER v. STATE ex rel. DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY

CHANDLER v. STATE ex rel. DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY
2017 OK CIV APP 47
Case Number: 115275
Decided: 09/08/2017
Mandate Issued: 10/03/2017
DIVISION III
THE COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, DIVISION III


Cite as: 2017 OK CIV APP 47, __ P.3d __

CONNER CHANDLER, Plaintiff/Appellant,
v.
STATE OF OKLAHOMA ex rel., DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, Defendant/Appellee.

APPEAL FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF
TULSA COUNTY, OKLAHOMA

HONORABLE DEBORAH LUDI LEITCH, TRIAL JUDGE

REVERSED

Paul D. Brunton, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Sabah Khalaf, KHALAF LAW FIRM, P.L.L.C., Tulsa, Oklahoma, for Plaintiff/Appellant,
Joanne Bryant Horn, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for Defendant/Appellee.

Barbara G. Swinton, Judge:

¶1 Conner Chandler (Chandler) appeals a district court order sustaining an order of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) revoking his driver's license for refusal to submit to State's tests for alcohol. Based on the appellate record and applicable law, we reverse the order.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

¶2 On August 7, 2013, a police officer for the City of Glenpool, Oklahoma, stopped Chandler in his truck and arrested him for driving under the influence. According to the "Officer's Affidavit and Notice of Revocation/Disqualification" (hereinafter, Affidavit or Officer's Affidavit) completed by Officer Plane,1 he observed Chandler's "vehicle swerving between lanes" and "traveling north straddling the center lane" and that he "was unsteady on his feet, red watery eyes, smelled of marijuana." Officer Plane signed the Affidavit, affirming "under penalty of perjury" that he advised Chandler of the "Implied Consent Test Request," Chandler refused, and Officer Plane "personally hand-delivered a copy" to Chandler on "08-07-13."

Administrative Proceedings

¶3 DPS revoked Chandler's driver's license. Chandler timely requested an administrative hearing which stayed the revocation.2 For reasons not disclosed by the record, neither Chandler nor his attorney appeared at the hearing held March 3, 2014.

¶4 One week later the DPS Hearing Officer entered an order sustaining the revocation, which reads, "after examining the records in this case...[he] finds proper notice of the hearing has been served upon [Chandler]." The order further reads "[b]y reason of the failure to participate in said hearing the affidavit of Officer Plane stating that the licensee refused to submit to chemical testing after being arrested upon reasonable grounds for driving under the influence should be taken as true." (Emphasis added.) The Hearing Officer lifted the prior stay and revoked Chandler's driving privilege for one year "beginning 05/04/2014." The order dated March 10, 2014 indicates it was mailed March 13, 2014 (DPS Order).

District Court Review Proceedings

¶5 On April 7, 2014, Chandler filed a cash bond to stay the DPS Order and a petition to set it aside in the Tulsa County District Court, alleging DPS "failed to comply with the mandate in 47 O.S. § 753" and "the failure of the affidavit marked as 'exhibit 1' to comply with 47 O.S. § 753." Two exhibits are attached to the petition. Exhibit No. 1 is a copy of the Affidavit dated "08/07/13."3 Exhibit No. 2 is a copy of the DPS Order.

¶6 The parties agreed to delay the district court's review until decision in an unrelated appeal from a implied consent revocation order.4 Two years later, new co-counsel for Chandler appeared at the review hearing held June 29, 2016. Admitting only the DPS Order into evidence,5 DPS argued Chandler "did not exhaust his administrative remedies as required by [47 O.S. 2011] § 6-211(F)" because he failed to participate at the administrative hearing and therefore he "is not entitled to a hearing on the merits."

¶7 Chandler argued the "officer's affidavit is facially deficient pursuant to the lineage of cases from [Roulston] to Tucker to [Shoptaw]"6 and "we don't even get to § 6-211(F)." He also argued Sipes v. State ex rel. Dept. of Public Safety, 1997 OK CIV APP 82, ¶ 20, 950 P.2d 881, supports he exhausted his administrative remedies because the Court held the licensee, who also did not attend the administrative hearing, had nevertheless satisfied § 6-211(F) by requesting that hearing and timely filing an appeal from the revocation order.

¶8 DPS pointed out the Legislature had amended § 6-211(F) since Sipes, by adding a requirement for appearance at the administrative hearing, and that "[Chandler's] got two out of the three." DPS then read the Sipes Court's holding into the record.

¶9 Chandler argued, regardless of his absence at the administrative hearing, DPS had to admit the Affidavit into evidence, which "unidentified" facial deficiency he contended "is subject to invalidation on timely appeal."7 DPS distinguished "every one" of Chandler's cases, arguing "each licensee appeared at the administrative hearing" as § 6-211(F) now requires and "[Chandler] does not get the benefit of these cases." DPS also argued when the administrative hearing in Chandler's case was held in March 2014, mandates had not been entered in recent appellate court decisions holding a sworn report missing § 753's reasonable grounds statement is facially deficient and makes a revocation order subject to invalidation on timely appeal.

¶10 Interpreting § 6-211(F), the trial court stated "[t]his Court cannot even consider the merits of the revocation because those three requirements are necessary." Chandler acknowledged twenty years had passed since Sipes and § 6-211(F)'s amendment, but contended it was the same issue of "whether the failure of the licensee to appear at the administrative hearing exhausts his remedies?" He then added, "[the Court has] to take into consideration § 754(D)'s" language, "[t]he sworn report of the officer, together with the results of any test or tests, shall be deemed true absent any facial deficiency should the requesting person fail to appear at the scheduled hearing."

¶11 The trial court asked DPS to respond since "there was a facial deficiency

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2017 OK CIV APP 47, 419 P.3d 298, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chandler-v-state-ex-rel-dept-of-public-safety-oklacivapp-2017.