City of Maumee v. Anistik

632 N.E.2d 497, 69 Ohio St. 3d 339
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedMay 25, 1994
DocketNo. 93-981
StatusPublished
Cited by66 cases

This text of 632 N.E.2d 497 (City of Maumee v. Anistik) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
City of Maumee v. Anistik, 632 N.E.2d 497, 69 Ohio St. 3d 339 (Ohio 1994).

Opinion

Douglas, J.

The sole issue before this court is whether the jury instruction given by the trial judge regarding appellee’s refusal to take a chemical test of her breath was improper and prejudicial to appellee. The text of the instruction objected to by appellee’s counsel at trial is as follows:

“There’s been evidence in this case indicating that the defendant Pamela Anistik was asked to submit to a chemical analysis of her breath to determine the concentration of alcohol in her system. While an individual has a right under the laws of the State, as I explained to you before, to refuse to submit to a chemical analysis of his or her breath, such refusal may but it is not required to be considered by you as evidence that the defendant’s refusal to submit to a chemical analysis was because the defendant believed she was under the influence of alcohol. You may consider this evidence along with all the other facts and circumstances in evidence if you wish.”

It is well settled that the General Assembly has authority to establish conditions upon which licenses to operate motor vehicles are issued in this state. Further, the General Assembly can establish procedures and regulations suspending or revoking this statutorily granted privilege when the interest of public safety or welfare is at stake. See, generally, State v. Starnes (1970), 21 Ohio St.2d 38, 50 O.O.2d 84, 254 N.E.2d 675.

The General Assembly, hoping to reduce the number of needless tragedies caused by those who choose to drive a vehicle while intoxicated, has enacted an “implied consent” statute. R.C. 4511.191. This statute states that any person who operates a vehicle upon a highway or any property, public or private, used by the public for vehicular travel or parking in this state “ * * * shall be deemed to have given consent to a chemical test or tests of his blood, breath, or urine for the purpose of determining the alcohol, drug, or alcohol and drug content of his blood, breath, or mine if arrested for operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol * * R.C. 4511.191(A). In Schmerber v. California (1966), 384 U.S. 757, 86 S.Ct. 1826, 16 L.Ed.2d 908, the United States Supreme Court established that a state may lawfully compel a person suspected of driving while intoxicated to submit to a chemical test, and that such a requirement did not violate the defendant’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. R.C. 4511.191, however, does not command that a person suspected of driving [342]*342while intoxicated be forced to submit to a chemical test. Rather, under Ohio law, a person may refuse to take a chemical test of his or her blood, breath, or urine. However, if certain statutorily prescribed procedures are complied with, such a refusal does not go unpunished. See, e.g., R.C. 4511.191(C), (D) and (E).

With respect to the admissibility of evidence at trial of a defendant’s refusal to take a chemical test, the United States Supreme Court has held that such evidence does not violate the defendant’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination nor the Fourteenth Amendment right to due process. South Dakota v. Neville (1983), 459 U.S. 553, 103 S.Ct. 916, 74 L.Ed.2d 748. Similarly, this court has concluded that under certain circumstances, evidence of a refusal to submit to a chemical test can be used against a defendant at trial. See Columbus v. Mullins (1954), 162 Ohio St. 419, 55 O.O. 240, 123 N.E.2d 422; and Westerville v. Cunningham (1968), 15 Ohio St.2d 121, 44 O.O.2d 119, 239 N.E.2d 40.

Appellee cites Mullins and Cunningham, supra, for the proposition that the trial judge should not have instructed the jury to consider her refusal to take the breath test or, “at the very least,” should have included in the instruction that her refusal may have been based on other reasons, e.g., that defendant refused in “good faith” to take the test. Appellant, the city of Maumee, also cites Cunningham for support. Appellant claims that the charge at issue given to the jury by the trial judge was not improper or prejudicial to appellee.

In Mullins, supra, the defendant was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and asked to submit to urine and blood tests. Defendant refused to comply unless his own physician was present or would administer the tests. The case proceeded to trial and, over objection of defendant’s counsel, a police chemist testified as to scientific aspects of the tests, that such tests are infallible and would be determinative of defendant’s guilt or innocence. This court held that it was prejudicial error to admit the police chemist’s testimony because defendant’s refusal was not absolute but, rather, conditional in that it was predicated upon his own physician being present, that such a request was reasonable, and that there was no showing that the physician was not available. Therefore, defendant’s refusal “ * * * did not otherwise amount to such a refusal as would give counsel for the prosecution the right to assert that the refusal amounted to ah admission of guilt; nor would it give the jury or the court a right to so consider it.” Id., 162 Ohio St. at 424, 55 O.O. at 243, 123 N.E.2d at 425.

In Cunningham, supra, the defendant was found guilty by a jury of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. At trial, defendant gave no reason for refusing to take a chemical test. In reversing the court of appeals, and upholding defendant’s conviction, this court concluded that the defendant’s unequivocal refusal to take a chemical test for intoxication would have probative value on the [343]*343question of whether he was intoxicated at the time, and that the admission of defendant’s refusal and comment by counsel on the refusal would not violate defendant’s Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. In reaching this conclusion, this court reasoned:

“Where a defendant is being accused of intoxication and is not intoxicated, the taking of a reasonably reliable chemical test for intoxication should establish that he is not intoxicated. On the other hand, if he is intoxicated, the taking of such a test will probably establish that he is intoxicated. Thus, if he is not intoxicated, such a test will provide evidence for him; but, if he is intoxicated, the test will provide evidence against him. Thus, it is reasonable to infer that a refusal to take such a test indicates the defendant’s fear of the results of the test and his consciousness of guilt, especially where he is asked his reason for such refusal and he gives no reason which would indicate that his refusal had no relation to such consciousness of guilt.” (Emphasis added.) Id,, 15 Ohio St.2d at 122, 44 0.0.2d at 119-120, 239 N.E.2d at 41.

In the case at bar, appellee initially refused to take the breath test because she feared that the medication she was taking for a kidney problem might alter the test results. However, after being assured by the arresting officer that her kidney medication would not affect the results, appellee agreed to take the test. Thereafter, appellee stated that she needed to use a restroom.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
632 N.E.2d 497, 69 Ohio St. 3d 339, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/city-of-maumee-v-anistik-ohio-1994.