Commonwealth v. Miller

73 Pa. D. & C.4th 458, 2005 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 34
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Fayette County
DecidedJune 29, 2005
Docketno. 1424 of 2004
StatusPublished

This text of 73 Pa. D. & C.4th 458 (Commonwealth v. Miller) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Fayette County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Commonwealth v. Miller, 73 Pa. D. & C.4th 458, 2005 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 34 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2005).

Opinion

SOLOMON, J,

BACKGROUND

The defendant was charged with several violations of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, including driving after imbibing, 75 Pa.C.S. §3802(c). The defendant then filed an omnibus pretrial motion, and a hearing was held.

DISCUSSION

The defendant filed an omnibus pretrial motion claiming relief on three grounds: that 75 Pa.C.S. §3802(c) is unconstitutional; that the oral statements of the defendant should be suppressed; and that the Commonwealth failed to make out a prima facie case. We will discuss these claims in order as raised.

The defendant first argues that the statute under which she is charged, 75 Pa.C.S. §3802(c), is unconstitutional. We note initially that the defendant has not followed the procedure set out in Commonwealth v. Edmunds, 526 [460]*460Pa. 374, 586 A.2d 887 (1991), which dictates the necessary factors to be addressed when asking the courts to undertake a constitutional analysis. Under Michigan v. Long, 463 U.S. 1032, 103 S.Ct. 3469, 77 L.Ed.2d 1201 (1983), state courts are required to make a “plain statement” of the independent state grounds upon which the court relies in its decision. In order to comply with this requirement, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has determined that litigants must brief and analyze “[the] text of the Pennsylvania constitutional provision; [the] history of the provision, including Pennsylvania case law; ... related case law from other states; [and. any] policy considerations, including unique issues of state and local concern, and applicability within modern Pennsylvania jurisprudence.” Edmunds at 390, 586 A.2d at 895. However, failure to fellow Edmunds is not fatal, Commonwealth v. Swinehart, 541 Pa. 500, 664 A.2d 957 (1995), so we will address the defendant’s constitutionality issue.

The defendant argues that the statute under which she is charged is unconstitutional because it is vague and overbroad, has no rational relationship to a state interest, and imposes absolute liability without an affirmative defense or a rebuttable presumption. She bases this argument on both the Pennsylvania and United States constitutions. We begin our analysis by noting that statutes are strongly presumed to be constitutional and the person challenging that constitutionality has a heavy burden of persuasion. Commonwealth v. Mayfield, 574 Pa. 460, 832 A.2d 418 (2003); Commonwealth v. Craven, 572 Pa. 431, 817 A.2d 451 (2003); Commonwealth v. Packer, 568 Pa. 481, 798 A.2d 192 (2002). Legislation [461]*461will only be declared unconstitutional if it “clearly, palpably and plainly” violates the constitution. Id. at 494, 798 A.2d at 200.

The statute at issue is section 3802(c) of the Motor Vehicle Act, and provides:

“The highest rate of alcohol. — An individual may not drive, operate or be in actual physical control of the movement of a vehicle after imbibing a sufficient amount of alcohol such that the alcohol concentration in the individual’s blood and/or breath is 0.16 percent or higher within two hours after the individual has driven, operated, or been in actual physical control of the movement of the vehicle.” 75 Pa.C.S. §3802(c).

There is no question that laws prohibiting drunk driving are reflective of a legitimate, even compelling, state interest. It has long been recognized that states have a legitimate interest in maintaining safety on their highways. See e.g., Mackey v. Montrym, 443 U.S. 1, 99 S.Ct. 2612, 61 L.Ed.2d 321 (1979) (“We have traditionally accorded the states great leeway in adopting summary procedures to protect health and safety. States surely have at least as much interest in removing drunken drivers from their highways as in summarily seizing mislabeled drugs or destroying spoiled food stuffs.”). The statistics regarding alcohol-related casualties and fatalities on the state’s highways are readily available and widely publicized, so we will not belabor the issue. See e.g., http:// www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/inj ury/alcohol/StopImpaired/ 809/index.htm.

Given the risks that drunk drivers pose to other drivers, pedestrians, and themselves, we find that legislation [462]*462to prohibit and punish drunk driving is a legitimate goal and that laws aimed at realizing that goal are rationally and reasonably related to the achievement of that goal.

Under federal law, and the law in Pennsylvania, the void for vagueness doctrine requires that a criminal statute define the offense with sufficient definiteness that ordinary people can understand what conduct is prohibited, and in a manner that does not encourage arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement. Commonwealth v. Mikulan, 504 Pa. 244, 470 A.2d 1339 (1983) (citing Kolender v. Lawson, 461 U.S. 352, 103 S.Ct. 1855, 75 L.Ed.2d 903 (1983). A statute is void for vagueness if it “fails to give a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice that his contemplated conduct is forbidden by the statute.” Commonwealth v. Burt, 490 Pa. 173, 177-78, 415 A.2d 89, 91 (1980) (citing Colautti v. Franklin, 439 U.S. 379, 99 S.Ct. 675, 58 L.Ed.2d 596 (1979)). Due process requirements are satisfied if the statute provides reasonable standards by which a person may gauge his future conduct. Commonwealth v. Heinbaugh, 467 Pa. 1, 354 A.2d 244 (1976) (citing United States v. Powell, 423 U.S. 87, 96 S.Ct. 316, 46 L.Ed.2d 228 (1975)).

A statute is overbroad if it punishes constitutionally protected activity as well as the illegal activity at which it is directed. Grayned v. City of Rockford, 408 U.S. 104, 92 S.Ct. 2294, 33 L.Ed.2d 222 (1972); Commonwealth v. Stenhach, 356 Pa. Super. 5, 514 A.2d 114 (1986). The language of the statute must literally encompass protected, lawful conduct. Id. “[A] governmental purpose to control or prevent activities constitutionally subject to state regulation may not be achieved by means which sweep unnecessarily broadly and thereby invade the area [463]*463of protected freedoms.” Adler v. Montefiore Hospital Association of Western Pennsylvania, 453 Pa. 60, 72, 311 A.2d 634, 640 (1973) (citing NAACP v. Alabama, 377 U.S. 288, 84 S.Ct. 1302, 12 L.Ed.2d 325 (1969)).

The defendant argues that section 3802(c) is unconstitutional for the same reasons that the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania found former section 3731 to be unconstitutional.

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Related

Miranda v. Arizona
384 U.S. 436 (Supreme Court, 1966)
Colten v. Kentucky
407 U.S. 104 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Grayned v. City of Rockford
408 U.S. 104 (Supreme Court, 1972)
California v. LaRue
409 U.S. 109 (Supreme Court, 1973)
United States v. Powell
423 U.S. 87 (Supreme Court, 1975)
Beckwith v. United States
425 U.S. 341 (Supreme Court, 1976)
Colautti v. Franklin
439 U.S. 379 (Supreme Court, 1979)
MacKey v. Montrym
443 U.S. 1 (Supreme Court, 1979)
Kolender v. Lawson
461 U.S. 352 (Supreme Court, 1983)
Michigan v. Long
463 U.S. 1032 (Supreme Court, 1983)
Commonwealth v. Mikulan
470 A.2d 1339 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1983)
Commonwealth v. Fento
526 A.2d 784 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1987)
Commonwealth v. Heinbaugh
354 A.2d 244 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1976)
Commonwealth v. Chacko
459 A.2d 311 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1983)
Commonwealth v. Mayfield
832 A.2d 418 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2003)
Commonwealth v. DeFrancesco
393 A.2d 321 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1978)
Commonwealth v. Smith
555 A.2d 185 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1989)
Commonwealth v. Craven
817 A.2d 451 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2003)
Commonwealth v. Swinehart
664 A.2d 957 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1995)

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Bluebook (online)
73 Pa. D. & C.4th 458, 2005 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 34, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commonwealth-v-miller-pactcomplfayett-2005.