Coulter v. Oregon Department of Transportation, Driver & Motor Vehicle Services

4 P.3d 89, 168 Or. App. 442, 2000 Ore. App. LEXIS 981
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedJune 21, 2000
Docket97-10313; CA A101553
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 4 P.3d 89 (Coulter v. Oregon Department of Transportation, Driver & Motor Vehicle Services) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Coulter v. Oregon Department of Transportation, Driver & Motor Vehicle Services, 4 P.3d 89, 168 Or. App. 442, 2000 Ore. App. LEXIS 981 (Or. Ct. App. 2000).

Opinions

[444]*444WOLLHEJM, J.

In this implied consent case, the Oregon Department of Transportation, Driver and Motor Vehicles Services Branch (DMV), appeals the circuit court’s judgment setting aside its order suspending petitioner’s driver’s license after he refused to take a chemical breath test following his arrest for driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII). ORS 813.410. Although this is an appeal from a judgment of the circuit court, we review DMVs order. Adams v. MVD, 132 Or App 431, 433, 888 P2d 1078 (1995). We review for substantial evidence and errors of law, ORS 813.450(4), and affirm the trial court’s judgment setting aside DMVs suspension order.

The issue on appeal is whether the police report supports suspension of petitioner’s driver’s license. The facts are as follows. After Deputy Schermerhorn arrested petitioner for DUII, petitioner refused to take a chemical breath test. Schermerhorn completed and gave petitioner the DMV implied consent form, which is a combined form containing the police report required by ORS 813.100(3)(d) and the written notice of intent to suspend required by ORS 813.100(3)(b). Pursuant to ORS 813.100(3)(b), the form also describes all of the rights and consequences listed in ORS 813.130. Schermerhorn also gave petitioner a copy of the Intoxilyzer Evidence Card that showed that petitioner refused to take the test. On the first page of the implied consent form is a checklist, A-H, which describes the basis for the license suspension, i.e., breath test failure or test refusal, and the length of the suspension. Schermerhorn checked “B,” indicating that petitioner had failed the breath test and would receive a one-year license suspension.

Petitioner submitted a timely request for a hearing to DMV. At the hearing, Schermerhorn admitted that he mistakenly checked “B.” He explained that “B” inaccurately stated the basis for petitioner’s license suspension and that an accurate report would have checked “D” and “G,” indicating a breath test refusal and one-year license suspension. Petitioner argued that, as explained in Dotson v. Motor Vehicles Div., 25 Or App 393, 549 P2d 1143 (1976), overruled in part 33 Or App 397, 576 P2d 1276 (1978), and Blackburn v. Motor Vehicles Div., 33 Or App 397, 576 P2d 1267 (1978), the [445]*445police report, sworn to state truthfully the basis for the license revocation, is jurisdictional, and, because Schermerhom could not swear to the truth of the assertions in the police report, DMV had no jurisdiction to suspend petitioner’s license. Petitioner did not present any evidence of how any insufficiency in notice resulting from the error prejudiced petitioner.

The administrative law judge (ALJ) affirmed DMVs suspension of petitioner’s license. The order affirming the suspension for breath test refusal indicated that the officer “incorrectly marked the breath test failure box rather than the breath test refusal box. With the exception of the wrong box being marked, all other information on the form was correct and in accordance with ORS 813.100 and ORS 813.130.” The order stated that petitioner was not prejudiced as a result of the error — petitioner was well aware that he had refused the breath test and had not failed the test, and petitioner was adequately and properly notified of the suspension — and that the officer’s error was therefore harmless. Accordingly, the order indicated that suspension of petitioner’s driver’s license for one year for refusal to submit to the breath test was valid.

Petitioner sought circuit court review of the suspension order. ORS 813.450. Petitioner reiterated his jurisdictional argument made at the administrative hearing and also argued that, in violation of ORS 813.410(1), the report failed to comply substantially with ORS 813.120. Petitioner argued that, according to Dotson, a reasonable objective of ORS 813.120 is that a truthful report provides the basis for DMVs authority to suspend, and because the report was not truthful on a material fact, DMV had no authority to suspend. Petitioner also argued that prejudice does result to petitioner if the entered report authorizing suspension indicates test failure as opposed to test refusal. DMV argued that the police report substantially complied with ORS 813.120.

The circuit court entered judgment reversing DMVs order of suspension. In its letter opinion, the circuit court concluded that the police report did not substantially comply with ORS 813.120, that the police report “acts as the jurisdictional basis for the authority to suspend,” that DMV failed [446]*446either before or during the administrative hearing to amend the report and, accordingly, that, because there was no original or amended police report that stated the correct basis for the suspension, DMV cannot suspend petitioner’s driver’s license.

DMV appeals that judgment, expanding on its arguments made below. In particular, DMV argues that petitioner received adequate notice of the intent to suspend and right to request a hearing. DMV also argues that the police report either complied or substantially complied with ORS 813.120 because that statute only requires that the report disclose that the person either refused the breath test or failed it. DMV also argues that the police report is no longer jurisdictional because the 1985 legislature removed the requirement that the report be “sworn” and notarized, and, accordingly, the police report did not have to be amended to support suspension. Alternatively, DMV argues that, if the report is still jurisdictional, the report was adequately amended by the administrative hearing.

We agree that petitioner received adequate notice. Petitioner presented absolutely no evidence regarding how the error in the police report prejudiced him in any way. We, therefore, turn to the issue of whether the report supported suspension of petitioner’s license.

We examine the relevant statutory provisions. ORS 813.100

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Related

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373 P.3d 1227 (Multnomah County Circuit Court, Oregon, 2016)
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Fisher v. Driver & Motor Vehicle Services Division
125 P.3d 85 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2005)
Cibula v. Driver & Motor Vehicle Services Branch
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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
4 P.3d 89, 168 Or. App. 442, 2000 Ore. App. LEXIS 981, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/coulter-v-oregon-department-of-transportation-driver-motor-vehicle-orctapp-2000.