Flynn v. STATE DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY

597 So. 2d 529, 1992 WL 46293
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 22, 1992
DocketCA 91 0037
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 597 So. 2d 529 (Flynn v. STATE DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Flynn v. STATE DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY, 597 So. 2d 529, 1992 WL 46293 (La. Ct. App. 1992).

Opinion

597 So.2d 529 (1992)

Linda B. FLYNN
v.
STATE of Louisiana DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

No. CA 91 0037.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

March 6, 1992.
Writ Granted May 22, 1992.

*530 Douglas A. Allen, Jr., Metairie, for plaintiff-appellant.

Paul Schexnayder, Baton Rouge, for defendant.

Before COVINGTON, C.J., and LeBLANC and WHIPPLE, JJ.

*531 COVINGTON, Chief Judge.

This appeal by plaintiff-appellant, Linda B. Flynn, seeks a reinstatement of her driving privileges, which were suspended by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections (Department) following her arrest on November 4, 1989, for DWI. Plaintiff timely requested an administrative hearing, which was held on February 13, 1990, and resulted in an affirmation of the Department's proposed suspension. She then filed a petition for reinstatement of driving privileges and appeal in district court, stating that she was entitled to a summary hearing and "a de novo factual determination." After the district court determined that she was entitled to judicial review of the administrative record rather than a trial de novo, and affirmed the administrative decision to suspend her driving privileges for ninety days, plaintiff filed this appeal.

For the reasons hereinafter stated, we affirm the judgment of the district court.

On appeal, Ms. Flynn argues the following assignments of error: (1) the trial court erred when it denied her a trial de novo and confined its review to the administrative record; (2) the suspension of her driving privileges was improper because she was effectively denied the opportunity to obtain an independent blood/alcohol test, in violation of LSA-R.S. 32:664(B), while she was held at the St. Tammany Parish jail pending bail; and (3) there was sufficient evidence in the record to show that the breath test results used by the Department to suspend her license "could be inaccurate, and, therefore, unreliable...." We will address each of these issues.

TRIAL DE NOVO

Appellant argues that she was entitled to a trial de novo in district court on the appeal from the administrative hearing under the terms of LSA-R.S. 32:668(C) and 32:414(F)(4).

LSA-R.S. 32:668 sets forth the procedure to be followed in the event a license or permit to drive is suspended, revoked, or denied to any person suspected of drunk driving by the Department. It provides in part as follows:

A. Upon suspending the license or permit to drive or nonresident operating privilege of any person or upon determining that the issuance of a license or permit shall be denied to the person, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall immediately notify the person in writing and upon his request shall afford him an opportunity for a hearing in the same manner and under the same conditions as is provided in R.S. 32:414 for notification and hearings in the case of suspension of licenses, except that the scope of such a hearing for the purposes of this Part shall cover the following issues:
(1) Whether a law enforcement officer had reasonable grounds to believe the person had been driving or was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state while under the influence of either alcoholic beverages or any abused or illegal controlled dangerous substance as set forth in R.S. 40:964.
(2) Whether the person was placed under arrest.
(3) Whether he was warned by the officer as provided in R.S. 32:661(C).
(4) Whether he voluntarily submitted to an approved chemical test and whether the test resulted in a blood alcohol reading of .10 percent or above by weight of alcohol in the blood.
(5) Whether he refused to submit to the test upon the request of the officer.
(6) Such additional matters as may relate to the reasonableness of a suspension of the license.
. . . . .

C. After a person has exhausted his remedies with the department, he shall have the right to file a petition in the appropriate court for a review of the final order of suspension or denial by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections in the same manner and under the same conditions as is provided in R.S. 32:414 in the cases of suspension, revocation, and cancellation of licenses. The court in its review of the final order of *532 suspension or denial by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections may exercise any action it deems necessary under the law including ordering the department to grant the person restricted driving privileges where appropriate as provided in Subsection B.

The reference to R.S. 32:414 in sub-parts (A) and (C) is to the comparable statute for the procedure following withdrawal of driving privileges after a conviction for driving while intoxicated or some other driving offense, such as manslaughter. In pertinent part, LSA-R.S. 32:414(F)(4) provides as follows:

Any person denied a license or whose license has been suspended, cancelled, or revoked shall have the right to file an application within thirty days thereafter for a hearing before the district court of the parish in which the applicant resides. That court is vested with jurisdiction to set the matter for hearing in open court upon ten days' written notice to the department and thereupon to determine whether the person is entitled to a license or is subject to suspension, cancellation, or revocation of license under the provisions of this Chapter. Appeal from the decision of the district court may be taken to any court of competent appellate jurisdiction.

Appellant argues that the language in § 414(F)(4), "hearing in open court," clearly indicates that the introduction of evidence and the calling of witnesses was contemplated by the legislature, including the right to cross-examine adverse witnesses. She cites the case of Jaubert v. Department of Public Safety, 323 So.2d 212 (La. App. 4th Cir.1975), for the proposition that the Department, which has the burden of proof in this action, may not satisfy it by relying on the sworn report of a police officer. She states that since the arresting officer herein did not appear at the administrative hearing, and therefore, never testified, the rationale of Jaubert should apply and she should have been granted a trial de novo in district court.[1]

We disagree with appellant's arguments, and find that her reliance on the Jaubert case is misplaced. In Jaubert, the motorist was arrested and refused to take a sobriety test. His license was suspended for six months by the Department because of his refusal, pursuant to LSA-R.S. 32:667, and he thereafter requested an administrative hearing. The arresting officers did not testify at this hearing, but an unsworn arrest report and the arresting officers' conclusionary report under § 667 were submitted into evidence. The latter contained the statement: "That he [they] had reasonable grounds to believe that Ralph D. Jaubert had been driving or was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state while under the influence of alcoholic beverages. * * *" (Emphasis added by Jaubert court.) The statement contained no specific factual details which might support the officers' conclusion that they had "reasonable grounds" to believe the motorist was driving while intoxicated.

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Related

Green v. State
710 So. 2d 862 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1998)
Victor Green v. State of Mississippi
Mississippi Supreme Court, 1997
Flynn v. STATE, DEPT. OF PUBLIC SAFETY & CORR.
608 So. 2d 994 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1992)
Johnson v. State, Department of Public Safety & Corrections
610 So. 2d 863 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1992)
Schultz v. Louisiana Department of PubLic Safety & Corrections
606 So. 2d 962 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1992)
Flynn v. State Department of Public Safety
599 So. 2d 319 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1992)

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Bluebook (online)
597 So. 2d 529, 1992 WL 46293, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/flynn-v-state-dept-of-public-safety-lactapp-1992.