Harrison v. State, Dept. of Pub. Safety, Driv. Lic. Div.

298 So. 2d 312
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 4, 1974
Docket6306
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 298 So. 2d 312 (Harrison v. State, Dept. of Pub. Safety, Driv. Lic. Div.) 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
Harrison v. State, Dept. of Pub. Safety, Driv. Lic. Div., 298 So. 2d 312 (La. Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

298 So.2d 312 (1974)

Burnis H. HARRISON
v.
STATE of Louisiana, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, DRIVERS LICENSE DIVISION.

No. 6306.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

July 3, 1974.
Rehearing Denied August 1, 1974.
Writ Refused October 4, 1974.

*313 Greenberg, Cohen & Dallam, Roger I. Dallam, Gretna, for plaintiff-appellant.

Foye L. Lowe, Jr., Dept. of Public Safety, Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellee.

*314 Before SAMUEL, STOULIG and MORIAL, JJ.

STOULIG, Judge.

Plaintiff, Burnis H. Harrison, filed this suit to have LSA-R.S. 32:667 and LSA-R.S. 32:668 of the Implied Consent Law declared unconstitutional and to enjoin the defendant, the State of Louisiana, Department of Public Safety, Drivers License Division (hereinafter referred to as Agency) from suspending his driving privileges for refusing to submit to an alcohol analysis test after being arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI). He has appealed a district court judgment that denied injunctive relief.

On April 29, 1973, plaintiff was arrested in Boutte, Louisiana, and charged with DWI (LSA-R.S. 14:98). Immediately after his arrest, he was advised of his constitutional rights by a reading of the "Miranda warning," which included this option: "You have the right to consult with and obtain the advice of an attorney before answering any questions." Plaintiff was then asked to submit to an alcohol analysis test which consisted of his blowing into a balloon. He was advised if he refused to take this test the Department of Public Safety could revoke his driving privileges for six months under R.S. 32:667. Plaintiff at this point requested permission to call his attorney, but was told by the police officers he must first submit to the test or indicate his refusal. Plaintiff refused to take the intoximeter test. Subsequently he pleaded guilty to the DWI charge. The record does not disclose when the guilty plea was entered but the date is not germane to the issues before us.

What is important is the procedure defendant followed in invoking the penalty of R.S. 32:667 because the main thrust of plaintiff's constitutional challenge is that he was not given a hearing before his license was suspended. He points out U.S. Const. Amend. XIV and LSA-Const. Art. 1, § 2 guarantee no person shall be deprived of property except by due process of law and this has been interpreted to require the citizen be given adequate notice of the proposed deprivation and be afforded an opportunity to oppose the action at a hearing before the right may be withdrawn. In the light of this contention, we compare the procedure followed by defendant with that authorized by R.S. 32:667, R.S. 32:668 and R.S. 32:414 to determine whether the statute itself does not meet these minimal standards of procedural due process or whether its administration in this case worked a deprivation of the constitutional guarantee.

On April 29, 1973, Sgt. Ernest Youngs, the arresting officer, executed an affidavit, valid in form, attesting that (1) he had reasonable ground to believe plaintiff was driving on a public highway while intoxicated and therefore arrested him that day; (2) he requested plaintiff to submit to an alcohol analysis testing; (3) he advised plaintiff his refusal would result in a six-month suspension of driving privileges; (4) plaintiff refused to submit to the test; (5) plaintiff was advised that an additional test may be given by another qualified person of his own choosing; and (6) plaintiff was informed of his specific constitutional rights. The affidavit was forwarded to the Agency's Baton Rouge office.

In May, defendant sent from Baton Rouge a notice to plaintiff by certified mail, return receipt requested, advising that a suspension of his driver's license and a surrender of his vehicle plates and registration certificate would become effective within 30 days. In this notice it was stated plaintiff could apply for a hearing within the 30-day period. This letter was returned to the Agency in Baton Rouge with the postal notation it was not deliverable because the addressee was not home on May 12 and that the letter thereafter remained unclaimed. On June 12, 1973, a computer that records the status of driver's licenses issued throughout the State was programmed to indicate plaintiff's license had a "suspended" status. However, the license was not picked up by *315 the state police. From Baton Rouge the Agency's processing of plaintiff's impending revocation shifted to New Orleans where State Trooper E. W. Fava of Troop B, who handles revocations in this area, mailed this notice to plaintiff:

*316 Plaintiff took this notice to his attorney, who contacted Officer Fava. On the suggestion of the state police trooper, plaintiff through counsel applied for a hearing on the impending suspension. By letter dated July 12, 1973, H. N. Rowzie, Administrator of the Agency, informed plaintiff he would be given a hearing on August 20, 1973, but cautioned he should consider his license "suspended" pending the outcome of the hearing because his application therefor was not filed timely.

The scope of the hearing before the administrative officer was read to plaintiff at the outset of the proceedings. We quote:

"This hearing is being held pursuant to the provisions of Louisiana * * * R.S. 32:668. You were notified on 7-11-73 that in accordance with your request this hearing was scheduled to afford you an opportunity to present any facts, evidence and/or witnesses (including the arresting officer) in your behalf to show cause as to why this Department should not impose the suspension of your driving and/or registering privileges for refusing to submit to a chemical analysis test for the determination of the alcoholic content of your blood."

Plaintiff had not availed himself of the privilege to subpoena witnesses and he was the only one to testify. On August 27, 1973, the suspension of his driver's license was affirmed by the license control officer.

Plaintiff filed this suit for judicial review and injunctive relief on September 6, 1974, and has appealed the adverse decision of the trial court. At this point we note plaintiff at no time surrendered his driver's license or registration plates. Further, in the order of appeal granted by the trial court the defendant is prohibited from suspending the license while the appeal is pending.

We now quote the pertinent parts of the statutes regulating procedure in these cases because we find defendant failed to comply with the spirit of the law in the area of giving adequate notice:

R.S. 32:667:

"If a person under arrest refuses upon the request of a law enforcement officer to submit to a chemical test designated by the law enforcement agency as provided in R.S. 32:661, none shall be given. In all such cases the law enforcement officer shall submit a sworn report in a form approved by the director of public safety to the department of public safety that he had reasonable grounds to believe the arrested 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 alcoholic beverages, that he had informed the arrested person as provided in R.S. 32:661(C) and that the person had refused to submit to the test upon the request of the law enforcement officer.

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Bluebook (online)
298 So. 2d 312, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harrison-v-state-dept-of-pub-safety-driv-lic-div-lactapp-1974.