In Re Hittner

2008 WY 91, 189 P.3d 872, 2008 WL 2941863
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 1, 2008
DocketS-07-0262
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 2008 WY 91 (In Re Hittner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In Re Hittner, 2008 WY 91, 189 P.3d 872, 2008 WL 2941863 (Wyo. 2008).

Opinion

189 P.3d 872 (2008)
2008 WY 91

In the Matter of the Wyoming Department of Transportation Driver's License Action Involving Joseph H. HITTNER:
Joseph H. Hittner, Appellant (Petitioner),
v.
State of Wyoming, ex rel., Wyoming Department of Transportation, Appellee (Respondent).

No. S-07-0262.

Supreme Court of Wyoming.

August 1, 2008.

Representing Appellant: Frank R. Chapman and Tamara K. Schroeder of Chapman Valdez, Casper, Wyoming.

Representing Appellee: Bruce A. Salzburg, Wyoming Attorney General and Robin Sessions Cooley, Deputy Attorney General.

Before VOIGT, C.J., and GOLDEN, HILL, KITE, and BURKE, JJ.

HILL, Justice.

[¶ 1] Appellant, Joseph H. Hittner (Hittner), seeks review of an order of the district court, which affirmed orders of the Office of Administrative Hearings upholding the "implied consent" suspension of Hittner's driver's license and upholding Hittner's commercial vehicle disqualification, as imposed by the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT). WYDOT's orders were based on the circumstance that Hittner refused to submit to required chemical testing when, on *873 March 22, 2006, he was arrested for driving while under the influence of alcohol as prohibited by Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 31-5-233(b) (LexisNexis 2007). Hittner argues in this appeal that the arresting officer had a duty to inform him that he had no right to consult with an attorney prior to submitting to chemical testing and the arresting officer failed to do that. In addition, he claims the hearing officer's conclusion that Hittner "refused" chemical testing is not supported by substantial evidence. We will affirm.

ISSUES

[¶ 2] Hittner posits this statement of the issues on appeal:

I. Did the hearing examiner err in finding that the Wyoming Department of Transportation has met its burden of proof by [proving] all elements necessary to uphold an implied consent suspension pursuant to W.S. § 31-6-101 et seq. by a preponderance of the evidence?
A. The hearing examiner and the district court erred as a matter of law by concluding that the arresting officer had no duty to inform [Hittner] that he had no right to consult an attorney prior to submitting to chemical testing.
B. The hearing examiner erred by finding that [Hittner] refused chemical testing.

The State reformulates the issues this way:

Did the district court correctly affirm the hearing officer's finding that the [arresting] officer did not err in failing to inform the driver he was not entitled to an attorney?
Did the district court correctly affirm the hearing examiner's finding that [Hittner] refused the chemical test?

FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS

[¶ 3] Hittner was observed by a sheriff's deputy driving westbound on I-80, between T-Joe's Restaurant near Archer and Cheyenne, at 7:50 p.m. on March 22, 2006. Hittner was traveling at approximately 85 miles per hour and crossed the fog line at least three times. The deputy attempted to stop him by activating her emergency lights, but Hittner failed to stop for three minutes, traveling at 80 miles per hour, changing lanes, and applying his brakes over the course of approximately two miles. For this reason, the deputy considered Hittner's conduct to constitute an attempt to elude a police officer. Hittner had an open beer container in the console of his car, and he appeared to be intoxicated. The deputy stopped Hittner at 7:53 p.m. His breath exuded a moderate odor of alcoholic beverage. His face was flushed and ruddy. His speech was slurred. His balance was described as swaying and stumbling. His attitude was sarcastic and he had no apparent handicaps. Hittner initially indicated that he was not taking any medications, but later said that he was on heavy medication for the flu and his lungs. The deputy sheriff placed Hittner under arrest at 8:12 p.m.

[¶ 4] Upon his arrest, Hittner was handcuffed for officer safety because he had attempted to elude the deputy. Standard field sobriety tests were not performed because Hittner was handcuffed and generally uncooperative and argumentative. Hittner claimed he was unable to look into the deputy's flashlight so that the horizontal gaze nystagmus test could be performed. The deputy's report indicated that the Wyoming implied consent advisement was read to Hittner at 8:13 p.m. and that he agreed to take a chemical breath test. He gave an initial sample which revealed a BAC of .14. Thereafter, Hittner "refused" to give an additional, confirmatory sample.[1] The deputy's report indicates that after several attempts, Hittner failed to blow/provide a sufficient sample, and that he was sucking on the plastic mouthpiece and not following her directions. Her report also stated that Hittner told her that *874 he could not blow hard enough because he was sick and on medication. Hittner smelled of alcohol and admitted to having three beers. One half-full container of beer was found on the center console of Hittner's car. He admitted to coming from the bar (T-Joe's). He also admitted to taking medications, all of which had a warning sticker "DO NOT USE WITH ALCOHOL." The medications were Cymbalta, Alprazolam, Skelaxin and Celebrex.

[¶ 5] Wyoming's implied consent laws are found at Wyo. Stat. Ann. §§ 31-6-101 through 31-6-108 (LexisNexis 2007) (some portions of those statutes were amended after the date of Hittner's offense, but none of those amendments are pertinent to this appeal). We set out a portion of § 31-6-102 because it contains the part of that act which is most directly pertinent to the issues raised in this appeal:

§ 31-6-102. Test to determine alcoholic or controlled substance content of blood; suspension of license.
(a) If arrested for an offense as defined by W.S. 31-5-233:
(i) Any person who drives or is in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon a public street or highway in this state is deemed to have given consent, subject to the provisions of this act, to a chemical test or tests of his blood, breath or urine for the purpose of determining the alcohol concentration or controlled substance content of his blood. The test or tests shall be:
(A) Incidental to a lawful arrest;
(B) Given as promptly as possible after the arrest;
(C) Administered at the direction of a peace officer who has probable cause to believe the person was driving or in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon a public street or highway in this state in violation of W.S. 31-5-233(b) or any other law prohibiting driving under the influence as defined by W.S. 31-5-233(a)(v). The peace officer who requires a test for alcohol concentration pursuant to this section may direct that the test shall be of blood, breath or urine. However, if the officer directs that the test be of the person's blood or urine, the person may choose whether the test shall be of blood or urine. The person shall not have the option if the peace officer has probable cause to believe there is impairment by a controlled substance which is not subject to testing by a breath test in which case a blood or urine test may be required, as directed by the peace officer.
(ii) For tests required under this act, the arrested person shall be advised that:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2008 WY 91, 189 P.3d 872, 2008 WL 2941863, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-hittner-wyo-2008.