Kalisek v. Abramson

599 N.W.2d 834, 257 Neb. 517, 1999 Neb. LEXIS 152
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 20, 1999
DocketS-98-468
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 599 N.W.2d 834 (Kalisek v. Abramson) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kalisek v. Abramson, 599 N.W.2d 834, 257 Neb. 517, 1999 Neb. LEXIS 152 (Neb. 1999).

Opinion

McCormack, J.

NATURE OF CASE

Mindy L. Kalisek appeals the order of the district court for Dodge County affirming the order of the director of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Alvin Abramson, revoking Kalisek’s operator’s license pursuant to the administrative license revocation (ALR) provisions, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-6,205 through 60-6,208 (Reissue 1993 & Cum. Supp. 1996). We granted Kalisek’s petition to bypass the Nebraska Court of Appeals, and we now affirm.

*519 BACKGROUND

On December 23, 1997, Kalisek was stopped by Fremont police officers John Headid and Michaela Kubat for failing to signal before making a lane change. When the officers approached Kalisek, Kubat smelled the odor of alcohol emitting from Kalisek and noticed that her speech was slurred and mumbled. Headid also smelled the odor of alcohol and noticed that Kalisek’s eyes were bloodshot and watery. Kalisek admitted to both officers that she had been drinking. The officers requested Kalisek to perform field sobriety tests, and her performance on these tests indicated signs of impairment. Kubat also administered a preliminary breath test, which Kalisek failed. Kalisek was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,196 (Reissue 1993), and was transported to the Fremont Police Department. At the police department, Kalisek was asked to submit to a chemical test of her breath, to which she complied, and the results of the test indicated that she had a breath alcohol content of .196 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. Pursuant to § 60-6,205, Kubat prepared a “Notice/Swom Report/Temporary License” (sworn report) form and Kubat and Headid both signed it in the presence of a notary public. Kubat read Kalisek the verbal notice of license revocation and gave her a copy of the sworn report and a “Petition for Administrative Hearing” form with a preaddressed envelope. The DMV received the sworn report; Kalisek filed a petition for hearing with the DMV, and a hearing was held pursuant to a notice of hearing mailed to Kalisek. Based on the hearing, the director of the DMV found that Kubat and Headid had probable cause to believe Kalisek was operating a motor vehicle in violation of § 60-6,196, and suspended Kalisek’s driver’s license for 90 days effective January 22,1998. Kalisek appealed the director’s decision to the district court, which stayed the revocation of Kalisek’s license pending final resolution of the matter. The district court ultimately affirmed the director’s decision, lifted the stay, and reinstated the revocation of Kalisek’s driver’s license.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

Kalisek alleges that the trial court erred in not finding (1) that § 60-6,196 was in violation of Neb. Const, art. H, § 1, the sepa *520 ration of powers clause, and Neb. Const, art. IV, § 13, the commutation clause, or (2) that § 60-6,205 was in violation of Neb. Const, art. Ill, § 18, the prohibition against special legislation clause.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

Whether a statute is constitutional is a question of law, with respect to which an appellate court has an obligation to reach a conclusion independent of that of the trial court. State v. Cushman, 256 Neb. 335, 589 N.W.2d 533 (1999); State v. Divis, 256 Neb. 328, 589 N.W.2d 537 (1999). A statute is presumed to be constitutional, and all reasonable doubts will be resolved in favor of its constitutionality. Schindler v. Department of Motor Vehicles, 256 Neb. 782, 593 N.W.2d 295 (1999).

ANALYSIS

Separation of Powers

Kalisek alleges that § 60-6,196 violates the separation of powers clause and the commutation clause because § 60-6,196(8) provides:

Any person who has been convicted of driving while intoxicated for the first time or any person convicted of driving while intoxicated who has never been assessed for alcohol abuse shall, during a presentence evaluation, submit to and participate in an alcohol assessment____At the time of sentencing, the judge, having reviewed the assessment results, may then order the convicted person to follow through on the alcohol assessment results at the convicted person’s expense in lieu of or in addition to any penalties deemed necessary.

(Emphasis supplied.)

Kalisek argues that this provision represents an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority, alleging that it gives commutation powers to the judiciary.

Section 60-6,196 is a criminal DUI statute and is not part of the statutory scheme for an ALR. The ALR statutes are not criminal proceedings, but are civil proceedings that may result in a civil sanction. See State v. Howell, 254 Neb. 247, 575 N.W.2d 861 (1998). The ALR statutes and the criminal statutes *521 present clearly distinct mechanisms for enforcement, adjudication, and appeal. State v. Cushman, supra. Kalisek is trying to attack a criminal statute, not in an appeal from her criminal conviction, but instead in an appeal from an ALR.

We note that Kalisek raised this issue on appeal from her criminal conviction, case No. S-98-816, which was summarily affirmed on February 10, 1999, pursuant to Neb. Ct. R. of Prac. 7A(1) (rev. 1996), based upon our decision in State v. Divis, supra, and State v. Cushman, supra.

Standing to challenge the constitutionality of a statute under the federal or state Constitution depends upon whether one is, or is about to be, adversely affected by the language in question; to establish standing, the contestant must show that as a consequence of the alleged unconstitutionality, the contestant is, or is about to be, deprived of a protected right. State v. Cushman, supra.

While the ALR provisions and criminal prohibition against DUI relate to the same subject matter, the validity of § 60-6,196 is completely irrelevant to the instant case, which presents Kalisek’s appeal from her license revocation pursuant to § 60-6,205, an ALR provision. The record in this case does not demonstrate that the operation of § 60-6,196 is depriving or is about to deprive Kalisek of any constitutionally protected right. It is clear that Kalisek lacks standing to challenge § 60-6,196 in her present appeal.

Special Legislation

Kalisek next claims that § 60-6,205 violates the prohibition on special legislation found in Neb. Const, art.

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Bluebook (online)
599 N.W.2d 834, 257 Neb. 517, 1999 Neb. LEXIS 152, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kalisek-v-abramson-neb-1999.