Keller v. Paris

207 N.W.2d 239, 1973 N.D. LEXIS 175
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedApril 12, 1973
DocketCiv. No. 8877
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 207 N.W.2d 239 (Keller v. Paris) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Keller v. Paris, 207 N.W.2d 239, 1973 N.D. LEXIS 175 (N.D. 1973).

Opinion

ERICKSTAD, Judge.

The petitioner Pius Keller appeals from an order of the district court of Burleigh County, which dismisses his appeal from an order of the highway commissioner.

The commissioner’s order revokes an order made by Breen Kennelly, a hearing officer, which permitted Keller to secure a restricted driver’s license allowing him to drive a motor vehicle during daylight hours for a period of one year.

The dismissal of the appeal from the order of the highway commissioner reinstates an order of the highway commissioner which extended the revocation of Keller’s driving privileges for an additional period of one year, the petitioner having been convicted of driving a motor vehicle while his driver’s license was revoked. The extension order was made under Section 39-06^43, N.D.C.C. It was erroneously denominated a suspension by the commissioner’s agent.

Keller’s driver’s license had previously been revoked for a period of six months as a consequence of his having refused to submit to a test to determine the alcoholic content of his blood pursuant to the provisions of Section 39-20-04, N.D.C.C.

The Kennelly order which the commissioner by his order of May 18, 1972, revoked reads:

“An administrative hearing was held on April 3, 1972, in the Highway Department Building in Bismarck, North Dakota. The decision made by the Hearing Officer was that both Revocation Order #53554 and Suspension Order #61127 were to be sustained. It was further noted Revocation Order #53554 would be terminated on May 12, 1972; and Suspension Order #61127 would be in effect until February 29, 1973.
“It was felt by the Hearing Officer at that time that the Petitioner unquestionably had the revocation period of six months due because he had fulfilled the scope of the Implied Consent Law as stated in Section 39-20-01. The second Order issued for driving under revocation was made after proper records were received by the Safety Responsibility Division. The hearing brought out the fact that the Petitioner was misinformed by his attorney, who is no longer practicing, that a Stay Order had been obtained for him and that he was able to drive again.
“The Petitioner was arrested on April 8, 1971, and has been without a license at least six months during that time. If he is not able to work at his insurance job soon, he will be financially distressed.
“Therefore, I hereby order that Suspension Order #61127 be changed to read that Pius J. Keller shall be able to apply for a driver’s license which will state on it — for daylight hours only, until February 29, 1973.
[241]*241“Dated this 10th day of May, 1972, at Bismarck, North Dakota.”

The commissioner’s order revoking hearing officer Kennelly’s order reads :

“Attached is a Memorandum from Mr. Pederson with his legal interpretation of the above-referred statute as applicable to the Keller matter. As suggested by such Memorandum, I am hereby setting aside Mr. Kennelly’s decision of May 10, 1972.
“I am further directing Mr. Kennedy to hold hearings under Section 39-06-33, only when the suspension order to be reviewed is one issued pursuant to Section 39-06-32.
“Finally, I request that you provide a suitable form for future extensions of revocations and suspensions under Section 39-06-43 so as to eliminate possibilities of misinterpretation.”

The memorandum of Vernon R. Peder-son, the general counsel for the highway department, which is referred to in the commissioner’s order of May 18, reads:

“Mr. Kennedy conducted a hearing at the request of Mr. Keller and on May 10, 1972, made an Order directing a modification of a Suspension Order to permit Mr. Keller to obtain driving privileges during daylight hours only.
“Mr. Ellingson questioned the validity of issuing such restricted driving privileges at this time. I have examined the record and have concluded that the issuance of any restricted privileges would be contrary to law.
“The pertinent facts are as follows:
“1. April 15, 1971 — Order of Revocation issued under the provisions of Section 29-20-04 for refusal to submit to the implied consent test.
“2. May 9, 1971 — Surrendered driver’s license.
“3. May 11, 1971 — Convicted of DWI.
“4. May 18, 1971 — Arrested on charge of driving while under revocation.
“5. May 20, 1971 — Order of Revocation issued under the provisions of Section 39-06-31(6), that is, convicted of DWI.
“6. July 1, 1971 — Revocation or suspension stayed by Order of the District Court — license returned.
“7. January 4, 1972 — Revocation of April 15, 1971, reissued.
“8. January 12, 1972 — Surrendered driver’s license.
“9. January 17, 1972 — Convicted of driving while under revocation. This item relates to May 18, 1971, arrest.
“10. February 29, 1972 — Order of Suspension issued under the provisions of Section 39-06-43 for one year additional as a result of January 17, 1972, conviction.
“11. April 3, 1972 — Administrative hearing held under authority of Section 39-06-33.
“12. May 10, 1972 — Mr. Kennelly’s Order directing a modification of Suspension Order of February 29, 1972.
“The statutes applicable are at first glance somewhat confusing or contradictory, which led to the situation in this instance. The hearings conducted by Mr. Kennedy, when there has been a suspension of license, are covered by Section 39-06-33. This section is quite specific in authorizing the ‘modification’ of the Suspension Order and to that extent appears to supersede the provision of Section 39-06-03(2) which says the Commissioner ‘shall not issue any license to a person whose license has been suspended.’
[242]*242“A more careful reading of Section 39-06-33 in the light of the facts in the Keller Case discloses that the Suspension Order applicable to him was not a suspension under Section 39-06-32, and in fact should better have been an Order extending the previous Revocation Order. Therefore, he was not entitled to a hearing under 39-06-33 at all. That leaves us with a case where 39-06-03(2) is definitely applicable, and no license of any type can be issued to Mr. Keller at this time.
“I suggest that you direct that Mr. Kennedy’s decision of May 10, 1972, be set aside; that henceforth Mr. Kennedy examine ad requests for hearings on suspensions to make certain that the Suspension Order which was issued was one under Section 39-06-32; and that the Safety Responsibility Division make certain that a different form be used when extending a revocation under Section 39-06-43.”

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Bluebook (online)
207 N.W.2d 239, 1973 N.D. LEXIS 175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keller-v-paris-nd-1973.