Mahlendorf v. Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles

538 N.W.2d 773, 4 Neb. Ct. App. 108, 1995 Neb. App. LEXIS 333
CourtNebraska Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 24, 1995
DocketA-94-054
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 538 N.W.2d 773 (Mahlendorf v. Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mahlendorf v. Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, 538 N.W.2d 773, 4 Neb. Ct. App. 108, 1995 Neb. App. LEXIS 333 (Neb. Ct. App. 1995).

Opinions

Howard, District Judge, Retired.

The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles appeals from a district court order which reversed the department’s revocation of Charles L. Mahlendorf’s driver’s license. Mahlendorf had his license revoked pursuant to the automatic license revocation provisions of Neb. Rev. Stat. § 39-669.15 et seq. (Reissue 1988 & Cum. Supp. 1992). Mahlendorf cross-appeals, alleging that the district court erred when it did not award him attorney fees. For the reasons stated below, we reverse the district court’s order and dismiss the cross-appeal.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

Mahlendorf was arrested on April 4, 1993, and had his license impounded pursuant to §§ 39-669.15 through 39-669.18. These sections have since been transferred to Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 60-6,205 through 60-6,208 (Reissue 1993), but the transfer of the sections and renumbering of the sections has no substantive bearing on the case at hand. Mahlendorf filed a petition for an administrative hearing on April 14, resisting the automatic license revocation. Mahlendorf requested that the rules of evidence be used during the hearing, and his request was granted. The department requested a continuance of the hearing, and an administrative hearing was held on May 13.

The department offered the testimony of Aurora police officer Benjamin Penick, who testified that as a result of his contact with Mahlendorf, Penick had filed a sworn report with the department. The attorney representing the department then offered the sworn report into evidence, but Mahlendorf objected to the offer on the basis of foundation, and the objection was sustained by the hearing officer. The department’s attorney then [110]*110stated that the document was not offered

to prove the truth of the matter assertive [sic] therein but to show that Officer Penick did file it with the Department of Motor Vehicles, and that it stated the things contained on the face of it when it was submitted, but that the document is not being offered as proof of anything. It’s not being offered to prove the truth of the matter assertive [sic] on the document, rather simply to show that it was filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles on this day. And that the Director has jurisdiction over this matter.

Mahlendorfis attorney stated he had no objection if the offer of the report was only for that purpose, and the hearing officer then accepted the report into evidence “to establish jurisdictional grounds and to show that the sworn report was filed by Officer Penick but will not be considered for the truth of the matters asserted therein.” The department did not offer further evidence, and Mahlendorf offered no evidence at the hearing. The director of the department ordered that Mahlendorfis license be revoked for 90 days, effective May 19, 1993.

Mahlendorf appealed the director’s decision to the district court, alleging that the director erred when he revoked Mahlendorfis license because the department had failed to establish a prima facie case. The district court found that because the department had offered and received the sworn report of Penick solely for the purpose of establishing jurisdiction and to show the sworn report was filed,

[t]here was no other competent evidence received at the contest hearing that would support a finding that the law enforcement officer had probable cause; that the appellant was lawfully arrested; that the appellant was advised of the consequences or that the appellant was operating or in the actual physical control of a motor vehicle.
The consideration by the Director of [the sworn report] to establish the prima facie case for revocation was error because it was not offered or received for that purpose

The district court held that the department had failed to [111]*111establish a prima facie case for revocation and therefore vacated the director’s order. The department appeals.

ASSIGNMENTS OF ERROR

The department alleges that the district court erred when it found that the department had failed to establish a prima facie case and when it reversed the order revoking Mahlendorf’s driver’s license.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

In an appeal under the Administrative Procedure Act, the appeal shall be taken in the manner provided by law for appeals in civil cases, and the judgment rendered or final order made by the district court may be reversed, vacated, or modified for errors appearing on the record. James v. Harvey, 246 Neb. 329, 518 N.W.2d 150 (1994). In an appeal under the Administrative Procedure Act, an appellate court reviews the judgment of the district court for errors appearing on the record and will not substitute its factual findings for those of the district court where competent evidence supports those findings. Abdullah v. Nebraska Dept. of Corr. Servs., 245 Neb. 545, 513 N.W.2d 877 (1994). When reviewing for errors appearing on the record, the inquiry is whether the decision conforms to the law, is supported by competent evidence, and is neither arbitrary, capricious, nor unreasonable. Lee v. Nebraska State Racing Comm., 245 Neb. 564, 513 N.W.2d 874 (1994).

ANALYSIS

We are guided in our analysis of this case by the recent Nebraska Supreme Court opinion in McPherrin v. Conrad, 248 Neb. 561, 537 N.W.2d 498 (1995). In McPherrin, the court noted that before adoption of the automatic license revocation provisions of § 39-669.15 (Cum. Supp. 1992), the administrative revocation of driver’s licenses in association with driving while intoxicated occurred when a driver, arrested for driving while intoxicated, refused to submit to a chemical test of his or her blood, breath, or urine. See § 39-669.15 (Reissue 1974). Under the old statute, when an arrested driver refused to submit to the test, the arresting officer was required to make a sworn report to the director of the Department of Motor [112]*112Vehicles. The statute provided that the report must state (1) that the driver was validly arrested pursuant to the implied consent statute and the reasons for such an arrest, (2) that the driver was requested to submit to the required chemical test, and (3) that the driver refused to submit to the test.

Section 39-669.16 (Reissue 1974) required the director to notify the driver of the' date of a hearing regarding the reasonableness of the driver’s refusal to submit to the test. The statute further provided that after the hearing, “if it is not shown to the director that such refusal to submit to such chemical test was reasonable, the director shall summarily revoke the motor vehicle operator’s license.”

The Nebraska Supreme Court in Mackey v. Director of Department of Motor Vehicles, 194 Neb. 707, 235 N.W.2d 394

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Scott v. STATE, DEPT. OF MOTOR VEHICLES
703 N.W.2d 266 (Nebraska Court of Appeals, 2005)
Mahlendorf v. Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles
538 N.W.2d 773 (Nebraska Court of Appeals, 1995)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
538 N.W.2d 773, 4 Neb. Ct. App. 108, 1995 Neb. App. LEXIS 333, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mahlendorf-v-nebraska-department-of-motor-vehicles-nebctapp-1995.