Park v. Commonwealth, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Driver Licensing

178 A.3d 274
CourtCommonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
DecidedJanuary 19, 2018
Docket522 C.D. 2017
StatusPublished
Cited by38 cases

This text of 178 A.3d 274 (Park v. Commonwealth, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Driver Licensing) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Park v. Commonwealth, Department of Transportation, Bureau of Driver Licensing, 178 A.3d 274 (Pa. Ct. App. 2018).

Opinion

OPINION BY

JUDGE SIMPSON

Nicole Park (Licensee) appeals from an order of the Court of Common Pleas of York County 1 (trial court) that denied her license suspension appeal'and reinstated the Department of Transportation, Bureau of Driver Licensing’s (DOT) one-year suspension of her operating privilege under 75 Pa. C.S. § 1547(b)(1)© for refusing to submit to a chemical test of her blood after being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), a violation of 75 Pa. C.S. § 3802. Licensee presents four issues for our review,-including whether the trial, court erred or abused its discretion in denying Licensee’s appeal where she could not make a knowing and conscious refusal because -of the arresting officer’s confusing and-changing instructions. For the reasons that follow, we affirm.

I.. Background

On Septémber 10, 2016, while on routine patrol on southbound Interstate 83 in Co-newago Township, York County, Pennsylvania State Trooper Raymond R. Rutter (Arresting Officer) observed a Ford Escape in front' of him weaving in and out of the right lane. The vehicle touched the fog line six times. Arresting Officer clocked the vehicle at 76 miles per hour (mph) in a 65 mph zone. Arresting Officer followed the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop. After a quarter of a mile, the vehicle stopped.

Arresting Officer then made contact with the driver, who identified herself as Licensee. Arresting Officer noticed Licensee had bloodshot and glassy eyes and that her speech was slurred. The Officer also noticed a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emanating from the vehicle. Arresting Officer asked Licensee to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety tests. Licensee complied with the officer’s requests, including his request for a preliminary or pre-arrest breath test (PBT). Licensee had trouble with her footing while exiting the vehicle and performing the tests. Licensee’s PBT indicated a blood alcohol content of .129. Arresting Officer believed the rating would have been higher if Licensee would have provided a full breath. The Officer then arrested Licensee for DUI and placed her in his patrol vehicle.

Once they were both in the vehicle, Arresting Officer advised Licensee that she would be asked to submit to a chemical test of her blood. Licensee advised Arresting Officer that she was going to refuse the ■ test. Arresting Officer then read DOT’s Form DL-26 to Licensee, which stated that a refusal to submit to chemical testing will result in a one-year suspension of her driving privilege. After reading Licensee the DL-26 warnings, Arresting Officer then asked Licensee to submit to the chemical test. Licensee again responded no.

Arresting Officer then transported Licensee to the booking center in York. On the way to the booking center, Arresting Officer twice asked Licensee if she realized she was refusing testing. Licensee responded in the affirmative both times. Arresting Officer then asked Licensee a third time if she was going to refuse testing. Licensee replied: ‘Yes, I am.” Tr. Ct. H’rg, Notes of Testimony (N.T.), 3/29/17, at 10-11. Arresting Officer then released Licensee to the officials at the booking center.

At the appeal hearing, Arresting Officer testified on cross-examination that Licensee repeatedly expressed concerns about how being arrested for DUI and submitting to chemical testing would affect her job as a teacher. See N.T. at 7,15. Arresting Officer further testified he could not recall whether he told Licensee that she would have time to consider whether to consent to the blood test on the way to the booking center. Id. at 15-16. Nonetheless, Arresting Officer recalled that Licensee advised him that she would not submit to chemical testing and that he then called the booking center. Id.

The trial court also played Arresting Officer’s dash-cam video. After watching the video, Arresting Officer confirmed he told Licensee she would have time to think about taking the blood test on the way to the booking center. N.T. at 21-22. Arresting Officer further testified he was the only one to sign the DL-26 Form; Licensee did not sign it. See Ex. D-l (attached to Appellee’s brief). To that end, Licensee produced a second DL-26 Form also designated to be used for blood tests. See Ex. D-2, DL-26B (attached to Appellee’s brief). On both forms, Arresting Officer signed the affidavit indicating Licensee was arrested for DUI and given the implied consent warnings and that she refused the blood test.

On re-direct examination, Arresting Officer confirmed that he again read Licensee the DL-26 warnings on the way to the booking center, and that Licensee never agreed to take the test. N.T. at 28. The vehicle audio recorder confirmed the conversation. Tr. Ct., Slip Op., 7/7/17, at 4.

In addition, Arresting Officer admitted that he turned his microphone off for 35 to 40 seconds during a phone conversation with his superior officer regarding the new law governing blood test refusals following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Birchfield v. North Dakota, — U.S.-, 136 S.Ct. 2160, 195 L.Ed.2d 560 (2016), which held that a state cannot criminally penalize a motorist for refusing to submit to a warrantless request for a blood test after being arrested for DUI. Arresting Officer testified that he inquired as to what steps he needed to take when a refusal occurred. N.T. at 26-27. Arresting Officer testified he did not believe the conversation with his supervisor was of evidentiary value. N.T. at 27.

Licensee also testified at the hearing. She stated she had never been in the backseat of a patrol car or in handcuffs before, and she became very anxious. N.T. at 33. Licensee asked Arresting Officer what was going to happen to her. Id. He replied that they would go to the booking center, she would take a blood test and then go to jail. Id Licensee then asked if she would have to take a blood test and Arresting Officer responded: “You can refuse if you want to.” Id at 34. Although Arresting Officer shortly thereafter requested that she submit to a blood test, Licensee testified: “I had already established in my brain that that [sic] was an option to not have to give the blood test.” Id.

Licensee further testified that she lost her composure, “kind of tuned out” and “kind of slumped in the back in the car.” Id. Licensee could not remember being read the DL-26 Form or refusing the blood test. Id. She further testified that she would not have refused the blood test had she known the punitive consequences. Id. at 34-35. Licensee did recall Arresting Officer saying “Excellent” when she gave her answer. Id at 35. Licensee interpreted “Excellent” as meaning that she was compliant with the officer’s requests. Id.

Nonetheless, on cross-examination, Licensee admitted that the dash-cam video (Ex. D-3) showed Arresting Officer reading her the DL-26 warnings. Id. at 35-36. However, Licensee testified she lost her composure during the car ride and “wasn’t really listening.” Id at 36-37. However, when asked if she ever told Arresting Officer that she wanted to take the blood test, Licensee answered: “No.” Id. at 37-38.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
178 A.3d 274, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/park-v-commonwealth-department-of-transportation-bureau-of-driver-pacommwct-2018.