Robert Corey Hildebrandt v. the State of Texas

CourtTexas Court of Appeals, 3rd District (Austin)
DecidedJune 25, 2026
Docket03-24-00495-CR
StatusPublished

This text of Robert Corey Hildebrandt v. the State of Texas (Robert Corey Hildebrandt v. the State of Texas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Texas Court of Appeals, 3rd District (Austin) primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Robert Corey Hildebrandt v. the State of Texas, (Tex. Ct. App. 2026).

Opinion

TEXAS COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT, AT AUSTIN

NO. 03-24-00495-CR

Robert Corey Hildebrandt, Appellant

v.

The State of Texas, Appellee

FROM THE 368TH DISTRICT COURT OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY NO. 22-1512-K368, THE HONORABLE SARAH SOELDNER BRUCHMILLER, JUDGE PRESIDING

MEMORANDUM OPINION

In his sole issue on appeal, Appellant Robert Corey Hildebrandt contends that the

trial court erred when it denied his motion to suppress the results of a blood draw taken pursuant to

a search warrant after his arrest for felony driving while intoxicated. See Tex. Penal Code

§§ 49.04(a), .09(b). Because we conclude that the trial court did not abuse its discretion when it

denied the motion to suppress, we affirm the trial court’s judgment of conviction.

BACKGROUND

Hildebrandt was arrested for driving while intoxicated. The arresting officer, Officer

Gannon Hurney with the Cedar Park Police Department, obtained a search warrant to have

Hildebrandt’s blood drawn, which was done at the Williamson County Jail by medical technician

David Miller. Hildebrandt filed a motion to suppress the results. He argued that the manner in which the blood draw was conducted violated his Fourth Amendment protection against

unreasonable searches and seizures.

A hearing was held on the motion to suppress. A video recording of the blood draw

was admitted into evidence. The recording came from a wall-mounted camera located in a back

corner of the room. The recording depicts Hildebrandt sitting in the opposite corner of the room in

a blood-draw chair. Officer Hurney and a deputy with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office

were in the room observing. Miller introduced himself and stated that he was a medical officer that

worked at the jail, a qualified technician, a certified EMT Basic—emergency medical technician—

and a trained phlebotomist with three years’ experience. He stated that he was going to perform a

blood draw. Hildebrandt responded, “Yeah, right.” Miller asked, “Can I see your arm?”

Hildebrandt responded, “No, y’all will have to do the whole spiel, tie me up.” Miller asked

Hildebrandt if he knew that there was warrant, and Hildebrandt responded, “Yeah, cool, I’ll wait for

you to do it.” A restraint chair was brought in and additional deputies assisted with moving

Hildebrandt to the chair and applying the restraints. Hildebrandt did not struggle against the

deputies while they led him to the chair and attached the straps.

While Hildebrandt was being restrained in the chair, Miller started unboxing the

blood-draw kit. While doing so, he showed Officer Hurney his hand and commented that it was

shaking. Officer Hurney asked him if it was from caffeine, and Miller responded affirmatively.

Miller also noted that there was a discrepancy between the expiration dates on the outside of the

blood-draw kit’s box and on the tubes inside. Miller explained to Officer Hurney that the box was

labeled September 31st, which he noted does not exist, and the tubes were labeled September 30th.

He reassured Officer Hurney that it was not a problem because both of those dates were in

the future.

2 Once Hildebrandt was secure in the chair, Miller began the blood draw on

Hildebrandt’s right arm. During the draw, Hildebrandt commented, “You’ve been doing this for

three years and you shake that bad.” Miller responded, “No man, that’s just the caffeine. I’ve been

drinking caffeine for like twelve years and I still shake from it.” In response to an apparent delay or

difficulty with finding a vein, Hildebrandt asked Miller, “Are you just guessing or what?” A few

minutes later Miller had a vial of blood in his hand but stated that it was not enough to be tested.

Miller then moved to Hildebrandt’s left arm for a few minutes and appeared to be looking for a vein

before moving back to Hildebrandt’s right side.

Miller began the process of attempting to find a vein suitable for the blood draw in

Hildebrandt’s right hand. He applied a tourniquet to Hildebrandt’s right wrist. He asked

Hildebrandt to make a fist, and Hildebrandt replied, “No, I’m pretty good, you’re going to have to

wait for this one.” Miller attempted to locate a vein for about a minute before removing the

tourniquet. He cleaned the area with hydrogen peroxide and reapplied the tourniquet. Miller

apologized for something while reapplying the tourniquet, with no response from Hildebrandt.

Miller began collecting a blood sample from Hildebrandt’s right hand. About a minute and a half

into the blood draw, Hildebrandt stated, “My hand’s turning purple, bro.” Miller responded, “Yeah,

you’ll be alright.” Miller finished the blood draw and removed the tourniquet one minute after the

exchange regarding Hildebrandt’s hand turning purple. The observing deputies took Hildebrandt

out of the room while still in the restraint chair. It took Miller approximately sixteen minutes to

collect the two samples, not including the time it took for him to set up and for deputies to put

Hildebrandt in the restraint chair. The tourniquet was on Hildebrandt’s right wrist for one minute,

off for two minutes, and on again for two-and-a-half minutes.

3 After the blood draw, Miller and Officer Hurney remained in the room. Officer

Hurney said to Miller, “Sorry about that.” Miller responded, “Naw, it is what it is. I had that first

vein then my hand kept shaking, I was like, Freaking A.” Officer Hurney responded, “He made it

harder for you.” Miller responded, “Naw, I don’t think that would have made too much of a

difference. I shook myself out of the vein.” Miller then attempted to place one of the vials of blood

into a tube but dropped it on the ground before picking it up and successfully putting it in the tube.

During the suppression hearing, the defense called Hildebrandt. He testified that

Miller’s hands were shaking during the blood draw and that it concerned him because the needle

was moving around and was “uncomfortable.” He testified that his hand was turning purple. He

testified that the entire process was uncomfortable for him because he was strapped to a chair, he

was stuck with a needle multiple times—he testified three times—and there were six officers and

deputies around him. He testified that he had a bruise on his right arm from the blood draw that

was painful and lasted two-and-a-half weeks. He described it as being about two to three inches

long and two inches wide. A photo was admitted into evidence that Hildebrandt testified he took of

his bruise six days after the blood draw. He testified that he was not “squirming around” or doing

anything else to make the blood draw more difficult. He testified that he had had many blood

draws done in the past both from donating blood and for medical purposes and that they had never

resulted in bruising like he experienced from this one. However, he also testified that he stopped

donating blood after he experienced “internal bleeding,” and that at least once during his prior

blood draw experiences, a phlebotomist had difficulty finding his vein.

On cross-examination by the State, Hildebrandt agreed that the blood test revealed

that his blood alcohol level was .13 at the time his blood was drawn and that his recollection of the

4 events was from the perspective of being inebriated above the legal limit. He agreed that he did not

complain about being in pain or show signs of being in extreme pain during the blood draw.

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