Sartin v. State

1980 OK CR 65, 617 P.2d 219, 1980 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 182
Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma·Decided August 18, 1980·No. F-78-183·Published·Cited by 18 cases

Opinions

OPINION

CORNISH, Presiding Judge:

The appellant was convicted of the crime of Manslaughter in the First Degree in the District Court of Marshall County, Case No. CRF-77-02. Punishment was set at ten (10) years in the State penitentiary.

On April 29, 1980, this Court promulgated an opinion in the above styled and numbered cause reversing and remanding the case for a new trial. Subsequently, the State timely filed its petition for rehearing. Pursuant to an order of this Court dated May 20, 1980, the appellant was ordered to file a response brief to the petition for rehearing.

All briefs having now been filed and carefully considered by this Court, we are of the opinion that the result reached in the first opinion is correct. The prior opinion of this Court dated April 29, 1980, is hereby ordered withdrawn from publication and the motion for oral argument is denied.

The record reflects that the appellant crossed the center lane while driving on Highway 70 on August 23, 1976, resulting in a head-on collision with a pickup truck in which the deceased, Maurice Milton Carter, was a passenger. Although he sustained personal injuries, the appellant exhibited a glassy stare at the time of the accident but appeared to be in no pain. Several witnesses, including an emergency room physician, attributed this condition to drug intoxication.

I

The appellant first argues that the testimony of State’s witness, Dr. Wade Warren, as to the results of a chemical analysis report represented inadmissible hearsay. The State responds by asserting that if hearsay was involved the appellant invited the error and has now waived his right to complain, citing Henson v. State, Okl.Cr., 551 P.2d 1152 (1976).

Both parties fail to argue the law applicable to the factual situation before us. Admissibility of the results of a chemical analysis report previously has been considered by this Court and is not a hearsay question.

Here, the blood test was taken by a doctor at a highway patrolman’s request, pursuant to 47 O.S.Supp.1975, § 751, et seq., known as the “implied consent” statute. At trial, the defense counsel inquiréd of the emergency room physician whether a blood sample was taken from the appellant. The doctor replied affirmatively. Then on redirect examination, over objection by the appellant, the State was allowed to question this doctor as to the results of the test. The doctor stated, “The report I saw indicated there were drugs in the blood present.”

In State v. Wood, Okl.Cr., 576 P.2d 1181 (1978), we held that the implied consent statute means that a person driving upon the public roads gives his implied consent to a blood test in the event he is rendered unconscious as a result of an automobile collision and the police have probable cause to believe he was driving while intoxicated. We further held therein that an individual must be given the opportunity, when he regains consciousness, to revoke his consent, in which case the blood test and its results would not be admissible.

Guidelines to be followed in all future cases having the same pertinent facts were established in State v. Wood, supra:

“... (1) [Ojfficers attempting to take blood or breath from an unconscious defendant must have probable cause to search, as required in Schmerber v. California, 384 U.S. 757, 86 S.Ct. 1826, 16 L.Ed.2d 908 (1966), and as required by 47 [221] O.S.Supp.1975, § 751; (2) the person sought to be tested must be unconscious, or so near thereto as to be incapable of consent; (3) when the person regains consciousness, at some opportune time, he must be given an opportunity to revoke his consent to the taking of the blood test. This can be done at trial, preliminary, or prior to any hearing. However, the decision, once made, is binding. Thus, where the crime charged is a felony the decision would have to be made at preliminary hearing or prior thereto; (4) it is not necessary that the State provide defendant with the results of the test prior to his decision; (5) if the defendant has already been charged at the time he is asked to make his decision he is entitled to the assistance of counsel.”

Before considering the present case in the context of State v. Wood, supra, we feel compelled to point out that, while the guidelines set forth therein are still viable, the reasoning in that case is misplaced. The case of Bailey v. City of Tulsa, Okl.Cr., 491 P.2d 316 (1971), relied on in Wood, and the discussion on self-incrimination was effectively overruled in State v. Thomason, Okl.Cr., 538 P.2d 1080 (1975).

Thomason held that the particular phraseology contained within Art. II, § 21, of the Oklahoma Constitution, dealing with self-incrimination, is simply declaratory of the common law and not a grant of broader protection than that embodied within the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The case overruled authorities to the contrary1 and went on to hold:

"... We have already recognized that the origin and history of the privilege in common law prohibited testimonial compulsion but did not preclude that compulsion making the suspect or accused the source of real or physical evidence. ...” (Citations omitted)

Therefore, because a blood test is physical evidence rather than testimonial, a defendant’s consent or lack thereof is not within the purview of Art. II, § 21, Oklahoma Constitution, or the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Rather, as indicated in the guidelines to Wood v. State, supra, the removal of a blood sample is to be considered in a Fourth Amendment context. And as stated in Schmerber v. California, 384 U.S. 757, 767, 86 S.Ct. 1826, 1834, 16 L.Ed.2d 1826 (1966), “But if compulsory administration of a blood test does not implicate the Fifth Amendment, it plainly involves the broadly conceived reach of a search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment.”

We now turn to the facts before us. Both a witness at the scene, who had considerable first aid training and experience with drug cases involving soldiers in Viet Nam, and a highway patrolman testified that they had observed what appeared to be drug intoxication in the appellant. The emergency room doctor testified that the appellant appeared to be in a “euphoretic condition” and, in his opinion, was not in shock. It was the doctor’s impression that the appellant was under the influence of some type of drug. Under these circumstances, we think it clear that there was probable cause to take blood from the appellant under Schmerber v. California, supra, and under 47 O.S.Supp.1975, § 751.2

But the record before us is silent concerning whether the appellant consented to the blood test. This court cannot assume [222] that silence indicates consent. Under the implied consent statute, a conscious person has the right to refuse to submit to the test, and equal protection requires that an unconscious person be afforded the same right of refusal as that given a conscious person. We hold that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of the blood test and its results.

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

Sartin v. State, 1980 OK CR 65, 617 P.2d 219, 1980 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 182 (Okla. Ct. App. 1980).

1980 OK CR 65 (Sartin v. State) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

CRIPPS v. STATE
2016 OK CR 14 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 2016)
Goodman v. Commonwealth
558 S.E.2d 555 (Court of Appeals of Virginia, 2002)
Dennis v. State
1999 OK CR 23 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1999)
Woolverton v. Multi-County Grand Jury Oklahoma County
1993 OK CR 42 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1993)
State v. Shepherd
1992 OK CR 69 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1992)
Webb v. State ex rel. Department of Public Safety
1992 OK CIV APP 131 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1992)
Abdoo v. State Ex Rel. Department of Public Safety
788 P.2d 1389 (Court of Civil Appeals of Oklahoma, 1990)
State v. Johnston
779 P.2d 556 (New Mexico Court of Appeals, 1989)
Jennings v. State
1987 OK CR 219 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1987)
Marr v. State
1987 OK CR 173 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1987)
State v. Neasbitt
1987 OK CR 55 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1987)
Sartin v. State
1980 OK CR 65 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1980)