State, Ex Rel. Wilson v. Nash

324 N.E.2d 774, 41 Ohio App. 2d 201, 70 Ohio Op. 2d 409, 1974 Ohio App. LEXIS 2699
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 5, 1974
Docket33928
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 324 N.E.2d 774 (State, Ex Rel. Wilson v. Nash) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State, Ex Rel. Wilson v. Nash, 324 N.E.2d 774, 41 Ohio App. 2d 201, 70 Ohio Op. 2d 409, 1974 Ohio App. LEXIS 2699 (Ohio Ct. App. 1974).

Opinion

Krenzler, J.

Relator, Henry J. Wilson, filed an original complaint for a Writ of Prohibition in this court, seeking to prohibit the Municipal Court of Cleveland Heights from receiving evidence in any further criminal proeedings against him. 1

The relevant facts are:

Defendant was arrested without a warrant on August 25, 1971 for driving under the influence of alcohol, 2 in violation of Section 731.03 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Cleveland 1 Heights. The arresting officers did not observe the defendant driving the car. He was taken to the *203 Cleveland Heights Police Station and a chemical breathalyzer test was administered pursuant to R. C. 4511.19 and R. C. 4511.191.

Defendant demanded a jury trial and also filed a motion to challenge the array of jurors. The motion was overruled on April 6, 1972. He also filed a motion to suppress the results of the chemical test, and following a hearing on this motion said motion was sustained and the defendant discharged on April 6, 1972. (Case Number 68423.)

On April 8, 1972 warrants were issued for the defendant’s arrest on charges of driving while intoxicated on August 25, 1971, in violation of R. C. 4511.19 and on a neAV charge of intoxication, in violation of Section 947.01 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Cleveland Heights.

On April 14, 1972 defendant filed a motion to quash the affidavit and warrant and a motion to suppress evidence and dismiss the case. Hearings on the motions were held on April 25, 1972, and the motion to quash the affidavit and warrant and the motion to suppress and dismiss were all overruled and the case was set for trial. (Case Number 70817.)

The defendant at the time of trial entered a plea of once in jeopardy, and this plea was overruled. The case then went to trial before a jury and the defendant was found guilty of driving while intoxicated, and the intoxication charge was dismissed.

The defendant took an appeal and the pertinent assignments of error were:

1. That the court erred in failing to grant the motion to quash the affidavit and for failure to dismiss the affidavit for driving while under the influence of alcohol for the reason that prosecution Avas barred by “Double Jeopardy. ’ ’

2. That the court erred in dismissing the plea of “once in jeopardy.”

3. That the court erred in overruling a motion to suppress evidence of breathalyzer result in Case No. 70817, where on an identical issue in the first Case No. 68423, the court sustained the same motion for the reason that the *204 court was bound in the second case by its decision in the first case.

The first and second assignments of error dealt with double jeopardy and were considered together and were not well taken.

We held that the defendant was not placed in double jeopardy because he did not have a trial. He was discharged because of an illegal arrest prior to trial, and this did not constitute double jeopardy. This was best evidenced by the transcript of testimony taken on April 6, 1972.

“The Court: Well, the law is very clear. To arrest someone for a misdemeanor, the crime has to be committed in the presence of the person making the arrest. The motion to suppress the evidence is sustained. The defendant is discharged: t Í * # #

“The Court: Look, Mr. Prosecutor, the law is the law. The statute says, and I know what you are saying, but the law says that in order to place an arrest for a misdemeanor, it has to be committed in the presence of the arresting officer. Now, they both admitted that they didn’t see him driving. (Í # # *

“The Court: That is correct, and they had plenty of time to secure a warrant for D. W. I., and they didn’t do it. They could have arrested him for intoxication. it# # *

“The Court: The law is the law, and you are bound by it the same as he is. * * *”

The third assignment of error was well taken. On April 6,1972 the trial court ruled that the defendant’s arrest was illegal because a warrant had not been obtained and the police officers had not seen the defendant driving the automobile. Because of this illegal arrest the result of the breathalyzer test was suppressed.

A breathalyzer test following an illegal arrest is not a valid test and cannot be used in a trial. The trial court was bound by its previous ruling, suppressing the illegally obtained breathalyzer test.

*205 If there was an illegal arrest a breathalyzer test may not be given, but if the test was given following an illegal arrest, the results of the test must be suppressed and not used at the trial.

We held that the trial court committed prejudicial error in overruling the defendant’s motion to suppress the results of the illegal breathalyzer test and in allowing it to be introduced as evidence against the relator.

The judgment of the trial court was reversed and the case remanded for further proceedings according to law. Following the reversal and remand, the trial court proceeded to reschedule the case for trial.

The relator then filed his complaint for a Writ of Prohibition on August 12, 1974 seeking to prohibit the Municipal Court of Cleveland Heights from conducting any further criminal proceedings against him.

Kenneth S. Nash, respondent in this action, filed a motion to dismiss the complaint in prohibition on the grounds that the complaint does not state a claim upon which relief can be granted and that there exists an adequate remely at law by way of appeal from any decision of the trial court.

The issues to be resolved in this case are: (1) does the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court have jurisdiction to hear this case? (2) may a person who is illegally arrested without a warrant for driving while intoxicated and who was discharged before trial be subsequently arrested with a warrant and tried for the same offense for which he was previously discharged? (3) does the relator have an adequate remedy at law, or should the Writ of Prohibition be granted? (4) if the Writ of Prohibition is not granted, and the defendant is tried for driving while intoxicated, may the results of the breathalyzer test and any other evidence obtained following the illegal arrest on August 25, 1971 be used at the trial?

I.

There is no question that the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court has jurisdiction and authority to try cases in which persons are charged with driving while intoxicated *206 in violation of state law (R. C. 4511.19) or similar municipal ordinances (R. C. 1901.20).

II.

A police officer may arrest a person without a warrant for a misdemeanor, such as driving while intoxicated, if he sees the offense being committed. R. C. 2935.03. Also see Slate v. McCrory (1972), 31 Ohio App.

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Bluebook (online)
324 N.E.2d 774, 41 Ohio App. 2d 201, 70 Ohio Op. 2d 409, 1974 Ohio App. LEXIS 2699, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-wilson-v-nash-ohioctapp-1974.