State of Iowa v. David Patrick Brewer

918 N.W.2d 502
CourtCourt of Appeals of Iowa
DecidedApril 18, 2018
Docket16-1117
StatusPublished

This text of 918 N.W.2d 502 (State of Iowa v. David Patrick Brewer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State of Iowa v. David Patrick Brewer, 918 N.W.2d 502 (iowactapp 2018).

Opinion

BOWER, Judge.

David Patrick Brewer appeals his conviction for operating while intoxicated, first offense, in violation of Iowa Code section 321J.2 (2015). Brewer claims the district court abused its discretion in imposing its sentence and should have granted his motion to suppress. He also claims the evidence was insufficient to convict him of operating while intoxicated. We find the district court considered an unproven or uncharged offense during sentencing. We also find the district properly denied Brewer's motion to suppress and there was sufficient evidence to convict Brewer. We affirm Brewer's conviction, vacate Brewer's sentence, and remand for resentencing before a different judge.

I. Background Facts and Proceedings

In December 2015, Brewer was driving west on interstate 80. Brewer's vehicle struck the concrete barrier in the median of the interstate. The vehicle then veered through three lanes of west-bound traffic, drove into the ditch dividing the highway and on-ramp, jumped over the on-ramp, continued to drive through the ditch area of the on-ramp, across the north-bound lanes of 14th Street, struck a car on the south-bound lanes of 14th Street, and pushed both vehicles into the ditch. The driver of the other vehicle suffered serious injuries.

Brewer was transported to the hospital. An Iowa State Patrol trooper arrived and noted Brewer's eyes were bloodshot and watery, he had dilated pupils, and his heart rate was elevated. Brewer admitted to the trooper he had been drinking alcohol the previous night and had smoked marijuana approximately four days before the accident. Brewer answered many of the trooper's questions but was unable to recall the accident. While being questioned, Brewer had a seizure. The trooper requested a doctor sign a certification indicating Brewer was unable to consent or refuse to provide a sample of bodily fluids, which was granted. The trooper acquired a sample of urine, which tested positive for marijuana metabolites.

Brewer was charged with operating while intoxicated. He filed a motion to suppress, claiming the urine test should be excluded from evidence as there were no reasonable grounds to believe he was operating while intoxicated. The motion was denied. Brewer agreed to a trial on the minutes of evidence. Brewer was found guilty on June 9, 2016. Brewer was sentenced to 365 days imprisonment, and would be eligible for an electronic monitoring program after serving ninety days. Brewer now appeals.

II. Standard of Review

If a sentence is within the statutory limits, we review a district court's sentencing decision for an abuse of discretion. State v. Seats , 865 N.W.2d 545 , 552 (Iowa 2015). "Thus, our task on appeal is not to second-guess the decision made by the district court, but to determine if it was unreasonable or based on untenable grounds." Id . at 553. "In other words, the district court did not abuse its discretion if the evidence supports the sentence." Id .

Brewer challenges only the sufficiency of the evidence to invoke implied consent and does not challenge the seizure's constitutional sufficiency. Therefore, we review the district court's ruling on the motion to suppress for the correction of errors at law. See State v. Beckett , 532 N.W.2d 751 , 753 (Iowa 1995).

Claims that evidence is insufficient are reviewed for correction of errors at law. State v. Thomas , 847 N.W.2d 438 , 442 (Iowa 2014). We consider the entirety of the record in the light most favorable to the State, and the verdict will be upheld if it is supported by substantial evidence. See id . "Evidence that could convince a trier of fact the defendant is guilty of the crime charged beyond a reasonable doubt is substantial evidence." State v. Crone , 545 N.W.2d 267 , 270 (Iowa 1996).

III. Sentencing

Brewer first claims the district court abused its discretion by considering an uncharged, unproven offense, and by sentencing him to 365 days in jail, with eligibility for electronic monitoring after serving ninety days. Brewer claims he should have been given a more lenient sentence because it was his first OWI, he did not have a significant criminal history, and had been employed full time.

The district court stated

The question is, what is reasonable in terms of the sentencing? We all know that it could have been a vehicular homicide, a felony Class "C" perhaps even, but the victim lived, I guess. ... I'm hesitant anytime to throw someone in jail for 365 days. You're not going to be learning a whole bunch. Of course, you should be punished for the crime.

Brewer claims this statement amounts to the consideration of an uncharged or unproven offense. If the district court considers such unproven conduct, "[w]e will set aside a sentence and remand a case to the district court for resentencing." State v. Black , 324 N.W.2d 313 , 315 (Iowa 1982).

The other driver suffered serious injuries but survived the collision. Vehicular homicide was not charged or prosecuted nor do the minutes of evidence support a finding of vehicular homicide. The district court's statements imply it considered a more serious offense resulting in a stiffer sentence.

We find the district court considered an unproven or uncharged offense and remand the case for resentencing before a different judge. Id.

We also find the district court took into account permissible considerations to arrive at a sentence within the statutory limits. The district court's sentence was reasoned and based on valid considerations. We find no abuse of discretion. See Seats , 865 N.W.2d at 552 .

IV. Motion to Suppress

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Related

State v. Black
324 N.W.2d 313 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1982)
State v. Crone
545 N.W.2d 267 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1996)
State v. Christianson
627 N.W.2d 910 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 2001)
State v. Braun
495 N.W.2d 735 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1993)
State v. Beckett
532 N.W.2d 751 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1995)
State of Iowa v. Tremayne Latoine Thomas
847 N.W.2d 438 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 2014)
State of Iowa v. Damion John Seats
865 N.W.2d 545 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 2015)

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Bluebook (online)
918 N.W.2d 502, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-of-iowa-v-david-patrick-brewer-iowactapp-2018.