State v. Cantrell

80 P.3d 345, 139 Idaho 409, 2003 Ida. App. LEXIS 124
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 12, 2003
Docket28655
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 80 P.3d 345 (State v. Cantrell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho 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 v. Cantrell, 80 P.3d 345, 139 Idaho 409, 2003 Ida. App. LEXIS 124 (Idaho Ct. App. 2003).

Opinions

WALTERS, Judge Pro Tem.

Derek Cantrell appeals from the order of the district court reversing the magistrate court’s decision suppressing the results of Cantrell’s blood alcohol concentration tests. He contends that his due process rights were violated by a delay in releasing him on bail, which resulted in his inability to obtain exculpatory evidence through independent blood alcohol concentration testing. We agree with the district court’s determination and hold that the magistrate erred by suppressing the evidence.

I.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Cantrell was arrested at approximately 3:30 p.m. on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. Before being transported to the jail, Cantrell asked his son, who was present at the time of the arrest, to make arrangements to bail him out of jail. After arriving at the jail, the arresting officer read the standard police advisory form to Cantrell, informing Cantrell, among other things, that he had a right to obtain independent testing of his blood alcohol concentration (BAC). After indicating thát he understood his rights, Cantrell willingly submitted to two breath tests at approximately 4:25 and 4:26 p.m. to determine his BAC. Afterwards, the officer offered Cantrell a phone call, which Cantrell refused. Cantrell was then placed in a holding cell. At approximately 5:00 p.m., Cantrell’s son arrived at the jail with a bail bondsman to post bail. However, Cantrell did not bond out of jail until between 8:15 and 8:30 p.m. No explanation has been given for the delay in releasing Cantrell.

Cantrell was charged with driving under the influence, Idaho Code § 18-8004(l)(a). Prior to trial, Cantrell filed a motion to dismiss or suppress arguing that the three-hour delay in releasing him from the jail violated his due process rights because it prevented him from obtaining independent BAC testing. Agreeing with Cantrell, the magistrate ordered suppression of the breath test results for violation of Cantrell’s due process rights. The state appealed the magistrate’s decision to the district court. The district court reversed the order of the magistrate and held that there was no violation of Cantrell’s due process rights because Cantrell did not request independent testing or request access to a telephone. Cantrell now appeals the order of the district court reversing the magistrate’s order suppressing the breath tests.

II.

ANALYSIS

When this Court reviews an appellate decision of a district court, we examine the trial [411]*411court record “independently of, but with due regard for, the district court’s intermediate appellate decision.” State v. Bowman, 124 Idaho 936, 939, 866 P.2d 193, 196 (Ct.App.1993). In reviewing an order granting or denying a motion to suppress evidence, we defer to the factual findings of the trial court unless those findings are clearly erroneous. However, free review is exercised over the trial court’s determination as to whether, based on those factual findings, constitutional requirements have been met. State v. Medley, 127 Idaho 182, 185, 898 P.2d 1093, 1096 (1995); State v. Weber, 116 Idaho 449, 451-52, 776 P.2d 458, 460-61 (1989).

Cantrell contends that the district court erred in reversing the magistrate’s order suppressing the results of the BAC tests. He argues that due process guarantees a defendant the right to a reasonable opportunity to obtain exculpatory evidence. Relying upon this right, Cantrell argues that the delay in releasing him from jail violated his right to due process by depriving him of the opportunity to gather exculpatory evidence by obtaining independent BAC testing. The state contends that there was no due process violation because Cantrell never triggered the right to obtain independent testing by either requesting an independent test or by requesting a phone call.

Under I.C. § 18-8002(4)(d), a driver, after submitting to evidentiary testing at the request of a peace officer, may have additional testing done by a person of his or her own choosing. This testing is available only when practicable and must be paid for at the driver’s own expense. I.C. § 18-8002(4)(d). When a DUI detainee is denied additional testing by peace officers, the results of the evidentiary testing done by the state are inadmissible. Id. The appellate courts of this state have recognized that there is an “inherent exigency” in a DUI setting due to the destruction of the evidence by the metabolism of alcohol in the blood. State v. Woolery, 116 Idaho 368, 370, 775 P.2d 1210, 1212 (1989); State v. Madden, 127 Idaho 894, 896, 908 P.2d 587, 589 (Ct.App.1995). Therefore, a detainee’s opportunity to gather exculpatory evidence in such cases lasts only a short time following the arrest and administration of the state’s testing. State v. Carr, 128 Idaho 181, 184, 911 P.2d 774, 777 (Ct.App.1995). In Carr, this Court noted that a detainee may gather exculpatory evidence in several ways other than submitting to another BAC test, including the taking of photographs to demonstrate that the detainee’s eyes were not bloodshot but were clear and white; preparation of a tape recording to demonstrate that the detainee had clear speech; videotaping the detainee to show that he has balance and is able to walk in a straight line; performance of a gaze nystag-mus test to show smooth eye pursuit at all angles; and eyewitness observation by a non-law enforcement person who observes the various characteristics of sobriety aforementioned.

Section 18-8002(4)(d) provides that a detainee’s inability to obtain additional testing will not result in the suppression of the tests completed by the state unless the additional testing was denied by the police officers. In Madden, this Court held that denying the defendant’s requests to obtain an independent blood test and to telephone her attorney until several hours following the state’s BAC test was a violation of the statute, permitting suppression of the BAC test results. In Carr, we held that a several-hour delay in granting a defendant’s request to speak to her attorney was a deprivation of due process because it prevented her from preserving evidence concerning her level of sobriety. In State v. Shelton, 129 Idaho 877, 880, 934 P.2d 943, 946 (Ct.App.1997), by contrast, the defendant was advised of his right to obtain an additional BAC test at his own expense, but he never informed the police that he wanted to assert his right to such a test. This Court held that because Shelton failed to exercise his right to an independent BAC test, the state did not violate the statute and its BAC test results were not to be suppressed. Accordingly, a peace officer is not required to inquire of the detainee’s desire to obtain additional testing, but if the detainee affirmatively asserts'the right, the state may not interfere with or deny the detainee the opportunity to make arrangements for such testing.

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State v. Cantrell
80 P.3d 345 (Idaho Court of Appeals, 2003)

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Bluebook (online)
80 P.3d 345, 139 Idaho 409, 2003 Ida. App. LEXIS 124, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-cantrell-idahoctapp-2003.