State v. Ditton

2009 MT 57, 203 P.3d 806, 349 Mont. 306, 2009 Mont. LEXIS 67
Montana Supreme Court·Decided February 24, 2009·No. DA 08-0279·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinions

JUSTICE COTTER

delivered the Opinion of the Court.

¶1 On November 5, 2007, Michael H. Ditton (Ditton) was convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in the Municipal Court of the City of Bozeman, Montana. Ditton subsequently appealed his DUI conviction to the Eighteenth Judicial District Court, Gallatin County. On April 9, 2008, the District Court affirmed Ditton’s conviction and Ditton now appeals the District Court’s decision. We affirm Ditton’s conviction, but remand Ditton’s sentence for further proceedings consistent with this Opinion.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

¶2 At approximately 11:30 p.m. on August 19,2006, Bozeman Police Sergeant Steven Crawford (Sergeant Crawford) was on duty and leaving the parking lot of the Filling Station Bar and Grille in Bozeman, Montana.1 Sergeant Crawford noticed a vehicle parked at an unusual angle within a row of vehicles with its lights on and its engine running. The vehicle belonged to Ditton, who then drove the vehicle out of the parking lot, heading north. Sergeant Crawford followed Ditton’s car and noticed it weaving within its lane, crossing the fog line on the right side of the road, and driving on the double yellow centerline. At some point, the vehicle signaled a right turn, but then missed the turn and drove partially off the roadway onto the shoulder. At that point, Sergeant Crawford turned on his emergency lights to signal the vehicle to stop.

¶3 After Sergeant Crawford turned on his emergency lights, Ditton backed up, drove forward, struck a stop sign post, then backed up again and drove forward approximately one car length before coming to a stop. Sergeant Crawford approached the vehicle and Ditton identified himself with his driver’s license. Sergeant Crawford observed that Ditton’s eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and his speech [308] was slurred. While Ditton was retrieving his insurance information and other required documentation, his movements were slow and methodical. Sergeant Crawford asked Ditton how much he had to drink, to which Ditton replied “not a lot.” Sergeant Crawford asked Ditton to step out of his vehicle and perform roadside sobriety tests. Ditton did not perform the tests satisfactorily. Sergeant Crawford then read Ditton the preliminary alcohol screening test advisory, and asked him for a breath sample. Ditton refused to provide a breath sample.

¶4 Sergeant Crawford subsequently arrested Ditton and transported him to the DUI processing center in Bozeman. Once there, Sergeant Crawford read Ditton the implied consent advisory, and Ditton again refused to provide a breath sample. Sergeant Crawford then advised Ditton of his Miranda rights, and interviewed him. During the interview, Ditton appeared to Sergeant Crawford to be intoxicated and he smelled of alcohol. Based upon the totality of his investigation, Sergeant Crawford determined that Ditton’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle had been impaired by alcohol consumption, and issued a Notice to Appear and Complaint for DUI. The Notice to Appear and Complaint stated on its face that Ditton did purposefully, knowingly, or negligently operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. After issuing Ditton the Notice and processing him, Sergeant Crawford drove Ditton home.

¶5 After the charges were filed against him and bail conditions were set, Ditton filed a motion to suppress, motion to dismiss, and motion to vacate bail conditions. A bench trial was held in Gallatin County Municipal Court on February 5,2007. At the trial, Ditton represented himself. Both Ditton and Sergeant Crawford testified at the bench trial.

¶6 After both sides had rested, the Municipal Court issued findings from the bench. First, the Municipal Court denied Ditton’s motion to suppress and determined that Sergeant Crawford had particularized suspicion justifying the stop of Ditton. The Municipal Court found that Sergeant Crawford was an experienced police officer, and that his observation of Ditton swerving, touching the centerline for a significant period of time, and taking a wide turn off the roadway, combined with the fact that Ditton had left a bar at a late hour, provided sufficient particularized suspicion to justify the stop. Second, the Municipal Court rejected Ditton’s argument that Sergeant Crawford was not authorized to stop Ditton because the detention occurred outside of Bozeman city limits. The Municipal Court determined that under Bozeman Municipal Ordinance and Montana [309] law, Sergeant Crawford had the authority to conduct stops within 5 miles of the Bozeman city limits, and that Sergeant Crawford was within this geographical location-and thus within his jurisdiction as a peace officer-when he made the stop. Third, the Municipal Court found that, based on the testimony presented, Sergeant Crawford had the requisite probable cause to arrest and charge Ditton with DUI. In this connection, the Municipal Court rejected Ditton’s argument that a sworn statement by Sergeant Crawford was required to support a judicial determination that probable cause existed to allow the filing of the charge in the Notice to Appear and Complaint. The Municipal Court concluded that such a sworn statement was not required under Montana law and the authority of State v. Allum, 2005 MT 150, 327 Mont. 363, 114 P.3d 233. Finally, the Municipal Court imposed a jail term and fines and costs of $885, and ordered that a portion of these fines would be taken from the disability payments Ditton received from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

¶7 Ditton appealed his conviction to the District Court. The District Court affirmed his conviction. First, the District Court found that the Municipal Court’s findings of fact in support of Ditton’s stop were not clearly erroneous, and that the Municipal Court correctly applied in the law in determining that particularized suspicion existed. Second, the District Court concluded that under § 7-32-4301, MCA, and Bozeman Municipal Ordinance § 2.40.020, Sergeant Crawford had the authority to conduct traffic stops within 5 miles of Bozeman, and that Ditton’s stop occurred within this geographical location. Moreover, the District Court noted that under § 46-6-311(1), MCA, peace officers may arrest persons without a warrant if the officer has probable cause to believe that a person is committing, or has committed, an offense. Here, Sergeant Crawford possessed probable cause based on the circumstances to arrest Ditton for DUI.

¶8 The District Court further concluded that the Municipal Court did not err when it denied Ditton’s motion to dismiss the Notice to Appear and Complaint. The District Court reasoned that at the time the Notice was issued, Sergeant Crawford had probable cause to arrest and charge Ditton with DUI, and that no sworn statement or affidavit was required to support the filing of the Notice under Allum. Additionally, the District Court upheld the imposition of the $885 in fines and costs.

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State v. Ditton, 2009 MT 57, 203 P.3d 806, 349 Mont. 306, 2009 Mont. LEXIS 67 (Mo. 2009).

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