State v. Fairleigh

490 So. 2d 490
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 5, 1986
DocketKA 4611
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 490 So. 2d 490 (State v. Fairleigh) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Fairleigh, 490 So. 2d 490 (La. Ct. App. 1986).

Opinion

490 So.2d 490 (1986)

STATE of Louisiana
v.
Eric J. FAIRLEIGH.

No. KA 4611.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Fourth Circuit.

June 5, 1986.

*491 Tilden H. Greenbaum, III New Orleans, for appellant.

William J. Guste, Jr., Atty. Gen., Barbara Rutledge, Asst. Atty. Gen., Harry F. Connick, Dist. Atty., A. Hammond Scott, Asst. Dist. Atty., New Orleans, for appellee.

Before CIACCIO, WILLIAMS and HUFFT, JJ. Pro Tem.

CIACCIO, Judge.

Defendant, Eric J. Fairleigh, was charged with the offense of causing "the death of one Nora Lewis, while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcoholic beverages". R.S. 14:32.1. Following the hearing on pre-trial motions, the defendant withdrew his prior plea of not guilty and entered a plea of guilty as charged while reserving his right to appeal the court's ruling on the motion to suppress the evidence. State v. Crosby, 338 So.2d 584 (La.1976). The trial court sentenced the defendant to serve five years at hard labor. The sentence was suspended and the defendant was placed on five years active probation with the special conditions that he serve six months in Orleans Parish Prison, pay restitution of $2700, a criminal court fund assessment of $500 and $80 court costs. He was also prohibited from driving except for work purposes.

*492 On appeal the defendant alleges two assignments of error. Finding merit in the defendant's first assignment we reverse the judgment of the district court on the motion to suppress the evidence, vacate the conviction and sentence and remand the matter for further proceedings consistent with this opinion without reaching a consideration of the second assignment of error.

The facts presented at the hearing on the motion to suppress the evidence, are as follows:

New Orleans Police Officer Bill McNabb of the Traffic Fatality Unit testified that on September 23, 1984 he was called to Lakeshore Drive in the vicinity of the Mardi Gras Fountain in order to investigate a traffic fatality. Upon his arrival, Officer McNabb was met by Officer Wheat and a Levee Board officer, who informed him that the defendant was the operator of the vehicle involved in the accident. Officer McNabb observed a covered body at the scene of the accident. He thereafter approached the defendant who was seated in the back of one of the police cars at the scene of the accident. Officer McNabb asked Eric Fairleigh whether he was the operator of the vehicle involved in this accident. When the defendant responded affirmatively, Officer McNabb thereafter advised him of his constitutional rights. The defendant was asked to produce his operator's license and was questioned as to the accuracy of the information contained on the license. The aroma of alcohol was detected on the defendant's breath and he was observed to sway as he stood near the police car answering the questions. Fairleigh was placed under arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. A field sobriety test was administered which the defendant was not able to pass. A breath test was not administered.

Thereafter Fairleigh was informed of his rights regarding chemical testing. The defendant indicated that he understood and he agreed to the blood test by signing the written consent forms.

Thereafter, Dr. Muller, who had been called to the scene because of the severity of the accident, withdrew blood from the defendant.

The defendant indicated that he would be willing to give a statement regarding the accident. Fairleigh was transported to the Fatality Unit Office of the New Orleans Police Department. He was advised of his constitutional rights and he thereafter gave a detailed description of the events surrounding the accident.

Assignment of Error No. 1

Through his first assignment of error the defendant contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion to suppress the evidence.

The defendant filed a written motion to suppress the evidence wherein he contends that his consent to the removal of blood was not knowingly given in that he was not advised of the consequences of giving the blood sample.

On the trial of a motion to suppress the evidence, the state has the burden of proving the admissibility of any evidence seized without a warrant. C.Cr.P. Art. 703.

The statutory provisions concerning test for suspected drunken drivers provides for a presumption of an implied consent to the administration of chemical test under certain circumstances. R.S. 32 Sec. 661 through R.S. 32 Sec. 669, at Sec. 661:

Part XIV. Tests for Suspected Drunken Drivers
R.S. 32 Sec. 661. Operating a vehicle under the influence of alcoholic beverages; implied consent to chemical tests; administering of test and presumptions; effect of refusal to submit to tests; informing person of consequences of refusal and his rights; furnishing information to person tested
A. Any person who operates a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state shall be deemed to have given consent, subject to the provisions of R.S. 32:662, to a chemical test or tests of his blood, breath, urine or other bodily substance for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of his blood if arrested for any offense arising out of acts *493 alleged to have been committed while the person was driving or in actual physical control of a motor vehicle while believed to be under the influence of alcoholic beverages. The test or tests shall be administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer having reasonable grounds to believe the person to have been driving or in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state while under the influence of alcoholic beverages. The law enforcement agency by which such officer is employed shall designate which of the aforesaid tests shall be administered.
B. Any person who is dead, unconscious or otherwise in a condition rendering him incapable of refusal shall be deemed not to have withdrawn the consent provided by Subsection (A) of this section, and the test or tests may be administered subject to the provisions of R.S. 32:662.
C. (1) When a law enforcement officer requests that a person submit to a chemical test as provided for above, he shall first read to the person a standardized form approved by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections. The department is authorized to use such language in the form as it, in its sole discretion, deems proper, provided that the form does inform the person of the following:
(a) His constitutional rights under Miranda v. Arizona;
(b) That his driving privileges can be suspended for refusing to submit to the chemical test; and
(c) That his driving privileges can be suspended if he submits to the chemical test and such test results show a blood alcohol level of .10 percent or above. (2) In addition, the arresting officer shall, after reading said form, request the arrested person to sign the form. If the person is unable or unwilling to sign, the officer shall certify that the arrestee was advised of the information contained in the form and that the person was unable to sign or refused to sign.

In this case the investigating officer, Officer McNabb, observed the body of the victim at the scene of the accident. Defendant was observed as exhibiting a swaying type motion when he exited the police car.

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Bluebook (online)
490 So. 2d 490, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-fairleigh-lactapp-1986.