State v. Fish

893 P.2d 1023, 321 Or. 48, 1995 Ore. LEXIS 30
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedApril 27, 1995
DocketDC 90-11996; CA A67743; SC S40015
StatusPublished
Cited by74 cases

This text of 893 P.2d 1023 (State v. Fish) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Fish, 893 P.2d 1023, 321 Or. 48, 1995 Ore. LEXIS 30 (Or. 1995).

Opinions

[50]*50UNIS, J.

On May 24, 1990, defendant was driving his Ford Bronco southbound on a public highway in Clackamas County. A deputy sheriff, who was driving in the opposite lane of travel from defendant, observed defendant’s vehicle swerve. The deputy turned around and signaled defendant to pull his vehicle to the side of the road. When the deputy approached defendant’s vehicle, he smelled alcohol, saw that defendant’s eyes were “bloodshot and watery,” and noticed a can of beer on the floor of the vehicle next to the driver’s seat. Defendant told the deputy that he had consumed “three beers.” The deputy asked defendant to step out of his vehicle and perform field sobriety tests. The deputy advised defendant that, if defendant refused to perform the field sobriety tests, his refusal could be used against him as evidence in court. Defendant refused to perform the tests. He was arrested and charged with the crime of driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII), ORS 813.010.

Before trial, defendant moved to suppress evidence of his refusal to perform the tests. Defendant argued that the deputy did not comply with statutory requirements in advising defendant of the consequences of his refusal. Defendant also argued that the admission of his refusal to perform field sobriety tests violated his rights against self-incrimination under Article I, section 12, of the Oregon Constitution and the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. The district court granted defendant’s motion on both statutory and constitutional grounds.

Pursuant to ORS 138.060(3), the state appealed the district court’s order suppressing evidence of refusal. The Court of Appeals reversed the district court’s order and remanded the case for further proceedings. The court rejected defendant’s argument regarding the adequacy of the deputy’s advice of consequences, holding that the deputy’s words “ ‘substantially convey[ed]’ the necessary information” required by the statute. State v. Fish, 115 Or App 609, 613, 839 P2d 278 (1992) (quoting OAR 257-25-015(2)). The court also held that the admission of evidence of defendant’s refusal to perform field sobriety tests did not violate his rights against self-incrimination. Id. at 614. We allowed defendant’s [51]*51petition for review and now reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals and affirm the order of the district court.

Defendant challenges the admission of his refusal to perform the field sobriety tests on a number of grounds, both statutory and constitutional. We shall address defendant’s subconstitutional argument before considering his constitutional arguments. See State v. Stevens, 319 Or 573, 579, 879 P2d 162 (1994) (applying that methodology).

Defendant contends that the deputy failed to comply with ORS 813.135 and ORS 813.136 and that, therefore, evidence of defendant’s refusal to perform field sobriety tests should be suppressed. ORS 813.1351 requires that, before field sobriety tests are administered to a person whom a police officer reasonably suspects to be under the influence of intoxicants, the person “shall be informed of the consequences of refusing to take or failing to submit to the tests under ORS 813.136.” Those consequences are as follows:

“If a person refuses or fails to submit to field sobriety tests as required by ORS 813.135, evidence of the person’s refusal or failure to submit is admissible in any criminal or civil action or proceeding arising out of allegations that the person was driving while under the influence of intoxicants. ’ ’ ORS 813.136.

In this case, the deputy testified that he “advised [defendant] that he had the right to refuse the field sobriety test; that if he did refuse the test, that could be used against him as evidence in court.” We conclude that the advice of consequences complied with ORS 813.135 and 813.136.2

[52]*52ORS 813.135 requires that a suspect be “informed of the consequences of refusing to take or failing to submit to the tests under ORS 813.136.” No particular language is required by the statute. In this case, the significant difference between the language of the statute and the warning given to defendant is that the deputy stated that the refusal could be used against defendant “in court,” rather than “in any criminal or civil action or proceeding arising out of allegations that the person was driving while under the influence of intoxicants.”

To determine whether the deputy’s advice of consequences complied with ORS 813.135, we must determine what the legislature intended by requiring police officers to give the advice of consequences. In State v. Trenary, 316 Or 172, 850 P2d 356 (1993), this court discussed the legislative purpose of the advice of consequences required by ORS 813.135:

“The main purpose of the [advice of consequences required by] ORS 813.135 was not to create a right, but to bring further pressure on suspected intoxicated drivers to take the field sobriety tests. The statute aimed to advise drivers who may be disposed not to perform the tests that, if they refused, [53]*53evidence of the refusal would be admissible, provided that they were warned of the consequences of the refusal.” Id. at 177 (emphasis in original).

This court further stated that the legislature’s reason for enacting ORS 813.135 and 813.136 was “to compel drivers to take field sobriety tests.” Id. at 177-78. In light of the purpose of the advice of consequences required by ORS 813.135, an officer’s advice of consequences complies with ORS 813.135 if it adequately informs the driver of the consequences of refusal so as to bring further pressure on the driver to perform the tests.

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Bluebook (online)
893 P.2d 1023, 321 Or. 48, 1995 Ore. LEXIS 30, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-fish-or-1995.