State v. Holmes

813 P.2d 28, 311 Or. 400, 1991 Ore. LEXIS 35
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedMay 30, 1991
DocketTC CR89-87, M89-69; CA A60910; SC S37239
StatusPublished
Cited by257 cases

This text of 813 P.2d 28 (State v. Holmes) 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. Holmes, 813 P.2d 28, 311 Or. 400, 1991 Ore. LEXIS 35 (Or. 1991).

Opinion

*402 UNIS, J.

This is yet another case in which this court is called on to decide whether police action constitutes a “seizure” of a person within the meaning of Article I, section 9, of the Oregon Constitution 1 and the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. 2 Specifically, the issue is: Does a law enforcement officer who positions himself about one-half mile from a motor vehicle accident and who stops a motorist on a public highway for the purpose of advising the motorist of a detour around the accident “seize” the person of the motorist within the meaning of those constitutional provisions? We answer “no.”

FACTS

While assisting in the nighttime investigation of a fatal motor vehicle accident that completely blocked travel on a bridge on Highway 197 near the town of Dufur, Wasco County, Deputy Sheriff Achziger set up a detour at the north end of the bridge to reroute southbound traffic around the accident scene. Achziger laid out a pattern of flares on the highway north of the bridge and positioned his patrol car, with its overhead lights flashing, behind the flares. Achziger, who was wearing his uniform with a badge displayed on it and holding a flashlight, then stationed himself in the center of the southbound lane, about one-half mile from the accident, in order to divert traffic onto a road that went through Dufur and rejoined Highway 197 at a point south of the accident site. Motorists approaching Achziger could see the accident scene behind him, as well as several emergency vehicles with overhead lights flashing. 3

*403 Before encountering defendant, Achziger stopped about one dozen vehicles, advised the drivers of the accident ahead and rerouted them around the accident scene. When defendant’s automobile neared him, Achziger pointed a flashlight beam at the vehicle and motioned with his free hand for defendant to stop. Instead of stopping his car where Achziger stood, as the previous motorists had done, defendant drove past Achziger and stopped about two or three feet beyond him. As Achziger took a step toward defendant’s automobile, it rolled another two or three feet from him and then stopped. At that time, Achziger had no reason to suspect that defendant had violated any law and had observed no other unusual driving.

When Achziger reached the driver’s side of defendant’s car, the window on the driver’s side was down. Shining his flashlight into defendant’s car, Achziger spoke with defendant, explaining that, because of the accident on the bridge, defendant would have to detour through Dufur. When defendant responded, Achziger detected a strong odor of alcohol on defendant’s breath. Achziger observed that defendant’s eyes appeared to be bloodshot, his eyelids were “sleepy” or not fully open, his face was flushed, and his speech was slurred. Achziger asked defendant whether he had anything to drink that evening. Defendant stated he had a couple of beers. Achziger then asked defendant to step out of his car and advised defendant of his constitutional rights. After defendant performed field sobriety tests, Achziger arrested him for driving under the influence of intoxicants. ORS 813.010.

Before trial, defendant moved to suppress all evidence obtained following Achziger’s stop of him in his vehicle, asserting that the stop constituted an unreasonable “seizure” of bis person in violation of both Article I, section 9, of the Oregon Constitution and the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The trial court granted defendant’s motion. Unable to find any “specific grant of authority to the sheriff to direct traffic at the scene of an accident,” the trial court concluded that Achziger’s stopping of defendant in his vehicle constituted an unreasonable “seizure” of defendant’s person under Article I, section 9, of the Oregon Constitution and, therefore, suppressed evidence gained as a result of such “seizure.” The state appealed. The Court of Appeals affirmed without opinion. State v. Holmes, 101 Or App 676, 791 P2d 867 (1990). We reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals and the *404 judgment of the circuit court, and remand this case to the circuit court for further proceedings.

I. SUBCONSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS

Before reaching defendant’s state and federal constitutional claims, we first examine whether the deputy sheriff acted lawfully under proper authorization by a politically accountable lawmaker. 4

Article VI, section 8, of the Oregon Constitution provides that every county sheriff shall “perform such duties, as may be prescribed by law.” 5 ORS 206.010 provides that the sheriff is the “conservator of the peace of the county.” That statute sets forth the general duties that a sheriff shall perform. 6 As used in the Oregon Vehicle *405 Code, 7 “police officer” includes a sheriff or a deputy sheriff, ORS 801.395, except where the context of a statute requires otherwise. ORS 801.100. Various provisions of the Oregon Vehicle Code vest a police officer with certain authority to enforce its provisions. 8 In “attempting to enforce” Oregon traffic laws, a police officer “shall be in uniform or shall conspicuously display an official identification card showing the officer’s lawful authority.” ORS 810.400.

The authority of a police officer to direct, control or regulate traffic at or near the scene of an accident and to require a person operating a motor vehicle to stop is established by certain provisions of the Oregon Vehicle Code. ORS 811.540 9 requires a person operating a motor vehicle to bring his or her vehicle to a stop if given a visual or audible signal to do so by a police officer who is in uniform and prominently displaying the police officer’s badge of office. A driver of a motor vehicle is required by ORS 801.510 10 to stop, even *406 though otherwise prohibited by Oregon statute, 11 if directed to do so by a police officer.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Sexton
378 P.3d 83 (Washington County Circuit Court, Oregon, 2016)
State v. Wright
260 P.3d 755 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2011)
State v. Dampier
260 P.3d 730 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2011)
State v. Parker
255 P.3d 624 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2011)
State v. Radtke
255 P.3d 543 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2011)
State v. Zamora
240 P.3d 91 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. Salvador
241 P.3d 324 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. Maxie
230 P.3d 69 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. Alvarez
228 P.3d 683 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. Deneen
228 P.3d 680 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. ZACCONE
227 P.3d 215 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. Khoshnaw
227 P.3d 1188 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. Davis
227 P.3d 204 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. Lovell
226 P.3d 76 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2010)
State v. Phillips
222 P.3d 738 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2009)
State v. Hemenway
222 P.3d 1103 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2009)
State v. Mathis
222 P.3d 39 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2009)
State v. Dudley
222 P.3d 709 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2009)
State v. Billings
220 P.3d 65 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2009)
State v. Martinez
216 P.3d 347 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2009)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
813 P.2d 28, 311 Or. 400, 1991 Ore. LEXIS 35, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-holmes-or-1991.