State v. Manuwal

876 N.E.2d 1142, 2007 Ind. App. LEXIS 2679
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 28, 2007
Docket50A05-0703-CR-182
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 876 N.E.2d 1142 (State v. Manuwal) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana 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. Manuwal, 876 N.E.2d 1142, 2007 Ind. App. LEXIS 2679 (Ind. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinions

OPINION

BAKER, Chief Judge.

Today we have the occasion to decide whether the trial court correctly determined that a driver of an all terrain vehicle (ATV) should not be prosecuted for driving under the influence of alcohol on his own property pursuant to Indiana Code sections 9-30-5-1 and -2, the statutes govern--ing the offense of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. When examining the relevant provisions, it is apparent that the State should have instead proceeded against Ma-nuwal pursuant to Indiana Code section 14-16-1-23, the statute governing a defendant’s operation of an off-road vehicle [1144]*1144while under the influence of an alcoholic beverage.

Appellant-plaintiff State of Indiana (the State) appeals the grant of appellee-defen-dant Adam L. Manuwal’s motion to dismiss — which Manuwal styled as a “verified petition for judicial review of probable cause and motion to suppress” (verified petition) — claiming that the trial court erred in concluding that Manuwal could not be prosecuted for Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person,1 a class A misdemeanor (OWI), on his own property. Appellant’s App. p. 9. The State contends that prosecuting Manuwal for the alleged commission of the charged offense should proceed because the OWI statutes make no distinction between operating a vehicle on private and public property. Concluding that Manual’s verified petition was properly granted, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

FACTS2

On June 3, 2006, Indiana Department of Natural Resources Officer Brian Kaser responded to a report involving an off-road vehicle crash resulting in bodily injury. Officer Kaser arrived at the property owned by Manuwal and was informed by other officers who were waiting at the scene that Manuwal had crashed his ATV. One of the officers told Officer Kaser that he thought Manuwal had been consuming alcohol. Manuwal was being transported to the hospital in an ambulance when Officer Kaser arrived.

Jason Hill, who was present at the scene, told Officer Kaser that Manuwal had driven away from the cabin on the ATV. After hearing a crash, Hill ran to the area and found Manuwal under the vehicle. Hill directed Officer Kaser to the accident location, which was in a wooded area approximately 300 yards from Manuwal’s cabin.

After photographing the area, Officer Kaser proceeded to the hospital to speak with Manuwal. When Officer Kaser arrived, hospital personnel told him that Ma-nuwal had suffered “some fractures and some post head trauma” and was about to be airlifted to another hospital. Tr. p. 11. Manuwal’s blood was drawn at the hospital, and it was determined that his alcohol concentration equivalent was at least .15.

On June 26, 2006, Manuwal was charged with OWI with an alcohol concentration equivalent of at least .15. Thereafter, on December 8, 2006, Manuwal filed the verified petition challenging the legality of the “arrest, detention, and seizure.” Appellant’s App. p. 9-10. In particular, Manu-wal alleged as follows:

3. The Defendant was operating an ATV on his own property away from any public right-of-ways and in areas where the public is not permitted.
4. That the facts upon which the Defendant was charged do not constitute a crime.
5. The airesting officer did not have probable cause to believe the undersigned was operating a vehicle in violation of Indiana Code 9-30-5-2(b).
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7. The detention, arrest and seizure of the Defendant was without probable cause, without a warrant, without his consent, and was therefore illegal.
8. At the time of his arrest, the Defendant was not observed in the com[1145]*1145mission of a crime nor did the police officer have reasonable grounds to believe that the Defendant had committed an offense.
WHEREFORE, the defendant moves the court to find that no probable cause existed for his arrest and that his arrest was illegal because of the absence of authority or probable cause to effect it, or that the probable cause so reported was unreasonably based, and requests to suppress from introducing into evidence in this cause any evidence or other matters that were later obtained and all other knowledge in the fruits thereof that were obtained as a direct and indirect product of the illegal arrest, and of the arrest without probable cause ... and for all other just and proper relief.

Appellant’s App. p. 10-11.

Following a hearing, the trial court granted Manuwal’s verified petition on the grounds that he had operated his ATV on his own property, away from the public roadway. In its ruling, the trial court determined that Manuwal’s actions “did not impact the public safety and he should not be subject to charges for operating while intoxicated.” Id. at 21. Moreover, the trial court observed

Manuwal was operating his ATV on his own personal property, which by Officer Kaser’s approximation was at the end of a long gravel driveway by a river, and at least 500 yards from the roadway. As a result of this operation, Manuwal was involved in an accident in which he alone was injured. Manuwal’s private property is distinguishable from the rural field examined in Chilcutt,[3] where the defendant did not own the property and the owners as well as other third parties were allowed onto the property. Chil-cutt, 544 N.E.2d at 859. Manuwal owned the property he was operating his ATV on, and he did not invite the public onto this property.

Id. at 21. Thereafter, the State filed a motion to dismiss the charges without prejudice. The trial court granted the motion to dismiss on March 22, 2007, and the State now appeals.

DISCUSSION AND DECISION

I. Standard of Review

We initially observe that the State is appealing a negative judgment. Thus, the State is required to prove that the trial court’s ruling was contrary to law. State v. Litchfield, 849 N.E.2d 170, 173 (Ind.Ct.App.2006). We will reverse a negative judgment only when the evidence is without conflict and all reasonable inferences lead to a conclusion opposite that reached by the trial court. Id. Also, inasmuch as the State acknowledges that Manuwal’s verified petition amounted to a motion to dismiss,4 we review a trial court’s grant of a motion to dismiss a charging information for an abuse of discretion. State v. Isaacs, 794 N.E.2d 1120, 1122 (Ind.Ct.App.2003). We will reverse only where the decision is clearly against the logic and effect of the facts and circumstances. Id.

II. The State’s Claim

The State maintains that the grant of Manuwal’s verified petition must be reversed because Officer Kaser had sufficient probable cause to believe that Ma-nuwal committed the offenses proscribed under our OWI statutes, Indiana Code sections 9-30-5-1 and -2. More specifically, the State contends that Manuwal’s operation of the ATV “on private property is of no moment,” inasmuch as the stat

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Related

State v. Manuwal
904 N.E.2d 657 (Indiana Supreme Court, 2009)
State v. Manuwal
876 N.E.2d 1142 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 2007)

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Bluebook (online)
876 N.E.2d 1142, 2007 Ind. App. LEXIS 2679, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-manuwal-indctapp-2007.