State v. Mellett

642 N.W.2d 779, 2002 Minn. App. LEXIS 468, 2002 WL 797911
CourtCourt of Appeals of Minnesota
DecidedApril 30, 2002
DocketC4-01-1036
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 642 N.W.2d 779 (State v. Mellett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Mellett, 642 N.W.2d 779, 2002 Minn. App. LEXIS 468, 2002 WL 797911 (Mich. Ct. App. 2002).

Opinion

OPINION

G. BARRY ANDERSON, Judge.

Appellant was arrested for and charged with first-degree driving while impaired (Minn.Stat. §§ 169A.20, . subd. 1(1), 169A.25, subd. 1 (2000)) and first-degree refusal to submit to chemical testing (Minn.Stat. §§ 169A.20, subd. 2, 169A.25, subd. 1 (2000)) 1 .

A jury found appellant not guilty on the driving-while-impaired (DWI) charge, but found her guilty of the refusal-to-submit charge.

Appellant argues that: (1) Minn.Stat. § 169A.20, subd. 2, is unconstitutional; (2) the district court incorrectly instructed the jury as to the refusal-to-submit charge; (3) the admission into evidence of her refusal to perform field sobriety tests was error; and (4) the district court erred by using her prior license revocations as charge enhancements in this case because her constitutional rights were violated during those prior license revocations. Because we conclude that the district court did not commit error, we affirm.

FACTS

On February 18, 2001, Minneapolis police officer Joel Dittman observed a car traveling the wrong way on a one-way street. The car, driven by appellant Su-sannah Jane Mellett, was stopped by the officer. The officer suspected that appellant was under the influence of alcohol. The officer asked appellant to leave the vehicle and perform field sobriety tests. Appellant refused to perform any tests and also refused to take a preliminary-breath test. The officer arrested appellant and took her to the chemical-testing unit in downtown Minneapolis. Appellant indicated that she wanted to contact an attorney and then tried to contact an attorney for approximately 30 minutes. Appellant never reached an attorney and refused to take a breath test or provide a blood or urine sample.

Because appellant’s driving privileges had been revoked twice within the preceding ten years, she was charged with first-degree DWI and first-degree refusal-to-submit to chemical testing (hereinafter “refusal-to-submit charge”).

Appellant moved to suppress her statement to the officer in which she refused to perform field sobriety testing. At trial, the district court allowed the state to present evidence of appellant’s refusal to perform field sobriety tests. Appellant submitted a proposed jury instruction regarding the refusal-to-submit charge. The district court declined to give appellant’s instruction, and gave CRIMJIG 29.28, which is the form jury instruction for the refusal-to-submit charge.

The jury found appellant guilty of the refusal-to-submit charge and not guilty of the other charges. Appellant’s sentence was enhanced due to previous revocations, and appellant’s sentence was stayed pending this appeal.

*783 ISSUES

I.Did the district court err by concluding that Minn.Stat. § 169A.20, subd. 2 (2000) is constitutional?

II.Did the district court abuse its discretion when it refused to give appellant’s proposed jury instruction, but instead gave CRIMJIG 29.28?

III. Did the district court abuse its discretion when it admitted evidence of appellant’s refusal to perform field sobriety tests?

IV. Did the district court err by finding that appellant’s prior license revocations could be used to enhance appellant’s refusal-to-submit charge to a gross misdemeanor?

ANALYSIS

I.

Appellant claims that Minn.Stat. § 169A.20, subd. 2 (2000), the refusal statute, violates her substantive-due-process rights, and is, therefore, unconstitutional. Appellant’s substantive-due-process claim depends on two alleged violations of appellant’s constitutional rights: (1) a violation of appellant’s right to privacy; 2 and (2) a violation of appellant’s Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

“Evaluating a statute’s constitutionality is a question of law.” Hamilton v. Comm’r of Pub. Safety, 600 N.W.2d 720, 722 (Minn.1999). Accordingly, this court “is not bound by the lower court’s conclusions.” In re Blilie, 494 N.W.2d 877, 881 (Minn.1993) (quoting Sherek v. Indep. Sch. Dist. No. 699, 449 N.W.2d 434, 436 (Minn.1990)).

Minn.Stat. § 169A.20, subd. 2, states:

It is a crime for any person to refuse to submit to a chemical test of the person’s blood, breath, or urine under section 169A.52 (test refusal or failure; revocation of license).

Both the United States and Minnesota constitutions provide substantive-due-process protections against arbitrary and capricious state action. U.S. Const. amend. XIV; State v. Mitchell, 577 N.W.2d 481, 491 (Minn.1998).

But the United States Supreme Court has stated that if a claim is covered by a specific constitutional provision, that claim must be analyzed according to the standards established by the specific provision, and not as a possible violation of the claimant’s substantive-due-process rights. County of Sacramento v. Lewis, 523 U.S. 833, 842, 118 S.Ct. 1708, 1714, 140 L.Ed.2d 1043 (1998); Dokman v. County of Hennepin, 637 N.W.2d 286, 295 (Minn.App.2001) (holding that, because a claim could be addressed under Fourth Amendment, the court did not need to address party’s due process claim).

A. Fifth Amendment

The Minnesota Supreme Court has already addressed the constitutionality of *784 the refusal statute and has found that the statute does not violate a defendant’s right against self-incrimination, guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution and article I, section 7, of the Minnesota Constitution. 3 Therefore, appellant’s substantive-due-process claim is without merit because the refusal statute passes constitutional muster under a Fifth Amendment analysis. See McDonnell v. Comm’r of Pub. Safety, 473 N.W.2d 848, 856 (Minn.1991). But in the interests of justice, we also address appellant’s right-to-privaey and Fourth Amendment challenges to the refusal statute. See Minn. R. Civ. P. 103.04.

B. Right to Privacy

There is a right to privacy under the Minnesota constitution. See State v. Gray, 413 N.W.2d 107, 111 (Minn.1987). “The right begins with protecting the integrity of one’s own body and includes the right not to have it altered or invaded without consent.” Jarvis v. Levine, 418 N.W.2d 139, 148 (Minn.1988). The right to privacy, though, is not absolute. Minnesota State Bd. of Health v. City of Brainerd, 308 Minn.

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Bluebook (online)
642 N.W.2d 779, 2002 Minn. App. LEXIS 468, 2002 WL 797911, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mellett-minnctapp-2002.