State v. Mendoza

889 P.2d 1147, 20 Kan. App. 2d 541, 1995 Kan. App. LEXIS 25
CourtCourt of Appeals of Kansas
DecidedFebruary 17, 1995
Docket70,769
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 889 P.2d 1147 (State v. Mendoza) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Kansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Mendoza, 889 P.2d 1147, 20 Kan. App. 2d 541, 1995 Kan. App. LEXIS 25 (kanctapp 1995).

Opinion

Lewis, J.:

Defendant was convicted of three counts of vehicular battery. He was sentenced to jail for six months on each conviction, and the sentences were ordered to run concurrently. In addition, he was fined the sum of $1,000. The trial court then ordered that defendant be released on probation for a period of one year after serving 90 days of his jail sentence. Defendant appeals his convictions.

*542 The charges against defendant arose from a two-vehicle automobile accident. Defendant was driving one of those vehicles. As a result of the accident, defendant, his passenger, and the two persons in the other vehicle suffered injuries and were taken to the hospital for treatment.

The physician who treated each of the accident victims in the emergency room ordered blood alcohol tests to be performed on each injured party, including defendant. The test performed on defendant’s blood sample showed an alcohol concentration of .179.

Prior to trial, defendant moved to suppress the results of the blood alcohol test. He argued that the test results were privileged. The trial court disagreed and admitted'the test results into evidence. The sole issue on appeal is whether the trial court erred in the admission of the blood alcohol test results.

“If the findings of the trial court on a motion to suppress evidence are based upon substantial evidence this court on review will not substitute its view of the evidence for that of the trial court. State v. Chiles, 226 Kan. 140, 144, 595 P.2d 1130 (1979).” State v. Garcia, 250 Kan. 310, 318, 827 P.2d 727 (1992). The facts, however, were stipulated to by the parties. “[I]n a case decided on stipulated facts, the appellate court has de novo review.” State v. Rowe, 18 Kan. App. 2d 572, 573, 856 P.2d 1340, rev. denied 253 Kan. 863 (1993).

“Interpretation of a statute is a question of law.” State v. Donlay, 253 Kan. 132, Syl. ¶ 1, 853 P.2d 680 (1993). “When determining a question of law, this court is not bound by the decision of the district court.” Memorial Hospital Ass'n, Inc. v. Knutson, 239 Kan. 663, 668, 722 P.2d 1093 (1986). As will become apparent, this appeal turns on our interpretation of a statute; therefore, we are not bound by the trial court’s decision.

The issue is whether the trial court erred in admitting the blood alcohol test results. In that regard, the parties agree that the law enforcement officers involved in this action did not comply with K.S.A. 8-1001. Defendant was not arrested at the hospital and was not asked to submit to a blood alcohol test. The blood alcohol tests taken in this action were not taken at the request of the *543 officers. It follows that the mandatory notices as required by 8-1001 were not given in this case.

The net result is that the blood alcohol test results in this case are not admissible under K.S.A. 8-1001. Defendant argues that under the circumstances shown, the blood alcohol test results come under the physician-patient privilege and were, as a result, not admissible.

This appeal is controlled by K.S.A. 60-427(b), which provides as follows:

“Except as provided by subsections (c), (d), (e) and (f), a person, whether or not a party, has a privilege in a civil action or in a prosecution for a misdemeanor, other than a prosecution for a violation of K.S.A. 8-1567 and amendments thereto or an ordinance which prohibits the acts prohibited by that statute, to refuse to disclose, and to prevent a witness from disclosing, a communication, if the person claims the privilege and the judge finds that: [the elements of the privilege exist.]” (Emphasis added.)

The essential question to be answered is whether this was a “prosecution for a violation of K.S.A. 8-1567.” If it was, there was no privilege and the trial court did not err. If it was not, then the test results were privileged and inadmissible. The trial court resolved the issue as follows:

“The complaint charges three counts of vehicular battery. The statutory definition of the offense set forth in die complaint specifically alleges a violation of K.S.A. 8-1567. Therefore, even though D.U.I. is not the specific charge, it is an element which must be proven by the State. Therefore, this case is ‘a prosecution for a violation of K.S.A. 8-1567’ as contemplated by K.S.A. 60-427.”

We conclude that the trial court was correct in its decision that the instant matter was a prosecution for a violation of K.S.A. 8-1567.

K.S.A. 1992 Supp. 21-3405b(a) [repealed L. 1993, ch. 298 § 97] defined vehicular batteiy as follows: “Vehicular battery is unintentionally causing bodily injury to another human being which is done while committing a violation of K.S.A. 8-1566, 8-1567 or 8-1568, and amendments thereto, or the ordinance of a city or resolution of a county which prohibits any of the acts prohibited by those statutes.” (Emphasis added.)

The complaint filed against defendant in the instant matter alleged that “[Defendant] did . . . cause bodily injury to another *544 human being, to wit: . . . which is done while committing a violation of K.S.A. 8-1567.” (Emphasis added.)

An examination of the complaint filed against defendant indicates that this was a prosecution for the violation of K.S.A. 1992 Supp. 21-3405b and not a “prosecution for the violation of K.S.A. 8-1567

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
889 P.2d 1147, 20 Kan. App. 2d 541, 1995 Kan. App. LEXIS 25, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-mendoza-kanctapp-1995.