State v. Phillips

534 P.2d 214, 21 Or. App. 167, 1975 Ore. App. LEXIS 1353
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedApril 21, 1975
DocketNo. C 74-08-2672 Cr
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 534 P.2d 214 (State v. Phillips) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Phillips, 534 P.2d 214, 21 Or. App. 167, 1975 Ore. App. LEXIS 1353 (Or. Ct. App. 1975).

Opinion

FORT, J.

This is an appeal by the state from an order of the circuit court made prior to trial following a hearing on a preliminary motion. The court affirmed an order of the district court dismissing two traffic charges because the state there failed to establish the existence of probable cause for his arrest. The appeal is taken by the state pursuant to ORS 138.060(1). State v. Krey, 18 Or App 22, 523 P2d 600 (1974).

The issue presented by this appeal is a narrow one and arises from the following circumstances. Defendant was arrested at his home on July 27, 1973. Two uniform traffic citations were issued to him at that time, one charging that he operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, ORS 483.992(2), and the second charging that he operated a motor vehicle while having a content of .15 per cent or more alcohol in his blood, ORS 483.999. Complaints charging each offense were filed promptly thereafter in the district court. Defendant requested a jury trial on each. Following five postponements the cases came on for trial on July 25, 1974, in the district court. It is conceded by the briefs that at that time, just prior to trial, defendant, without notice, [169]*169moved for an order dismissing the complaints because the arrest was made without probable cause and without a warrant. It is further agreed evidence was taken only on that issue, and the district court allowed the motion and dismissed the two charges. The state appealed to the circuit court. ORS 157.020(2) (d). State v. Krey, supra.

At the time of trial in the circuit court defendant objected to the introduction of any testimony from any witness who did not testify before the district court. The trial judge reserved a ruling on the motion. However, it permitted the testimony of an officer, J. R. Griesen, who had not testified in the district court, to be taken and preserved, only upon the question of probable cause for arrest. The court made certain findings of fact and conclusions of law in its order, including the following:

“2. This motion was not called up by defendant for hearing by the District Court until just before trial on the last scheduled trial date of July 25, 1974.
“3. After taking evidence, the District Judge pro tern granted the motion to dismiss the complaints on the grounds that £. . . the arrest of the defendant . . . was made without an arrest warrant and that there was no probable cause to arrest . .
“4. The District Court for Multnomah County is not a court of record and there was no recordation of the District Court proceedings on this motion to dismiss.
“5. The State did not call Officer J. R. Griesen as a witness on this motion in the District Court, but did call Officer D. S. Butzer.
“6. Officer Griesen had been timely notified but failed to appear on the District Court trial date of July 25, 1974, because he received sudden and unexpected notice to appear in the United [170]*170States District Court for tlie District of Oregon as defendant, in a pending civil action for money damages.
“7. The court fully credits Officer Griesen’s testimony concerning the last-minute nature of the federal court notice he received, and concludes that his failure to appear on July 25, 1974 was excusable in the circumstances shown by his testimony.
“8. There is no question that Officer Griesen’s testimony on this hearing, if admissible, clearly establishes probable cause for the issuance of the complaints herein.
“9. It is equally clear on this record that Officer Butzer’s testimony standing alone was and is insufficient to establish such probable cause.
“10. The court CONCLUDES that on an appeal to this court by the State from a pretrial order dismissing a criminal action in a District Court not of record the State may call only those witnesses who previously testified in the nonrecord court.
“11. Officer Griesen’s testimony consequently was not admissible over objection on this appellate hearing; now, therefore,
“IT IS ORDERED that Officer J. R. Griesen’s testimony on this hearing is inadmissible and is hereby excluded and stricken; and
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the order of the District Court dismissing the complaints for lack of probable cause be and the same is hereby affirmed.”

It is from this order that the state appeals to this court.

The narrow issue presented by and argued upon this appeal, then, is whether the circuit court correctly concluded that on an appeal to it from the district court it cannot properly consider the testimony of a [171]*171witness who did not testify before the district court upon the same issue as was presented on the appeal by the state to the circuit court. We conclude for the reasons which follow that the circuit court on the foregoing facts did have the authority and should have considered the testimony of Officer Grriesen and thus that it erred in excluding it.

Except as otherwise provided by law, appeals to the circuit court from the district court in criminal matters are governed by the provisions applicable to criminal appeals from justices’ courts found generally in ORS ch 157. ORS 157. 080. ORS 157.060, governing the perfection of such appeals, is unclear as to the scope of review in circuit court:

“Prom the filing of the transcript with the clerk of the circuit court the appeal is perfected and the action is to he deemed pending therein for trial upon the issue tried in the justice’s court. In a criminal action, the appellate court has the same authority to allow an amendment of the pleadings on an appeal that it has on an appeal in a civil action.”

However, in State v. Knighten, 236 Or 634, 390 P2d 166 (1964), our Supreme Court held ORS 53.090, governing appeals from justices’ courts in civil matters, applicable to criminal cases. In that case, the defendant appealed his municipal court conviction for assault and battery to the circuit court. The circuit court upheld the conviction. Defendant thereupon appealed to the Supreme Court, alleging violations of his constitutional rights in the municipal court trial. The Supreme Court affirmed, stating:

“* * * Upon appeal from the municipal court the cause is tried de noyo ‘as if originally commenced in such court’ (ORS 53.090).

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Related

State v. Johnson
290 P.3d 305 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 2012)
State v. Liefke
789 P.2d 700 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1990)
State v. Lyman
569 P.2d 39 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1977)
State v. Stacey
548 P.2d 527 (Court of Appeals of Oregon, 1976)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
534 P.2d 214, 21 Or. App. 167, 1975 Ore. App. LEXIS 1353, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-phillips-orctapp-1975.