State v. Zumbo

601 A.2d 986, 157 Vt. 589, 1991 Vt. LEXIS 223
CourtSupreme Court of Vermont
DecidedNovember 8, 1991
Docket90-073
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 601 A.2d 986 (State v. Zumbo) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Vermont primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Zumbo, 601 A.2d 986, 157 Vt. 589, 1991 Vt. LEXIS 223 (Vt. 1991).

Opinions

Gibson, J.

Defendant Prank Zumbo appeals from his conviction for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, in violation of 23 V.S.A. § 1201(a)(2), arguing that (1) his constitutional and statutory rights were violated by the jury selection process, (2) the trial court abused its discretion when it denied his motion to suppress, (3) the court erred in allowing a police officer to testify that in his opinion defendant was under the influence of intoxicating liquor, (4) the court erred in failing to instruct the jury on the permissive inference under 23 V.S.A. § 1204(a)(1), and (5) the court erred in using the Storrs jury instruction. We affirm.

I.

Defendant first contends that Chittenden County’s jury selection procedures violate his federal and Vermont constitutional rights, as well as his statutory rights. The instant case is one of forty-four previous interlocutory appeals presenting the same argument; forty-three cases, including the instant case, were dismissed on grounds that the interlocutory appeals had been improvidently granted. See State v. Jenne, 156 Vt. 283, 288, 591 A.2d 85, 88 (1991). The other case—Jenne—was addressed on the merits, and for the reasons expressed therein, [591]*591we reject defendant’s contention. See id. at 288-93, 591 A.2d at 88-91.

II.

A.

Defendant next argues that State v. Senecal, 145 Vt. 554, 558, 497 A.2d 349, 351 (1985), and its progeny require the trial judge to reevaluate the merits of a motion to suppress whenever a different judge had ruled on the motion prior to trial. Thus, in the instant case, defendant contends that, although no new facts were adduced at trial, the trial judge committed reversible error by failing to reconsider the motion to suppress, which had been denied before trial by Judge Cash-man following an evidentiary hearing. As we stated in Senecal, pretrial rulings are tentative and subject to revision, id., but Senecal and its progeny do not require the trial judge to reevaluate all decisions made by a prior judge. Where no new facts are adduced at trial, it would be counterproductive and a waste of judicial resources to require redetermination of a pretrial ruling by the trial judge. State v. Bruno, 157 Vt. 6, 8 n.1, 595 A.2d 272, 274 n.1 (1991) (for reasons of judicial economy, “trial court reconsideration of pretrial suppression rulings is to be the exception, not the rule”). We shall not require a trial judge to reconsider a pretrial decision under such circumstances. Accordingly, the trial judge did not abuse his discretion when he declined to reconsider the pretrial decision.

B.

Defendant also contends that the motion to suppress was erroneously denied by Judge Cashman. In response to questions from a police officer, defendant made a series of incriminating statements while he was in his vehicle and during the administration of a field sobriety test. He argues that, pursuant to Chapter I, Article 10 of the Vermont Constitution, Miranda warnings are required at all roadside stops or, at the latest, once the police officer has probable cause to believe that the individual has committed or is in the process of committing a crime. He further contends that the officer had probable cause — and should have given him Miranda warnings — after [592]*592the officer had noted his erratic driving, watery and bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and the odor of intoxicants.

Under the federal constitution, the suppression court correctly determined that defendant was not “in custody” at the time he made his incriminating statements. See Pennsylvania v. Bruder, 488 U.S. 9, 9-11 (1988); Berkemer v. McCarty, 468 U.S. 420, 437-39 (1984); State v. Lancto, 155 Vt. 168, 170-72, 582 A.2d 448, 448-50 (1990). Although we have explicitly adopted Miranda under Chapter I, Article 10, State v. Brunelle, 148 Vt. 347, 355 n.11, 534 A.2d 198, 204 n.11 (1987), we have not had occasion to address whether the Vermont Constitution requires Miranda warnings in circumstances where the federal constitution would not. Cf. In re E.T.C., 141 Vt. 375, 378, 449 A.2d 937, 939 (1982) (stricter requirements under Vermont Constitution for juvenile’s waiver of Miranda rights). Defendant bears the burden of providing an explanation of how or why the Vermont Constitution provides greater protection than the federal constitution. State v. Gleason, 154 Vt. 205, 212, 576 A.2d 1246, 1250 (1990); State v. Ryea, 153 Vt. 451, 454, 571 A.2d 674, 675 (1990).

In support of his proposed rule, defendant strenuously contends that one does not reasonably feel free to leave an ordinary traffic stop. This argument, however, was answered in Berkemer v. McCarty, 468 U.S. 420 (1984). Justice Marshall rejected the argument on grounds that the ordinary traffic stop is a temporary and brief detention that is exposed to public view and thus less police-dominated than the kinds of interrogation at issue in Miranda. Id. at 437-39. Defendant fails to provide a substantive analysis as to why the Vermont Constitution should provide a different answer for his argument than the federal constitution. See State v. Jewett, 146 Vt. 221, 222, 500 A.2d 233, 234 (1985). Nor are we convinced by defendant’s lengthy quotation from Commonwealth v. Bruder, 365 Pa. Super. 106, 111-12, 528 A.2d 1385, 1387-88 (1987), which was reversed by the United States Supreme Court in Pennsylvania v. Bruder, 488 U.S. 9 (1988). Although Commonwealth v. Bruder refers to a “Pennsylvania rule,” subsequent Pennsylvania cases suggest that the “rule” is similar if not identical to the federal rule. See, e.g., Commonwealth v. Gonzalez, 519 Pa. 116, 124, 546 A.2d 26, [593]*59329-30 (1988); Commonwealth v. Toanone, 381 Pa. Super. 336, 347, 553 A.2d 998, 1001-03 (1989); Commonwealth v. Ellis, 379 Pa. Super. 337, 350-59, 549 A.2d 1323, 1329-34 (1988). We note that defendant has made no argument based upon the Vermont Constitution’s text or its history. On this record, we are not persuaded that Chapter I, Article 10 of the Vermont Constitution requires Miranda warnings at an ordinary traffic stop.

III.

Defendant argues that the trial court erred by allowing the police officer to testify that, in his opinion, defendant was slightly to moderately intoxicated, on grounds that the testimony goes to an ultimate conclusion of law. We have previously addressed this argument and have held nearly identical testimony to be admissible where a sufficient foundation was established. See State v.

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Bluebook (online)
601 A.2d 986, 157 Vt. 589, 1991 Vt. LEXIS 223, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-zumbo-vt-1991.