Timm v. State

110 N.W.2d 359, 1961 N.D. LEXIS 86
CourtNorth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 22, 1961
Docket7882
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 110 N.W.2d 359 (Timm v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering North Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Timm v. State, 110 N.W.2d 359, 1961 N.D. LEXIS 86 (N.D. 1961).

Opinion

STRUTZ, Judge (on reassignment).

This is a proceeding on application of Elwood F. Timm, as petitioner, who appealed to the district court of Cass County from an order of the State Highway Commissioner revoking his driver’s license. The district court, the Honorable Roy K. Redetzke presiding, after hearing, set aside and revoked the order of the State Highway Commissioner and ordered the reinstatement of the petitioner’s license to drive. From this order of the district court the Highway Commissioner appeals to this court.

This appeal involves the interpretation of the provisions of Chapter 286 of the 19S9 Session Laws of the State of North Dakota, now Chapter 39-20 of the Century Code, which provides that any person who operates a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this State shall be deemed to have given his consent to a chemical test or tests of his blood, breath, saliva, or urine for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of his blood. Such test or tests shall be administered at the direction of a law-enforcement officer only after placing such person under arrest and informing him that he is or that he will be charged with the offense of driving or of being in actual physical control of a vehicle on the public highways while under the influence of an intoxicating beverage.

The statute further provides that if the person refuses to submit to chemical testing none shall be given, but that the State Highway Commissioner, upon receipt of a sworn report of the law-enforcement officer that he had reasonable grounds to believe the person arrested had been driving or was in actual physical control of ,a motor vehicle upon the public highways while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, and that the person had refused to submit to the test or tests, shall revoke such person’s license to drive for a period of six months.

*361 The statute also provides that, upon the written request of the person whose privilege to drive has been revoked, the Commissioner shall give such person an opportunity to be heard within ten days after receipt of such request; that such request must be made within thirty days after his arrest. Such hearing shall he before the Commissioner or before his authorized agent, and shall be held in the county where the alleged offense took place. The hearing shall- be transcribed, and it shall cover the issues of whether the officer had reasonable grounds to believe the person had been driving or was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle upon the public highways while under the influence of intoxicating liquor; whether the-person was placed under arrest; and whether he refused to submit to such test or tests. The question of whether the person was informed that his privilege to drive would be revoked or denied if he refused to submit to such test or tests shall not be an issue at such hearing.

On October 23, 1959, at about 7:15 p. m., Highway Patrolman Donald Peterson observed the petitioner driving on North Dakota Highway No. 46 about three miles west of Leonard in Cass County, North Dakota. The petitioner was driving slowly in an easterly direction and was weaving from side to side on the highway, crossing and recrossing the centerline. The highway patrolman stopped the petitioner and immediately smelled alcohol on his breath. He observed that the petitioner’s clothes were soiled; that his eyes were bloodshot, with pupils dilated; and that he staggered when he walked. The officer inquired how much the petitioner had had to drink, and was told by the petitioner that he had had two bottles of beer. The petitioner later raised his estimate to six glasses, and then to six bottles, of beer.

The officer thereupon placed the petitioner under .arrest and asked him whether he would submit to an alcohol blood test, which the petitioner refused to do. The record shows that the petitioner was advised tha£ he would be taken to St. John’s Hospital' in Fargo where the blood test could be made. Fie was further advised that, if he refused to submit to a test, the Highway Commissioner had the right, under the law, to revoke petitioner’s driver’s license; and that, if the test of petitioner’s blood showed an alcoholic content of less than fifteen-hundredths of one per cent, the charge against him would be reduced. After the petitioner had been taken to the county jail in Fargo, he was asked again, this time in the presence of two witnesses, to submit to a blood test and he refused to do so.

Thereafter, a hearing was had before the agent of the Highway Commissioner, upon the written request of the petitioner, as-provided by law. At this hearing, the highway patrolman testified positively that the petitioner had refused to take a blood test to determine the alcoholic content of his blood. The two witnesses who were present when such refusal was made testified positively that the petitioner, in their presence, had refused to submit to a blood test. The petitioner, on the other hand, denied that a blood test was ever mentioned by the patrolman. We believe, however, that the record clearly justifies the finding of the Highway Commissioner that the petitioner did refuse to submit to a blood test to determine the alcoholic content of his blood.

From the order of the Highway Commissioner revoking the petitioner’s driving license, the petitioner appealed to the district court of Cass County, the county in which he was driving when the alleged offense was committed. The hearing in the district court was upon the record made before the agent of the Highway Commissioner. After hearing, and after considering the record as it had been made before the agent of the Highway Commissioner, the district court ordered the petitioner’s license to be reinstated on the ground that the provisions of the statute in question had not been complied with by the arresting officer. The trial court held that the law *362 gives to one accused of driving while under the influence of intoxicating beverages the privilege of selecting one of the four tests designated in the statute, and that the highway patrolman, by merely asking the petitioner if he would submit to a blood test, had not clearly pointed out to him his rights under the law; that the highway patrolman, by advising the petitioner that he must submit to a blood test, did not comply with the provisions of the law.

From the order reinstating the petitioner’s driving privileges the State Highway Commissioner has appealed, and the question before this court is whether the provisions of the statute were complied with.

Chapter 39-20 of the Century Code is commonly referred to as the “Implied-Consent Law.” Section 39-20-01 provides:

“Any person who operates a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state shall be deemed to have given consent subject to the provisions of this chapter to a chemical test, or tests, of his blood, breath, saliva, or urine for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of his blood. The test or tests shall be administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer only after placing such person * * * under arrest and informing him that he is and will be charged with the offense of driving or being in actual physical control of a vehicle upon the public highways while under the influence of intoxicating liquor.”

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
110 N.W.2d 359, 1961 N.D. LEXIS 86, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/timm-v-state-nd-1961.