Trottier v. Transportation Dept

304 P.3d 292, 155 Idaho 17
CourtIdaho Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 5, 2013
Docket39949, 39994
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 304 P.3d 292 (Trottier v. Transportation Dept) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Trottier v. Transportation Dept, 304 P.3d 292, 155 Idaho 17 (Idaho Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

GRATTON, Judge.

In a consolidated appeal, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) appeals from the district court’s decision upon judicial review vacating the hearing officer’s order suspending William Richard Trottier’s driver’s license and order disqualifying Trottier’s commercial driver’s license (CDL) after he failed a blood alcohol concentration test. ITD claims the hearing officer’s decision to sustain Trottier’s license suspension was supported by substantial and competent evidence. Trottier raises additional issues on appeal, including: (1) whether he received the mandatory fifteen-minute monitoring period prior to administration of the breath test in accordance with the Idaho State Police’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and Idaho law; and (2) whether the commercial license disqualification proceeding violated his due process rights.

I.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

On September 3, 2011, Idaho State Police Trooper Schwecke observed a vehicle turn right onto U.S. Highway 95. The trooper activated his emergency overhead lights and conducted a traffic stop for an illegal right turn. Idaho State Police Corporal Baldwin was with the trooper and assisted in the stop.

Upon approaching the vehicle and informing the driver of the reason for the stop, Trooper Schwecke smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle. The driver, later identified as Trot-tier, had glassy and bloodshot eyes. After Trottier admitted to having a couple of beers, the trooper asked him to perform some field sobriety tests. Trottier subsequently failed the field sobriety tests and was requested to submit to a breath test. The breath test samples showed a result of .148 and .144, and Trottier was arrested for DUI. Due to his failure of the breath test, ITD later served Trottier with a notice of administrative license suspension (ALS) and a notice of lifetime disqualification of his CDL, pursuant to Idaho Code §§ 18-8002A and 49-335, respectively.

Trottier requested an ALS hearing, which was held on September 26, 2011. On September 28, 2011, the ALS hearing officer issued his findings of fact and conclusions of law and order upholding the license suspension. Trottier filed a petition for judicial review on October 6, 2011, and requested a stay. On the same date, the district court entered an order for stay pending appeal.

Trottier also requested a hearing to contest his CDL disqualification, which was scheduled for October 11, 2011. On October 6, 2011, Trottier submitted a request with ITD to vacate the CDL disqualification until after the district court had an opportunity to decide the petition for judicial review regarding his license suspension. With the request, Trottier submitted the stay order that was granted by the district court concerning the ALS. The request was denied. Prior to the CDL disqualification hearing, Trottier submitted ten exhibits for the CDL hearing officer to consider, all of which related to his challenge to the validity of the breath test. The hearing officer refused to consider the exhibits. After hearing argument from the parties, the hearing officer ultimately sustained the lifetime CDL disqualification in findings of fact and conclusions of law and order dated October 13, 2011. On October 28, 2011, Trottier filed a petition for judicial review and an ex parte motion for stay. On the same day, the district court entered an order for stay pending appeal.

The district court consolidated the ALS and CDL petitions for judicial review. Trot-tier raised several issues before the district court. However, the district court determined that there was not substantial and competent evidence in the record to support the hearing officer’s finding that the trooper had legal cause to stop Trottier. The district court then vacated the ALS and CDL disqualification without considering Trottier’s other issues. ITD timely appealed.

*21 ii.

ANALYSIS

The Idaho Administrative Procedures Act (IDAPA) governs the review of ITD decisions to deny, cancel, suspend, disqualify, revoke, or restrict a person’s driver’s license. See I.C. §§ 49-201, 49-330, 67-5201(2), 67-5270. In an appeal from the decision of the district court acting in its appellate capacity under IDAPA, this Court reviews the agency record independently of the district court’s decision. Marshall v. Idaho Dep’t of Transp., 137 Idaho 337, 340, 48 P.3d 666, 669 (Ct.App.2002). This Court does not substitute its judgment for that of the agency as to the weight of the evidence presented. I.C. § 67-5279(1); Marshall, 137 Idaho at 340, 48 P.3d at 669. This Court instead defers to the agency’s findings of fact unless they are clearly erroneous. Castaneda v. Brighton Corp., 130 Idaho 923, 926, 950 P.2d 1262, 1265 (1998); Marshall, 137 Idaho at 340, 48 P.3d at 669. In other words, the agency’s factual determinations are binding on the reviewing court, even where there is conflicting evidence before the agency, so long as the determinations are supported by substantial and competent evidence in the record. Urrutia v. Blaine County, ex rel. Bd. of Comm’rs, 134 Idaho 353, 357, 2 P.3d 738, 742 (2000); Marshall, 137 Idaho at 340, 48 P.3d at 669.

The Court may overturn an agency’s decision where its findings, inferences, conclusions, or decisions: (a) violate statutory or constitutional provisions; (b) exceed the agency’s statutory authority; (c) are made upon unlawful procedure; (d) are not supported by substantial evidence in the record; or (e) are arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of discretion. I.C. § 67-5279(3). The party challenging the agency decision must demonstrate that the agency erred in a manner specified in I.C. § 67-5279(3) and that a substantial right of that party has been prejudiced. Price v. Payette County Bd. of County Comm’rs, 131 Idaho 426, 429, 958 P.2d 583, 586 (1998); Marshall, 137 Idaho at 340, 48 P.3d at 669. If the agency’s decision is not affirmed on appeal, “it shall be set aside ... and remanded for further proceedings as necessary.” I.C. § 67-5279(3).

The administrative license suspension statute, I.C. § 18-8002A, requires that ITD suspend the driver’s license of a driver who has failed a BAC test administered by a law enforcement officer. The period of suspension is ninety days for a driver’s first failure of an evidentiary test and one year for any subsequent test failure within five years. I.C. § 18-8002A(4)(a). A person who has been notified of an ALS may request a hearing before a hearing officer, designated by ITD, to contest the suspension. I.C. § 18-8002A(7); Kane v. State, Dep’t of Transp., 139 Idaho 586, 590, 83 P.3d 130, 134 (Ct.App. 2003). The hearing officer must uphold the suspension unless he or she finds, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the driver has shown one of several grounds enumerated in I.C. § 18-8002A(7) for vacating the suspension.

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Bluebook (online)
304 P.3d 292, 155 Idaho 17, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/trottier-v-transportation-dept-idahoctapp-2013.