Wolney v. Secretary of State

257 N.W.2d 754, 77 Mich. App. 61, 1977 Mich. App. LEXIS 980
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 19, 1977
DocketDocket 31106
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 257 N.W.2d 754 (Wolney v. Secretary of State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Wolney v. Secretary of State, 257 N.W.2d 754, 77 Mich. App. 61, 1977 Mich. App. LEXIS 980 (Mich. Ct. App. 1977).

Opinions

Beasley, P. J.

This appeal challenges the statutory hearing procedure afforded those persons who request a hearing after refusing to take a chemical test upon being arrested for driving under the [63]*63influence of intoxicating liquor.1 Following such a hearing, at which adverse determinations of fact were made and after the resulting suspension of the driver’s license, plaintiff sought review in the circuit court. The circuit court held that the statutory procedure denied the driver due process of law2 and, since the suspension period for the driver’s license had already expired, the court ordered that the conviction be expunged from the driver’s record. The Secretary of State now appeals.

On June 3, 1976, a Redford Township police officer arrested plaintiff-appellee (herein referred to as "driver”) in Redford Township for driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. The driver executed a form which documented his refusal to take a chemical test pursuant to the implied consent act of the motor vehicle code.3 The driver then received a notice which stated that, unless a hearing was requested, his operating privileges would be suspended due to his refusal to take the referenced test. The driver requested such a hearing, and it was held on July 12, 1976.

Counsel for the driver appeared at the hearing and specifically objected on due process grounds to the fact that the hearing officer was an employee of the Secretary of State. The hearing officer noted the objection for the record, but stated that it was a constitutional matter which he did not have the power to decide and which would have to be left up to the circuit court. The hearing was then conducted and, pursuant to the statute, the hearing officer made the following findings of fact:

[64]*64"1. The officer observed the Petitioner’s vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed — 70 in a 35 approximately. Upon stopping the Petitioner he observed that he was unsteady on his feet and that there was a significant odor of alcohol on his breath.

2. Petitioner was arrested for DUIL.

3. Petitioner was advised of his rights.

4. Petitioner unreasonably refused to submit to the test.”

The driver was then given a copy of an order setting forth the results of the hearing and his driver’s license was taken. On July 15, 1976, the Secretary of State formally suspended the driver’s driving privilege by issuance of an "Order of Revocation or Suspension or Denial”.

Circuit court review then followed. The circuit court held that the case was controlled by Crampton v Department of State.4 Crampton involved the predecessor to the statute now challenged.5 Under that former statute, a hearing similar to the one in the instant case was held before a board composed of the Secretary of State, the Attorney General and the sheriff or chief of police of the county or city where the petitioner resided; the statute also provided that the specified members could nominate representatives and that two members would constitute a quorum for purposes of holding a hearing. Crampton’s own hearing was before a two-member board composed of a Secretary of State employee representing the Secretary of State and a police officer representing the chief of police of the Lansing Police Department. Crampton argued that he was deprived of due process of law by being forced to submit his case to a tribunal which [65]*65included as members a policeman or the Attorney General. The Court said:

"We conclude that it is impermissible for officials who are entrusted with responsibility for arrest and prosecution of law violators to sit as adjudicators in a law enforcement dispute between a citizen and a police officer. In this situation, as in those previously identified by the United States Supreme Court, the probability of actual bias on the part of judge or decisionmaker is too high to be constitutionally tolerable.
"Resolution of those factual issues [the same four factual issues determined by the hearing officer in the instant case] will often turn on appraisal of the credibility of the opposing testimony of the officer and the citizen.
"Police officers are full-time law enforcement officials trained to ferret out crime and arrest citizens who have violated the law.
"Similarly, the Attorney General and prosecuting attorneys are responsible for prosecution of citizens charged with violation of the law. Prosecuting attorneys and their assistants have been designated to represent the Attorney General on License Appeal Boards although they or others in their office are prosecuting the person whose appeal they are hearing for a drunk driving offense arising out of the incident which prompted the revocation hearing. Crampton was prosecuted and, subsequent to this license revocation hearing, was convicted of a drunk driving offense.
"We do not suggest that police officers and prosecutors are not fair-minded. But they are deeply and personally involved in the fight against law violators. As law enforcement officials they are identified and aligned with the state as the adversary of the citizen who is charged with violation of the law. Their function and frame of reference may be expected to make them 'partisan to maintain’ their own authority and that of their fellow officers. The risk that they will be unable to step out of their roles as full-time law enforcement officials and into the role of unbiased decisionmaker in [66]*66a law enforcement dispute between a citizen and a police officer presents a probability of unfairness too high to be constitutionally tolerable.
"We hold that the composition of the License Appeal Board denied Crampton his due process right to a hearing before a fair and impartial tribunal. Full-time law enforcement officials may not be members of License Appeal Board panels.”6

Crampton does not discuss the constitutional implications of the presence of a representative of the Secretary of State on the license appeal board, and it appears from the opinion that this question was not raised by the parties. Nevertheless, the circuit court in the instant case was of the opinion that the same considerations set forth in Cramp-ton would apply to the Secretary of State or his representative. Therefore, the circuit court held that when the Legislature amended the statute by making the sole member of the hearing panel a hearing officer appointed by the Secretary of State, it continued a procedure which was defective on the samé due process grounds as the predecessor statute.

However, this case is readily distinguishable from Crampton. As indicated, in Crampton no reference is made to the implications of having a Secretary of State representative on the license appeal board.

Moreover, although the Attorney General’s presence on the board is addressed by the court, that discussion is framed in terms of the position held by the assistant prosecutors to whom the Attorney General’s responsibilities had actually been delegated.

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Related

People v. Tracy
463 N.W.2d 457 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1990)
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441 N.W.2d 59 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1989)
Wilson v. Secretary of State
415 N.W.2d 870 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1987)
People v. Jelneck
384 N.W.2d 801 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1986)
Bay County Concealed Weapons Licensing Board v. Gasta
293 N.W.2d 707 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1980)
Automotive Service Councils v. Secretary of State
267 N.W.2d 698 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1978)
Wolney v. Secretary of State
257 N.W.2d 754 (Michigan Court of Appeals, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
257 N.W.2d 754, 77 Mich. App. 61, 1977 Mich. App. LEXIS 980, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wolney-v-secretary-of-state-michctapp-1977.