Defendant appeals a judgment of conviction for driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII) and reckless driving, contending that the trial court erred in denying her motion to suppress the results of an Intoxilyzer test. Defendant argues that the results should be suppressed because she was denied a reasonable opportunity to obtain an independent blood test, in violation of ORS 813.150.
We state the facts consistently with the trial court’s findings, which are supported by evidence in the record. State v. Hall,
Defendant was subsequently charged with DUII, ORS 813.010, and reckless driving, ORS 811.140. She filed a motion to suppress the results of the breath test, arguing that she had been denied a reasonable opportunity to obtain an independent blood test in violation of ORS 813.150 because Gotchy ignored her request. At the hearing, defendant testified that she requested a blood test twice: first, while in the patrol car on the way to the police station, and again before consenting to the breath test at the police station. Gotchy testified that defendant requested the blood test only once: while at the police station, before consenting to the breath test. The trial court found Gotchy’s testimony more credible. Because defendant did not request a blood test after the breath test, the trial court concluded that the police did not prevent her from obtaining the test and she was therefore not denied a reasonable opportunity to do so. On that basis, the trial court denied defendant’s motion to suppress. Defendant entered a conditional guilty plea, reserving her right to appeal, ORS 135.335(3). On appeal, defendant reiterates her argument from below.
ORS 813.150 provides,
“In addition to a chemical test of the breath, blood or urine administered under ORS 813.100 or 813.140, upon the request of a police officer, a person shall be permitted upon request, at the person’s own expense, reasonable opportunity to have any licensed physician and surgeon, licensed professional nurse or qualified technician, chemist or other qualified person of the person’s own choosing administer a chemical test or tests of the person’s breath or blood for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of the person’s blood * *
(Emphases added.) “ORS 813.150 does not require an officer to advise an individual that he or she has a right to have
The state argues that ORS 813.130(2)(g) establishes that a defendant’s opportunity to request a blood test under ORS 813.150 arises only after taking a breath test. ORS 813.130 provides requirements for information about rights and consequences for purposes of ORS 813.100, the statute governing implied consent to a breath or blood test, and ORS 813.410, suspension upon receipt of police report on implied consent test. Subsection (2)(g) provides:
“After taking a test under ORS 813.100, the person will have a reasonable opportunity, upon request, for an additional chemical test for blood alcohol content to be performed at the person’s own expense by a qualified individual of the person’s choosing.”
ORS 813.130 (emphases added). According to the state, defendant’s reasonable opportunity must be provided only if she makes the request after taking the police-administered test, and the undisputed facts disclose she did not do so; thus, defendant was not denied a reasonable opportunity to take a blood test under ORS 813.150.
The state’s interpretation of the statute, however, does not withstand grammatical analysis. It depends on the proposition that the phrase “[a]fter taking a test under ORS 813.100” modifies “request” — that is, it answers the question, “What kind of request? An after-the-test request.” “After taking a test under ORS 813.100,” however, is an adverbial phrase and not an adjectival;
Defendant contends that, once a defendant makes a prima facie showing that she requested an independent blood test, the burden shifts to the state to prove that the police provided the defendant with a reasonable opportunity to obtain the test or that the defendant unambiguously waived her request. Defendant analogizes ORS 813.150 to the right to privately consult with an attorney before consenting to a breath test. Under the right to counsel clause in Article I, section 11, of the Oregon Constitution, an arrested driver has the right upon request to a reasonable opportunity to obtain legal advice before deciding whether to submit to a breath test. State v. Spencer,
However, an arrested driver’s constitutional right to counsel is not equivalent to a statutory right to request a blood test. We decline to confer upon the latter the status of a constitutional right by shifting the burden of proof to the state. Therefore, we conclude, consistently with our prior case law, that the burden is on defendant to show that she was denied a reasonable opportunity to obtain the test.
Defendant argues that Gotchy prevented her from obtaining a blood test by ignoring her request and
We concluded that the defendant was not given a reasonable opportunity to obtain an independent blood test. Id. at 438. In reaching that conclusion, we reasoned that former ORS 487.810 (1977)
Conversely, in Snuggerud, we held that the defendant was not denied a reasonable opportunity to obtain a blood test.
Here, defendant was similarly not denied a reasonable opportunity to have a blood test. Gotchy had no affirmative obligation to take defendant to the hospital absent her request for a test, which she did not raise after he instructed her that she could request the test following the Intoxilyzer. His only obligation was neither to prevent nor hinder her. Darlin,
Affirmed.
Notes
ORS 813.150 provides:
“In addition to a chemical test of the breath, blood or urine administered under ORS 813.100 or 813.140, upon the request of a police officer, a person shall be permitted upon request, at the person’s own expense, reasonable opportunity to have any licensed physician and surgeon, licensed professional nurse or qualified technician, chemist or other qualified person of the person’s own choosing administer a chemical test or tests of the person’s breath or blood for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of the person’s blood or a chemical test or tests of the person’s blood or urine, or both, for the purpose of determining the presence of a controlled substance or an inhalant in the person. The failure or inability to obtain such a test or tests by a person shall not preclude the admission of evidence relating to a test or tests taken upon the request of a police officer.”
Exceptions include such phrases as “after party,” as in “They met at an after party” where “after” modifies the noun “party.” We do not think the legislature intended to indicate anything like an “after request.”
Repealed, by Or Laws 1983, ch 338, § 978. Former ORS 487.810 provided essentially the same right to an independent blood test as does ORS 813.150.
