2007 Ohio 1166 | Ohio Ct. App. | 2007
DECISION AND JUDGMENT ENTRY
{¶ 1} This is an appeal from a Marietta Municipal Court judgment of conviction and sentence for driving while under the influence of alcohol in violation of R.C.
{¶ 2} Dennis S. Marcinko, defendant below and appellant herein, raises the following assignments of error for review:
FIRST ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR:
"THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FINDING THAT STANDARDIZED FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS WERE CONDUCTED IN SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH *2 NHTSA STANDARDS."
SECOND ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR:
"THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FAILING TO DETERMINE THAT THE OFFICER POSSESSED A REASONABLE, ARTICULABLE SUSPICION ON WHICH TO CONDUCT A FURTHER INVESTIGATORY STOP AFTER CONDUCTING A NON-INVESTIGATORY STOP FOR A TRAFFIC VIOLATION."
THIRD ASSIGNMENT OF ERROR:
"THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN FINDING PROBABLE CAUSE FOR DEFENDANT'S ARREST."
{¶ 3} On February 5, 2006, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Washington County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Rhodes observed appellant's vehicle traveling sixty miles per hour in a fifty mile per hour zone. After the deputy stopped appellant's vehicle for speeding, he noticed an odor of alcohol and observed that appellant made "some very slow movements inside the vehicle" while he looked for his registration. Deputy Rhodes then asked appellant how much he had to drink and appellant stated that he "drank one beer," and that at another point, stated that he "drank five." Deputy Rhodes also noticed in the back seat a case of beer with its top open.
{¶ 4} Deputy Rhodes requested appellant to perform field sobriety tests. The deputy testified that he explained the instructions for the one-leg stand test to appellant as follows:
*3"I told him to keep his hands to his side. That he was going to be able to choose a foot, either foot, I didn't care which one, raise his foot approximately six inches off the ground, keeping his leg straight.
After he did that, he was to look down to the tip of his toes, and count one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three; all the way up to one thousand thirty, unless I told him to stop prior."
Deputy Rhodes stated that appellant did not keep his arms at his side and used his arms for balance. As he raised his foot, appellant "kind of lost his balance, and caught himself on the bumper, front area of my cruiser." Appellant then attempted to do the test again. After he reached one thousand five, appellant put his foot down again and lost his balance. Deputy Rhodes then discontinued the test and administered the walk-and-turn test. The deputy testified:
"I advised [appellant] that there was a straight line. Put his left foot on the line and his right foot in front. He was going to take a total of nine heel to toe steps, counting each one.
When he got to the ninth step, he was going to use small steps and pivot around, put his foot back in front, continue the nine heel to toe continuous steps."
Deputy Rhodes stated that after appellant raised his hands for balance, stepped off the line and missed heel to toe,1 he arrested appellant for driving while under the influence of alcohol.
{¶ 5} Appellant filed a "motion in limine/motion to dismiss" and requested that the court prohibit the introduction at trial any evidence that related to the field sobriety tests. Appellant asserted that Deputy Rhodes did not administer the tests in substantial compliance with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards. Appellant also requested the court to dismiss the case because the officer lacked probable *4 cause to arrest him.
{¶ 6} At the motion hearing, appellant claimed that Deputy Rhodes did not administer the field sobriety tests in substantial compliance with NHTSA standards that require dry, calm weather conditions and a level surface. Deputy Rhodes testified that a light snow fell as he administered tests, but that "the pavement was pretty dry still" and the ground was not slippery. The deputy further stated that it was windy, but that he did not know the wind speed. He also testified that he administered the tests on an incline, but that he could not estimate the degree of the incline.
{¶ 7} Appellant testified that the pavement was slippery, that the incline was about twenty-five degrees and that he fell during the tests because the wind blew him over.
{¶ 8} After hearing the evidence, the trial court overruled appellant's "motion in limine/motion to dismiss." The court found that the officer administered the one-leg stand and the walk-and-turn tests in substantial compliance with NHTSA standards. Regarding the one-leg stand test, the court stated: "The wind and other weather conditions in that short period of time from the HGN test to the one leg stand did not change. It was still windy, snowing/raining, cold and wet. What is obvious is the Defendant performed this particular divided attention skills test poorly." Regarding the walk-and-turn test, the court stated: "Much of the officer's demonstration and all of his oral instructions for completing this test were captured by the *5 videotape. They were given in compliance with standards. Most of the Defendant's performance of this test is off the left side of the camera field. The videotape did record that Defendant raised his arms several times for balance. This is consistent with the officer's testimony." The court also found that (1) the officer observed that appellant had bloodshot eyes and had a strong odor of alcohol; and (2) appellant admitted to drinking beer. Appellant subsequently pled no contest and this appeal followed.
{¶ 10} A "motion in limine" is "`[a] pretrial motion requesting [the] court to prohibit opposing counsel from referring to or offering evidence on matters so highly prejudicial to [the] moving party that curative instructions cannot prevent [a] predispositional effect on [the] jury.'" State v. French (1995),
{¶ 11} Furthermore, we cannot consider a claim that the trial court erred by overruling his motion to dismiss. Appellant argued that the court should dismiss the charges because without the results of the allegedly improperly administered field sobriety tests, the officer lacked probable cause to arrest him. "Under Ohio's criminal procedure, there is no provision for a *7
motion to dismiss a criminal case founded on the lack of probable cause. The determination of whether or not probable cause exists is the very function of the trial." State v. Hartley (1988),
{¶ 12} Our inquiry will not end at this juncture, however. Our review of the record reveals that the trial court conducted a hearing, took evidence, and treated appellant's motion as one to suppress. In the interest of justice, we will do the same. See Flanagan. Accordingly, we construe appellant's three assignments of error as arguing that the trial court erred by overruling his motion to suppress.
{¶ 14} Appellate review of a trial court's decision regarding a motion to suppress evidence involves a mixed question of law and fact. SeeState v. Long (1998),
{¶ 16} In 2000, the Ohio Supreme Court held that strict *9
compliance with standardized testing procedures is required for field sobriety test results to serve as evidence of probable cause to arrest.State v. Homan (2000),
"[A] law enforcement officer has administered a field sobriety test to the operator of the vehicle involved in the violation and if it is shown by clear and convincing evidence that the officer administered the test in substantial compliance with the testing standards for any reliable, credible, and generally accepted field sobriety tests that were in effect at the time the tests were administered, including, but not limited to, any testing standards then in effect that were set by the national highway traffic safety administration."
R.C.
{¶ 17} In the case at bar, appellant complains that the tests were not conducted in substantial compliance with NHTSA standards because the officer did not perform the tests on a dry, level *10
surface. We disagree with appellant. First, we point out that the officer stated that the pavement was dry and not slippery. Thus, the trial court had evidence, if believed, to support the view that the surface at that time was dry. Moreover, even if the surface was wet, performing a field sobriety test under less than ideal conditions should not always negate the results of that test. Failing to conduct field sobriety tests under the ideal conditions specified in NHTSA will not always show lack of substantial compliance. See Homan,
{¶ 18} Appellant further argues that the trial court erred by finding that Deputy Rhodes observed that appellant's eyes were bloodshot. Appellant correctly notes that the officer did not present this testimony at the hearing. The record, however, contains the officer's notes from the traffic stop in which he states that he observed that appellant's eyes were bloodshot. Thus, some evidence exists in the record to support the trial court's finding. *11
{¶ 19} Accordingly, based upon the foregoing reasons, we hereby overrule appellant's first assignment of error.
{¶ 21} In his second assignment of error, appellant asserts that the trial court erred by failing to consider whether the officer possessed sufficient reasonable suspicion to detain appellant to conduct field sobriety tests. Appellant argues that the officer's detection of an odor of alcohol did not warrant further investigation and that the officer did not observe any other behavior to arouse his suspicions. In his third assignment *12 of error, appellant contends that in the absence of the field sobriety tests, the officer lacked probable cause to arrest him.
"The prosecutor must know the grounds of the challenge in order to prepare his case, and the court must know the grounds of the challenge in order to rule on evidentiary issues at the hearing and properly dispose of the merits. Therefore, the defendant must make clear the grounds upon which he challenges the submission of evidence pursuant to a warrantless search or seizure. Failure on the part of the defendant to adequately raise the basis of his challenge constitutes a waiver of that issue on appeal."
(Citations omitted); see, also, State v. Shindler (1994), 70 Ohio St.3d. 54,
{¶ 23} In the case at bar, we do not believe that appellant adequately raised the lack of reasonable suspicion issue so as to fully advise the prosecutor and the court of the issue. Appellant candidly and forthrightly admits that the words "reasonable suspicion" appear nowhere in his "motion in limine/motion to dismiss." Appellant argues that his citation to Cleveland v. Sanders, Cuyahoga App. No. 83073,
{¶ 25} A traffic stop initiated by a law enforcement officer implicates the
"Temporary detention of individuals during the stop of an automobile by the police, even if only for a brief period and for a limited purpose, constitutes a seizure of `persons' within the meaning of [the
Fourth Amendment]. * * * An automobile stop is thus subject to the constitutional imperative that it not be `unreasonable' under the circumstances. As a general matter, the decision to stop an automobile is reasonable where the police have probable cause to believe that a traffic violation has occurred. * * * ."
Id. at 809-10 (citations omitted); see, also, Dayton v. Erickson (1996),
{¶ 26} Once an officer has lawfully stopped a vehicle, the officer must "carefully tailor" the scope of the stop "to its underlying justification," and the stop must "last no longer than is necessary to effectuate the purpose of the stop." Florida v. Royer (1983),
{¶ 27} Thus, if a law enforcement officer, during a valid traffic stop, ascertains "reasonably articulable facts giving rise to a suspicion of criminal activity, the officer may then further detain and implement a more in-depth investigation of the *15
individual." Robinette,
{¶ 28} An officer conducting a routine traffic stop may, therefore, expand the stop's scope in order to investigate whether the individual stopped is under the influence of alcohol and may continue to detain the individual to confirm or dispel his suspicions if the officer observes additional facts during the routine stop which reasonably lead him to suspect that the individual may be under the influence. See State v.Angel (Sept. 21, 2001), Miami App. No. 2001-CA-11; State v.Strausbaugh (Dec. 3, 1999), Montgomery App. No. 17629; State v.Strassman (Nov. 20, 1995), Athens App. No. 98CA10. As the court explained in State v. Yemma (Aug. 9, 1996), Portage App. No. 95-P-0156:
"Once the officer has stopped the vehicle for some minor traffic offense and begins the process of obtaining the offender's license and registration, the officer may then proceed to investigate the detainee for driving under the influence if he or she has a reasonable suspicion that the detainee may be intoxicated based on specific and articulable facts, such as where there are clear symptoms that the detainee is intoxicated."
See, also, State v. Downey (1987),
{¶ 29} In Litteral, we reviewed prior cases that discussed whether the presence of certain facts justified an officer's continued detention of a lawfully stopped individual to investigate whether the individual had been driving while under the influence:
"In [State v.] Chelikowsky [Aug. 18, 1992), Pickaway App. No. 91CA27], we held that weaving and a strong odor of alcohol were sufficient to justify conducting field sobriety tests. We held that glassy bloodshot eyes and an odor of alcohol were sufficient to warrant field sobriety tests in State v. Whitt (Nov. 9, 1993), Lawrence App. No. 93 CA 11, as is even a moderate odor of alcohol by itself. State v. Turner (Jan. 8, 1993), Highland App. No. 812. Indeed, our own research indicates that, in most instances, when an initial stop is justified by reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing, a disoriented demeanor and/or odor of alcohol provides further impetus for more intrusive investigative procedures. See, e.g., State v. Gottfried (1993),
86 Ohio App.3d 106 ,619 N.E.2d 1185 ; Columbus v. Comer (Dec. 21, 1993), Franklin App. No. 93 AP-960."
{¶ 30} In the case sub judice, we believe that the officer lawfully expanded the traffic stop's scope to determine whether appellant was driving while under the influence of alcohol. The officer: (1) smelled an odor of alcohol emanating from appellant; (2) observed that appellant had bloodshot eyes; and (3) noted that appellant was "slow" in obtaining his registration. These factors were sufficient to arouse the officer's suspicions and to justify further detention to conduct field sobriety tests. Thus, *17 appellant's assertion that the officer lacked reasonable suspicion to continue his detention in order to administer field sobriety tests is without merit.
{¶ 31} Accordingly, based upon the foregoing reasons, we hereby overrule appellant's second assignment of error.
{¶ 33} The standard for determining whether an officer has probable cause to arrest an individual for driving while under the influence of alcohol is whether, at the moment of arrest, the officer had sufficient information, derived from a reasonably trustworthy source of facts and circumstances, sufficient to cause a prudent person to believe that the suspect was operating a motor vehicle while under the influence. SeeState v. Homan,
{¶ 34} In the case sub judice, we have previously determined that the trial court properly concluded that Deputy Rhodes administered the field sobriety tests in substantial compliance with NHTSA regulations. Thus, the trial court could properly consider the results of the field sobriety tests in determining the existence of probable cause to arrest. Consequently, appellant's argument that probable cause to arrest did not exist because the court could not consider the results of the field sobriety tests is without merit. Appellant does not otherwise challenge whether the officer had probable cause to arrest him.
{¶ 35} Accordingly, based upon the foregoing reasons, we hereby overrule appellant's third assignment of error and affirm the trial court's judgment.
JUDGMENT AFFIRMED.
The Court finds there were reasonable grounds for this appeal.
It is ordered that a special mandate issue out of this Court directing the Marietta Municipal Court to carry this judgment into execution.
If a stay of execution of sentence and release upon bail has been previously granted, it is continued for a period of sixty days upon the bail previously posted. The purpose of said stay is to allow appellant to file with the Ohio Supreme Court an application for a stay during the pendency of the proceedings in that court. The stay as herein continued will terminate at the expiration of the sixty day period. *19
The stay will also terminate if appellant fails to file a notice of appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court in the forty-five day period pursuant to Rule II, Sec. 2 of the Rules of Practice of the Ohio Supreme Court. Additionally, if the Ohio Supreme Court dismisses the appeal prior to the expiration of said sixty days, the stay will terminate as of the date of such dismissal.
A certified copy of this entry shall constitute that mandate pursuant to Rule 27 of the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
McFarland, P.J. Kline, J.: Concur in Judgment Opinion
For the Court