{¶ 3} Ptl. Canan then asked Swartz for his driver's license and returned to his cruiser to run a computer search based upon the personal information provided by Swartz. Upon returning to the stopped vehicle, Ptl. Canan testified that he told Swartz he did not believe that he was sober and asked to him to exit the vehicle in order to submit to field sobriety testing. Ptl. Canan administered the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test, the Walk and Turn Test, and One Leg Stand Test. Based on his observations of Swartz's performance regarding the field sobriety tests, Ptl. Canan arrested Swartz for violating R.C. §
{¶ 4} In its written decision sustaining the motion to suppress, the trial court held that the evidence adduced at the hearing was insufficient to establish that Ptl. Canan possessed a reasonable, articulable suspicion to request that Swartz exit the vehicle and submit to field sobriety testing. The State filed a timely notice of appeal with this Court on October 15, 2008. *3
{¶ 6} "THE TRIAL COURT SHOULD HAVE RULED THAT THERE WAS A REASONABLE ARTICULABLE SUSPICION TO JUSTIFY THE POLICE OFFICER'S REQUEST THAT DEFENDANT PERFORM FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS."
{¶ 7} In its sole assignment, the State argues that the trial court erred when it sustained Swartz's motion to suppress. Specifically, the State contends that the totality of the circumstances surrounding the initial stop and investigation establish that Ptl. Canan had a reasonable belief that Swartz was intoxicated such that it became necessary for Swartz to exit his vehicle and submit to field sobriety testing.
{¶ 8} With respect to a motion to suppress, "the trial court assumes the role of trier of facts and is in the best position to resolve questions of fact and evaluate the credibility of witnesses." State v.Hopfer ( 1996),
{¶ 9} It should be initially noted that neither party disputes that Ptl. Canan had probable cause to stop Swartz for the traffic offense of failing to signal when performing a left turn. The issue before us, however, is whether Ptl. Canan had a *4
reasonable, articulable suspicion to remove Swartz from his vehicle in order to conduct field sobriety tests. "We have said on numerous occasions that these decisions are very fact-intensive." State v.Wells, Montgomery App. No. 20798,
{¶ 10} In support of its decision sustaining Swartz's motion to suppress, the trial court relied upon State v. Dixon (Dec. 1, 2000), Greene App. No. 2000-CA-30, and State v. Spillers (March 24, 2000), Darke App. No. 1504.
{¶ 11} "In order to warrant removing a person from his vehicle to conduct field sobriety tests, a police officer must have reasonable articulable suspicion to believe that the person was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol." State v. Knox, Greene App. No. 2005-CA-74,
{¶ 12} "In Spillers the officer was relying only on de minimus traffic violations1, a `slight' odor of alcohol, and the admission of alcohol consumption to justify the administration of field sobriety tests. We stated there that `[a] slight odor of alcoholic beverage is insufficient, by itself, to trigger a reasonable suspicion of DUI, and nominal traffic violations, being common to virtually every driver, add nothing of significance. Accordingly, we concluded that the trial court did not err in finding that the detention of *5 Spillers for the purpose of administering a field sobriety test was unlawful.' Spillers, supra (emphasis in the original).
{¶ 13} "Similarly, in Dixon the officer stopped a car with darkly tinted windows and noticed that the driver had glassy, bloodshot eyes, a slight odor of alcohol, and the admission of alcohol consumption. Because tinted windows do not indicate impairment, the officer was attempting to rely only on the condition of the eyes, the slight odor of alcohol, and the admitted consumption of alcohol to justify the field sobriety tests. We determined that these factors were insufficient to warrant the additional intrusion of field sobriety tests." Knox
at ¶ 9-10; State v. Castle, Montgomery App. No. 21698,
{¶ 14} The trial court pointed out that the only indicia of intoxication that Swartz exhibited were glassy, bloodshot eyes and the smell of alcohol. The trial court found it significant that Ptl. Canan did not provide any testimony regarding the intensity or strength of the odor emanating from Swartz. In Dixon, the defendant also had an odor of alcohol, had glassy, bloodshot eyes, and admitted having consumed one or two beers. Id., Greene App. No. 2000-CA-30. In this regard, we stated the following:
{¶ 15} "`[t]he mere detection of an odor of alcohol, unaccompanied by any basis, drawn from the officer's experience or expertise, for correlating that odor with a level of intoxication that would likely impair the subject's driving ability, is not enough to establish that the subject was driving under the influence. Nor is the subject's admission that he had one or two beers. Perhaps one day it will be illegal to drink and drive. That is not the present state of the law, however.'
{¶ 16} Viewing the totality of the circumstances, Ptl. Canan did not possess a reasonable, articulable suspicion that Swartz might be driving under the influence of alcohol that justified conducting field sobriety tests. State v. Howard, Greene App. No. 2007 CA 42,
{¶ 17} The State's sole assignment of error is overruled.
BROGAN, J. and GRADY, J., concur.
Copies mailed to:
Brandon A. Coate
Samuel L. Huffman
Hon. Mel Kemmer