Case Title: State v. Ghylin

Citation: 250 N.W.2d 252

Docket Number: 

State: north-dakota

Court: North Dakota Supreme Court

Date: 1977-01-27T00:00:00Z

Document:
250 N.W.2d 252 (1977) STATE of North Dakota, Plaintiff and Appellee, v. Gerald A. GHYLIN, Defendant and Appellant. Crim. No. 568. Supreme Court of North Dakota. January 27, 1977. *253 Daniel J. Chapman, Bismarck, for defendant and appellant. John M. Olson, State's Atty., and Rolf P. Sletten, Asst. State's Atty., Bismarck, for plaintiff and appellee; argued by Rolf Sletten. PEDERSON, Justice. This is an appeal by the defendant, Gerald A. Ghylin, from his conviction by the Burleigh County Court With Increased Jurisdiction of the crime of being in "actual physical control" of a vehicle upon a highway while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, in violation of § 39-08-01, NDCC. In this proceeding, Ghylin contends that (1) he was not in "actual physical control" of the vehicle, and (2) he was not "upon a highway" at the time of his arrest. We affirm. Ghylin was arrested by Burleigh County Deputy Sheriff Paul Genter about midnight on April 17, 1976, after Genter had stopped his patrol car two or three miles west of Wing, North Dakota, to investigate a vehicle in the ditch, apparently signalling for help with its headlights. Genter testified that as he approached Ghylin was just getting out of the driver's side of the vehicle and, in doing so, he made a motion as if he were taking the keys out of the ignition. The deputy sheriff observed that Ghylin had the keys in his hand as he alighted from the vehicle. According to Genter's testimony, Ghylin told him that he had driven into the ditch and gotten stuck. After detecting the odor of alcohol, Genter asked Ghylin to perform some balancing and coordination tests, such as finger-to-nose and walking a straight line. Ghylin's poor performance of these tests indicated to Officer Genter that Ghylin was intoxicated; he placed him under arrest, informed him of his Miranda rights, and transported him to the Burleigh County sheriff's office. Deputy Sheriff Genter also testified that during the ride to Bismarck, Ghylin again indicated that he had been driving the vehicle. At the Burleigh County sheriff's office, Ghylin was given a Breathalyzer test, which subsequently indicated a blood alcohol content of .14%. Ghylin's version of the incidents of the evening differs markedly from Deputy Sheriff Genter's testimony, and is substantially as follows: Ghylin left Wing in the company of a hitchhiker he had picked up earlier in the evening. The hitchhiker was actually driving the vehicle with Ghylin's permission when it left the road and went into the ditch a few miles west of Wing. When the deputy sheriff arrived on the scene, the hitchhiker, afraid of being arrested, hid on the floorboard of the vehicle and remained undetected. Ghylin did not tell Officer Genter that he had been driving that evening, as Genter, on two occasions, testified that he had, nor did he disclose to anyone that someone else was driving, apparently in an effort to protect the hitchhiker. Ghylin also disputes the deputy sheriff's testimony that he removed the key from the ignition, or that he was given any balancing or coordination tests prior to his *254 arrival at the Burleigh County sheriff's office. In support of Ghylin's testimony, defense witness Albert Rosenau testified that at about midnight on the evening in question he observed the Ghylin vehicle and recognized Ghylin as a passenger in that vehicle, although he was unable to identify the driver. One additional conflict in the evidence involves a rear tire of Ghylin's vehicle which, from an examination of a picture introduced as an exhibit by Ghylin at trial, appears to be completely off the rim of the vehicle. Deputy Sheriff Genter testified that all of the tires were on the vehicle when he arrested Ghylin that evening. The statute under which Ghylin was convicted, § 39-08-01, NDCC, states in part: Ghylin first contends that the evidence was insufficient to support the conclusion that he was in actual physical control of his vehicle. We believe that, in view of the foregoing conflicting evidence concerning the events of the evening, sufficient evidence existed to support Ghylin's conviction of being in actual physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated. As we said in State v. Allen, 237 N.W.2d 154, 161 (N.D. 1975): The admission of the defendant on two separate occasions that he was driving, along with the other evidence, is sufficient to support the trial court's conclusion that he was in actual physical control of the vehicle. Ghylin attempts to distinguish the instant case from the situation in State v. Schuler, 243 N.W.2d 367 (N.D.1976), in which we affirmed a conviction of being in actual physical control of a vehicle when the defendant was shown to have been behind the steering wheel of the vehicle, the ignition was turned to the "on" position, and the transmission was engaged. He contends that in the instant case the ignition was off and the transmission was not engaged. The definition of "actual physical control" does not rest on such fine distinctions. The court, in Commonwealth v. Kloch, 230 Pa.Super. 563, 327 A.2d 375, 383 (1975), defined the phrase in these terms: In State v. Schuler, supra, we noted that the Oklahoma court in Hughes v. State, Okl.Cr., 535 P.2d 1023, 1024 (1975), sustained a conviction for being in actual physical control where the defendant was found slumped behind the steering wheel, with the key in the ignition. In that case, the Oklahoma court said: Ghylin argues that to sustain convictions of being in actual physical control of a vehicle while intoxicated in cases where the defendant has voluntarily stopped his vehicle off the road after realizing his inability to drive safely is to discourage such behavior in the future. He argues that convictions under these circumstances will encourage drivers aware of their impaired driving capability to continue driving rather than risk conviction for being in actual physical control should they pull off the highway to await other transportation. While we believe such behavior should be encouraged, the real purpose of the statute is to deter individuals who have been drinking intoxicating liquor from getting into their vehicles, except as passengers. As stated in State v. Schuler, supra, the "actual physical control" offense is a preventive measure intended to deter the drunken driver. One who has been drinking intoxicating liquor should not be encouraged to test his driving ability on the highway, even for a short distance, where his life and the lives of others hang in the balance. In City of Cincinnati v. Kelley, 47 Ohio St.2d 94, 351 N.E.2d 85 (1976), the Ohio court sustained a conviction of being in actual physical control where the defendant was found in his vehicle at the side of the road. After realizing he was in no condition to drive, the defendant had left the vehicle to telephone his wife to pick him up. When the police arrived, they found him back in his car, with the key in the ignition, supposedly awaiting his wife's arrival. Finding the defendant to have been in actual physical control, the court said: Even if we could envision a set of circumstances in which a defendant, by his conduct, finding himself upon a highway in an impaired condition, acted reasonably to safeguard his life and the lives of others, this is certainly not such a case. At trial, Ghylin testified that he was attempting to get his vehicle out of the ditch, and that the vehicle almost broke free when Deputy Sheriff Genter arrived. Such conduct does not represent a realization of impaired driving ability, a sincere effort to remain off the highway, or a concern for the safety of others. Ghylin next contends that he was not "upon a highway" when apprehended, as required by the statute. Section 39-01-01, NDCC, contains the statutory definition of these relevant terms: Ghylin's argument that the ditch along the roadway is not part of the "highway" rests upon this tenuous logic: "Highway" in subsection 21 above is defined as the entire width of every way publicly maintained. "Way" refers to "right of way," defined in subsection 50 above as use of a "roadway," which is further defined in subsection 52 above as "that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder." Thusly, Ghylin arrives at his definition of "highway." Such a narrow definition of "highway" has been foreclosed, however, by our decision in State v. Fuchs, 219 N.W.2d 842 (N.D.1974), where in sustaining a conviction of driving while intoxicated, we held that the shoulder is considered to be part of the highway. Moreover, the subsections set out above clearly encompass a broader definition of "highway" than Ghylin suggests. A rule of statutory construction is that words will be given their plain, ordinary, and commonly understood meaning. Tormaschy v. Hjelle, 210 N.W.2d 100 (N.D.1973). Subsection 21 of Section 39-01-01 defines "highway" as "the entire width * * * when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel." The clear inference is that "highway" means more than the paved or improved portion used for travel. This analysis is supported by the definition of "Roadway" in subsection 52. That term, which Ghylin proposes as a synonym for "highway," is defined, in part, as "that portion of a highway," thus clearly indicating that "highway" includes an area larger than that portion improved and used exclusively for vehicular travel. In this instance, we believe the statutory definition of "highway" includes the ditch alongside the roadway. We believe the evidence was sufficient to sustain the conviction of being in actual physical control of a vehicle upon a highway while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. The judgment is affirmed. ERICKSTAD, C. J., and PAULSON, SAND and VOGEL, JJ., concur.