Title: State v. Graves

State: vermont

Issuer: Vermont Supreme Court

Document:

State v. Graves (99-194); 170 Vt. 646; 757 A.2d 462

[Filed 26-Apr-2000]

                                 ENTRY ORDER

                       SUPREME COURT DOCKET NO. 99-194

                              APRIL TERM, 2000

State of Vermont	               }	APPEALED FROM:
                                       }
                                       }
     v.	                               }	District Court of Vermont,
                                       }	Unit No. 3, Orleans Circuit
                                       }
Judy Graves	                       }	DOCKET NO. 99-2-99 & 5-2-99 Osc	

             In the above-entitled cause, the Clerk will enter:

       Defendant Judy Graves appeals the denial of her motion to suppress. 
  She drove into a port of  entry between Canada and the United States where
  a Vermont State Police officer observed signs  of intoxication.  He then
  conducted field sobriety tests and arrested her.  She argued in her motion 
  to suppress and argues on appeal that warrantless arrests by state officers
  are prohibited in the  federal enclave.  We affirm.

       Defendant stopped at the port of entry in Derby, Vermont, returning
  from Canada to the United  States.  While stopped, a Vermont officer
  observed that her eyes were watery and bloodshot, and  that she smelled of
  alcohol. When questioned, she said she had three drinks, and that her last 
  drink had been about a half-hour earlier.  The officer asked her to perform
  field sobriety tests.  As a result of her performance, the officer believed
  that she had been operating a motor vehicle  on a public highway under the
  influence of alcohol.  He therefore arrested her and administered  a breath
  test, the results of which showed a blood-alcohol content of .154%
  approximately one  hour after operation. 

       Defendant moved to suppress the results of the breath test, arguing
  that the arrest was  extrajurisdictional.  She contends that although
  federal and state statutes provide concurrent  jurisdiction for crimes
  committed within a federal enclave, the Vermont statute permitting service 
  of criminal or civil process does not permit warrantless arrests in a
  federal enclave.  See 1 V.S.A.  § 551.  The trial court denied her motion
  to suppress, citing our decision in State v. Armstrong,  148 Vt. 344,