# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A2 2 A0 48 9 . THE STATE v . W HI TMAN.

In th e ab o v e-s t y l ed ap p eal

, t h e St at e ch al l en g es th e t ri al co u rt ’ s gran t o f M art y

D. W h i t m an ’ s m o t i on t o s up p res s ev i d en ce o f h i s refu sal t o en g ag e i n pre-arres t fi el d

s o b ri et y t es t s

. On ap peal

, t h e St at e arg u es t h e t ri al co u r t e rred b y su p p res s i n g

W h i t m an ’ s refu sal t o u n derg o s u ch t es t in g wh en

, i n t er a l i a

, th e co u rt im p ro p erl y

ap p li ed Geo rg ia cas e l aw, an d b ecau s e fi el d s ob r i e t y t es t s d o n o t v i o l at e t h e ri g ht

ag ai n s t s el f-i ncri m i n at i o n u n der ei th er t h e fed eral or s t at e co n s t it u t i o n s

. Bu t we l ack

ju ri s d i ct i o n t o co n s id er t h e s tat e co n s t i t u t i o n al q u es t i o n p res en ted i n t hi s ap p eal

.

In d eed

, t h e Su p rem e Co u rt o f Geo rg ia ha s e x cl u si v e ju ri s d ict i o n ov er “ al l cas es

i n wh i ch th e co n st i t ut i o n al i t y o f a l aw, ord i n an ce, or co n s t it u t i o nal p ro v i s i o n h as b een

d rawn i n q ues ti o n .” 1 A d di ti o n al l y , o u r Su p rem e Co urt h as

i n t erp ret ed t h i s j u ri s d i ct i o n al pro v i si o n t o ex ten d o n l y t o co n s t i t u t i o nal

i s su es

. . . t h at d o n o t i n v o l v e t h e ap p l i cat i o n o f u n q ues t i o ned an d

u n am bi g u o us co n s t it u t i o n al p ro v is i on s o r ch al l en g es t o l aws prev i o us l y

h el d t o b e co n s t i t u t i o n al ag ai n s t t h e s am e at tack

. 2

1 Za r a te-Ma r t i nez v. Ech emen d ia

, 2 99 Ga. 3 0 1

, 3 0 4 (2 ) (7 8 8 SE2 d 4 0 5 ) (2 0 1 6 )

(p u n ct u at i o n o m i tt ed ); a cco r d F o x v. No r f o l k S

. Co r p

. , 3 4 2 Ga. A p p

. 3 8, 43 (1 ) (8 0 2

SE2 d 3 1 9) (2 0 1 7).

2 St a t e v. Da vi s

, 3 0 3 Ga. 6 8 4

, 6 8 7 (1 ) ( 8 1 4 SE2 d 7 0 1) (2 0 1 8 ) (p u n ct u at i o n

o m it t ed ); s ee Ci ty o

f At l a n t a v. Co l u mb i a Pi ct u res Co r p

. , 2 1 8 Ga. 7 14

, 71 9 (4 ) (1 3 0

SE2 d 4 9 0 ) (1 9 6 3 ) (ex p l ai n in g t h at t h e Su p rem e Co u rt of Geo r g i a “ wi l l n ev er p as s

u p o n co ns t i t u t i o n al q ues ti o n s u n l es s i t cl earl y ap p ears i n t h e reco rd t h at t h e po i n t was

d i rect l y an d p ro p erl y m ad e in t he [t ri al ] co u rt b el o w an d d i s t i n ct l y p as sed u p o n b y t h e June 06, 2022Pu t an ot h er way , o u r Su p rem e Co u rt h as h el d t h at

[t ] h e Co u rt o f Ap p eal s h as l i m i ted ju ri sd i ct i o n t o rev i ew co n s t i t u t i o nal

q u es t i o n s

. It has ju ri s d i ct i o n o v er cas es t h at i nv o l v e t h e ap p l i cat i o n

, i n

a g en eral s en s e, o f u n q u es t i o n ed a n d un am b i gu o u s p ro v i s i o n s o f th e

Co n st i tu t i o n to a g i ven s t at e o f fact s an d t h at d o n o t i nv o lv e co ns t ru ct i o n

o f s o m e co n s t i t u ti o n al p ro v i s i o n d i rect l y in qu es t io n an d d o ub t fu l ei t h er

u n d er it s o w n t erm s o r u n d er t h e d eci s i o n s o f th e Su p rem e Co u rt o f

Geo rg i a o r t h e Su p rem e Co u rt o f t h e Un it ed St at es

. 3

Here, th e Su p rem e Co urt o f Geo rg i a h as n o t ru l ed o n t h e preci se co n s t i t u t i o n al

q u es ti o n p res en t ed as ap p l i ed t o t h e fact s o f t h is cas e, i .e.

, w h et her th e refu s al to

en g ag e i n p r e-a r r es t fi el d so b ri et y t es t s m ay b e u s ed ag ai n st a d efen d a n t a t t r i al

wi t h o u t v i o l at i n g Parag rap h XVI o f th e Geo rg i a Co n st it u t i o n

, w h i ch p ro v i d es t h at

“ [n ] o p e r s o n s h al l b e co m p el led t o gi v e t es t i m o n y t en d i n g i n an y m an n er t o b e

s el f-i n cri m i n at i n g .” 4

In Keen a n v. St a t e

, 5 t h e Su p rem e Co u rt o f Geo rg i a q u o t ed t h i s Co u rt ’ s o p i n i o n

i n La n kf o r d v. S t a te 6 t o co n cl ud e t h at a d efen d an t ’ s p re-arres t refu s al to u n derg o an

a l c o

- s e n s o r t es t was no t a “ v i ol at i o n o f ap pel l an t ’ s ri g ht n o t t o i n cri m i n at e h i m s el f

u n d er t h e [F] i ft h am en d m en t

, t h e Geo rg i a Co n s t it u ti o n

, o r OCGA § 2 4 -9 -2 0

, b ecau s e

h e was n o t i n cu s t o d y at t h e t i m e t h e fi el d s o b ri et y t es t was req u es t ed .” 7 Bu t Keen a n

o t h erwi s e m ad e n o an al y s i s o f t h e Geo rg i a Co n s t i tu t i o n

, n ev er m en t i o n in g Parag rap h

t ri al ju d g e”).

3 Da vi s , 3 0 3 Ga. at 6 87 -8 8 (1 ) (p u n ct u at i o n o m i t t ed ).

4 G A

. C O N S T . art . I, § 1 , ¶ XVI.

5 2 6 3 Ga. 5 6 9 (4 3 6 SE2 d 4 7 5 ) (1 9 9 3 ).

6 2 0 4 Ga. Ap p . 4 0 5 (4 1 9 SE2 d 4 9 8 ) (1 9 9 2 ).

7 Keen a n

, 2 6 3 Ga. at 5 7 1 (2 ) (p u n ct uat i o n o m it t ed ) (q u o t i n g La n kf o r d

, 2 0 4 Ga.

Ap p . at 4 0 6 (2 )).XVI, an d i n s t ead fo cu sed t he en t i ret y o f i t s an al y s i s o n t h e fed eral co n s t it u t i o n an d

OCGA § 2 4 -9 -2 0

. In s h o rt

, i t d o es n o t ap pear t h at t h e Geo rg i a Co n s ti t u t io n was at

i s su e i n Keen an

, m ak i n g t hi s bri ef m en t i o n o f i t no n -b i n d i n g di ct a. 8 An d t h erefo re t h e

Su p rem e Co u rt h as nei t h er co ns i d ered n o r ex p l i ci tl y ru led o n wh et h er Parag rap h XVI

o f t h e G eo rg i a Co n s t i t u t i o n b ars u s e as ev i d en ce at t ri al o f a d efe n d an t’ s p re-arres t

refu sal t o un d er g o an al co -s en s o r b reat h t es t o r, b y ex t en s i o n

, o t her t y p es o f fi el d

s o bri et y t es t s ( e.g

. , t h e h o ri zo n t al g aze n y s t ag m u s

, t h e wal k an d t u rn ), wh ich are a t

i s su e i n t h i s ap p eal

. 9

Th e Su p rem e Co u rt h as recen t l y is s u ed o p i n i on s reg ard i n g po s t-a r res t refu s al

t o en g ag e i n co m

p el l ed act s t h at are i nt en d ed to g au g e a d efen d a n t ’s l e v el o f

i n t o x i cat io n

. 1 0 Bu t ag ai n

, wi t h n o cl ear h o l d i ng o n t h e i s s u e i n Keen a n

, th e Su p rem e

8 S ee Al exa n d

er v. St at e

,

_

_ Ga.

_ _ ,

_ _ (3 ) (8 7 0 SE2 d 7 29 ) (2 0 2 2 ) (“ [D] i ct a i s

n o t b i nd i ng o n an y o n e fo r an y p u rp o s e.” (p u nct u at i o n o m i t t ed )); W a l ker v. St a t e

, 2 9 0

Ga. 6 9 6

, 7 0 0 (2 ) n .3 (7 2 3 SE2 d 8 9 4 ) (2 0 1 2 ) (“ Di ct a i s b i n d in g o n n ei t h er t he b en ch

n o r t h e b ar[.] ”); Zep

p v. Br a n n en

, 2 8 3 G a. 3 9 5

, 3 9 7 (6 5 8 SE2 d 5 6 7 ) (2 0 0 8 )

(ex p l ai n i n g t hat d i ct a i s “ a s t at em en t i n an o p i n i o n co n cern i n g s o m e r u l e o f l aw o r

l eg al p ro po s it i on no t n eces s ari l y i nv o l v ed n o r es s en t i al t o d et erm i nat i o n o f t h e cas e

i n h an d

, ” an d t h at co urt s “ are n o t b o u n d t o fo l l o w

. . . di ct a in a p ri or cas e [wh en ] t h e

p o i n t n o w at i s s u e was n o t fu l l y d eb at ed ” (ci t at i o n & p u nct u at i o n o m i t t ed )).

9 Bu t s ee Al d

ri ch v. S t a t e

, 2 2 0 Ga. 1 3 2

, 1 3 3 ( 1 3 7 SE2 d 4 6 3 ) (1 96 4 ) (h o l d i n g

Geo rg i a l aw t h a t r e q u ired t ru ck d ri v er t o d ri v e t ru ck o n t o s cal es t o as s es s wh et h er

t ru ck an d carg o ex ceed ed t h e wei g h t an d m eas u rem en t s p ro v i d ed b y an o t h er Geo rg i a

l aw “ wo u l d b e co m

p el l i n g hi m t o p ro du ce ev i d en c e t en d i n g to i n cri m i n at e h i m ” in

v i o l at i o n o f Parag rap h XVI o f t h e Geo rg i a Co n s ti t u t i o n ).

1 0 See Awa d v. S t a t e

, 3 1 3 G a. 9 9

, 9 9 (8 68 SE2 d 2 1 9 ) (2 0 2 2 ) (“ Un d er t h e

reas on i n g o f Ol evi k an d E l l i o t t

, we ho l d t h at t h e ri g h t ag ai n s t co m p e l l e d

s el f-i n cri m i n at i o n p ro t ect ed b y Parag rap h XVI p ro h i b i ts the S ta te fro m ad m i t t i n g i n to

ev i d en ce a d efen d an t ’ s refu s al t o u ri n at e i n t o a co l l ect i on co n t ai ner as d i rect ed b y t h e

St at e fo r p u rp o s es o f pro vi d i n g a u ri n e s am p le fo r ch em i cal t es t i n g .”); El l i o t t v. S t a t e

, 3 0 5 Ga. 1 7 9

, 2 2 3 (IV) (E) (8 2 4 SE2 d 2 65 ) (2 0 1 9 ) (“ [W ] e co n cl u d e t h at Parag rap h

XVI p recl u d es ad m i s s io n o f ev i d en ce t h at a s u s p ect refu s ed t o c o n s en t t o a [p o s t

arres t ] b reat h t es t .”); O l evi k v. St a t e

, 3 0 2 Ga. 2 2 8

, 2 5 2 (3 ) (b ) (8 0 6 SE2 d 5 0 5 ) (2 0 1 7 )

(“ Parag rap h XVI p ro t ect s ag ai ns t co m p el l ed b reat h t es ts an d affo rd s i nd i v i d u al s aCo u rt s ti l l h as n o t co n s i d ered w h et h er p r e-a r res t f i e l d s o b ri et y t es ts are co m p el l ed

act s s u ch t h at th e refu s al t o en g ag e i n th em m ay n o t be u s ed ag ai n s t a d efen d a n t at

t ri al

. 1 1 An d i n d eed

, th e Su p rem e Co u rt r e c e n t l y gran t ed an ap p l i cat i o n fo r

i n t erl o cu t o ry

ap p eal t o an s wer t h i s v ery q u es ti o n

. 1 2

Becau s e t h e Su p rem e C o u r t h as n o t ex p li ci t l y ad d res s ed t h e p art i cu l ar

co n st i t u t io n a l q ues ti o n p res en t ed i n t h i s ap peal

, we can n o t s ay t hat t he i s s u e i s

u n q u es t io n ed an d u n am

bi g u o u s

, an d u n d er s uch ci rcu m s t an ces

, we lack j u ri s d i ct i o n

t o co n s id er i t

. Th u s

, we h ereb y t ran s fer t h i s ap p eal t o t he Su p rem e Co u rt o f G eo rg i a.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e

, A t la n t a

,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I c e r t i f y t h a t t h e a b o v e i s a t r u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

.

W i tn e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d t h e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

.

co n st i t u t io n al ri gh t t o refu s e t es t i n g .”).

1 1 B u t s ee S t a t e v. Br a d

ber r y

, 3 5 7 Ga. Ap p. 6 0 (8 4 9 SE2 d 7 9 0 ) (2 0 2 0 ) ( “ W e

reco g n ize t h a t t h e i s su e b efo re u s i n v o l v es an al co -s en s o r p rel i m i n ary breat h t es t

,

rat h er t h an t he t y

p e o f breat h a l yz er b reat h t es t s i n vo l v ed i n E l l i o tt an d Ol evi k

. Nev ert h el es s

, we d o n o t fi nd th at d i s t i n ct i o n to b e co n tro l l in g s i n ce t h e ev i d en ce

p l ai n l y s h o ws t h at [t h e d ef e n d a n t ] wo u l d h av e been req u i red to p erfo rm t h e

affi rm at i v e act o f b lo wi n g i n t o t h e al co -s en s o r dev i ce fo r a s u st ai n ed p eri o d o f t i m e.

Becau s e [t h e d efen d an t] h ad t h e ri g h t t o refu s e t o p ro v i d e i n cri m i n at i n g ev i d en ce by

p erfo rm i n g s u ch an affi rm at i v e act u nd er Parag rap h XVI, t h e ad m i ss i o n o f ev i d en ce

o f h i s refu s al v i o l at es t h e s t at e co ns t i t u t i o nal ri g h t ag ai n s t s el f-i n cri m i n at i o n .”).

1 2 S ee Ammo n s v

. S t a t e

, Cas e No

. S2 2 I0 28 1

, Ord er (Dec. 9, 2 0 21 ) (g ran t i n g

ap p li cat io n fo r i n t erl o cu t o ry ap p eal ). 06/06/2022