1 IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF IDAHO

Docket No. 40985
STATE OF IDAHO,
Plaintiff-Respondent,

v. KEVIN MICHAEL NICOLESCU,
Defendant-Appellant. ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) 2014 Opinion No. 30
Filed: April 18, 2014
Stephen W. Kenyon, Clerk

Appeal from the District Court of the Four th Judicial District, State of Idaho, Ada County. Hon. Michael R. McLaughlin, District Judge. Hon. John Hawley, Magistrate.
Decision of the district court, in its appellate capacity, reversing the magistrate’s order to suppress evidence, affirmed.
Davison, Copple, Copple & Copple, LLP; Ed ward J. Guerricabeitia, Boise, for appellant. Edward J. Guerricabeitia argued.
Hon. Lawrence G. Wasden, Attorney General; Russell J. Spencer, Deputy Attorney General, Boise, for res pondent. Russell J. Spencer argued.

________________________________________________ GRATTON, Judge Kevin Michael Nicolescu appeals from the district court’s intermediate appellate decision, reversing the magistrate’s order granting Nicolescu’s mo tion to suppress. We affirm.
I.
FACTUAL AND PROCEDUR AL BACKGROUND Nicolescu’s vehicle was struck by a driver w ho ran a red light. Poli ce officers responded to the accident and, upon making contact with Nicolescu, dete cted the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. The officers also observed that Nicolescu’s eyes were red, bloodshot, and watery. Nicolescu informed the officers that he had consumed alcohol that evening. An officer administered the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, but Nicolescu was unable to finish the
test due to a scratched cornea that he suffered in the collision. Before the test was aborted, the officer detected four of the possible six deci sion points indicating failure of the test.2 The officer elected not to perf orm any additional field sobriety tests, concluding that it
would have been difficult to determine if the potential failure of those tests resulted from
inebriation or from adrenaline se tting in after the collision. Instead, the officer decided to administer a preliminary breath test using an instrument known as an Alco-Sensor. The result of the preliminary breath test was .108, which is over the legal limit. Thereafter, the officer placed Nicolescu inside a patrol vehicle to perform an evidentiary breath test. After observing Nicolescu for a fifteen-minute waiting pe riod and after providing Nicolescu with the administrative license suspen sion (ALS) advisories, th e officer administered the evidentiary breath test using the Lifeloc inst rument. The breath samples registered results of
.103 and .096. Nicolescu was then cited for driving under the influe nce (DUI), Idaho Code § 18-
8004. Nicolescu filed a motion to suppress the results of the evidentiary breath test, arguing that the officers were not permitted to require him to submit to the pre liminary breath test and, absent the preliminary breath test, the o fficer lacked probable cause or r easonable suspicion to require him to perform an evidentiary breath test. Th e magistrate granted Nicolescu’s motion and the State appealed to the district court. The distri ct court found that the pr eliminary breath test was reasonable and reversed the magistrate’s order. Nicolescu timely appeals.
II.
ANALYSIS
Nicolescu contends that the district court erred in reve rsing the magistrate’s order suppressing the evidentiary breath te st. Specifically, Nicolescu asse rts that the administration of the preliminary breath test was unlawful and wit hout the preliminary breath test, officers lacked legal grounds to perform the evidentiary breath test . When reviewing the decision of a district court sitting in its appellate cap acity, our standard of review is the same as expressed by the Idaho Supreme Court: The Supreme Court reviews the trial cour t (magistrate) record to determine whether there is substantia l and competent evidence to support the magistrate’s findings of fact and whether the magist rate’s conclusions of law follow from those findings. If those findings are so supported and th e conclusions follow therefrom and if the district court affirm ed the magistrate’s decision, we affirm the district court’s decision as a matter of procedure.3 Pelayo v. Pelayo , 154 Idaho 855, 858-59, 303 P.3d 214, 217-18 (2013) (quoting Bailey v. Bailey
, 153 Idaho 526, 529, 284 P.3d 970, 973 (2012)). Thus , the appellate courts do not review the decision of the magistrate court. Bailey , 153 Idaho at 529, 284 P.3d at 973. Rather, we are procedurally bound to affirm or reverse th e decisions of the district court. State v. Korn , 148 Idaho 413, 415 n.1, 224 P.3d 480, 482 n.1 (2009). The standard of review of a suppression mo tion is bifurcated. When a decision on a motion to suppress is challenged, we accept the trial court’s findings of fact that are supported by substantial evidence, but we freely review the applic ation of constitutional principles to the facts
as found. State v. Atkinson , 128 Idaho 559, 561, 916 P.2d 1284, 1286 (Ct. App. 1996). At a suppression hearing, the power to assess the credibility of witnesses, resolve factual conflicts, weigh evidence, and draw factual inferen ces is vested in the trial court. State v. Valdez-Molina
, 127 Idaho 102, 106, 897 P.2d 993, 997 (1995); State v. Schevers , 132 Idaho 786, 789, 979 P.2d 659, 662 (Ct. App. 1999). Nicolescu argued in his motion to suppress that the police officer did not have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to arrest him prior to administer ing the preliminary breath test; therefore, the preliminary breath test was not au thorized by statute. Absent the preliminary breath test, Nicolescu asserted th at the facts known to the officer did not meet the legal standard to administer the evidentiary breath test. Thus, Nicolescu argued that the evidentiary breath test should be suppressed. The Stat e argued that the officer only needed reasonable suspicion to perform the preliminary breath test and that the officer had reasona ble suspicion. The State also argued that Nicolescu consented to the preliminary breath test. 1 The magistrate found that Nicolescu did not consent to the preliminary brea th test and found that no other exceptions to a warrantless search applied. Therefore, pursuan t to the exclusionary rule, the magistrate suppressed the evidentia ry breath test.

1 The State claimed Nicolescu consented to the preliminary breath test based on the following conversation: Officer: What I am going to have you do is blow into a device (Alcosensor) and we’ll just go from there. O.K. and we’ll go from there. I will make my determination from there. Nicolescu: Dude, I’m willing to cooperate however. Officer: It will be a lot eas ier to do it this way, O.K.4 The district court found that the preliminary breath test was part of an investigative
detention and that the State’s interest in stopping intoxicated driving outweighed Nicolescu’s privacy concerns in rela tion to the preliminary breath test. Additionally, the dist rict court found that the officer only needed reasonable suspicion to perform the preliminary breath test and that the facts supported a finding that the officer had reasonable suspicion to believe Nicolescu was intoxicated. Accordingly, the district cour t reversed the decision of the magistrate. On appeal, Nicolescu asserts several claims of error. First, Nicolescu claims that the district court erred by finding that the preliminary breath test was not an evidentiary test pursuant to I.C. § 18-8004(4). He argues that the preliminar y breath test was an ev identiary test because
the test measured his breath alcohol content a nd the purpose of an ev identiary breath test, pursuant to I.C. § 18-8004(4), is to test for alcoho l concentration. Second, he contends that the district court erred by finding that reasonable and articulable suspicion was the legal standard to administer a preliminary breath test. He asserts that this Court’s decision in State v. MartinezGonzalez , 152 Idaho 775, 275 P.3d 1 (Ct. App. 2012), implicitly establishes probable cause as
the standard to administer breath tests. 2 Third, he claims that the district court erred by finding that the preliminary breath test result could be used to form the basis of probable cause to administer an evidentiary breath test. He argues that the preliminary brea th test cannot be used to establish the legal standard to administer an evidentiary breath test and he points to State v.
Smith , 922 P.2d 811 (Wash. 1996), for support. 3 The State contends that the preliminary breath test is a type of field sobriety test, which only requires reasonable suspicion to administer. The State claims that under the totality of the circumstances, the officers had reasonable susp icion to require Nicolescu to submit to a preliminary breath test. Additiona lly, the State asserts that if th e preliminary breath test was an

2 In State v. Martinez-Gonzalez , 152 Idaho 775, 275 P.3d 1 (Ct. App. 2012), this Court stated that the refusal to participate in field s obriety tests can raise the level of suspicion to probable cause. Id. at 780, 275 P.3d at 6. Nicolescu argue s that the foregoing statement implies that probable cause is the appropriate legal standa rd to perform an evidentiary breath test. We disagree. As discussed below, an officer having reasonable gr ounds may perform an evidentiary breath test pursuant to I.C. § 18-8002(1).

3 In State v. Smith , 922 P.2d 811 (Wash. 1996), the Washingt on Supreme Court stated that a preliminary breath test was inadmissible for any purpose absent a Frye v. United States , 293 P. 1013 (D.C. Cir. 1923) hearing on the scientific validity of the breath instrument.5 evidentiary breath test, as Nicolescu argues, then the officers had implied consent to perform the evidentiary breath test purs uant to I.C. § 18-8002(1). The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures of persons or property. “The ad ministration of a blood alcohol test constitutes a seizure of a person and a search for evidence u nder both the Fourth Amendment and Article I, § 17 of the Idaho Constitution.” State v. Diaz , 144 Idaho 300, 302, 160 P.3d 739, 741 (2007).
Searches or detentions conducted without a warrant are presumptively unreasonable. Coolidge v. New Hampshire , 403 U.S. 443, 454-55 (1971); State v. Butcher , 137 Idaho 125, 129, 44 P.3d 1180, 1184 (Ct. App. 2002). The State may overcome this presumption by demonstrating that the search or seizure fell within a well-recognized exception to the warrant requirement or was
otherwise reasonable unde r the circumstances. State v. Martinez , 129 Idaho 426, 431, 925 P.2d 1125, 1130 (Ct. App. 1996). An investigative detention is a well-recogni zed exception to the warrant requirement.
State v. Ferreira , 133 Idaho 474, 479, 988 P.2d 700, 705 (Ct. App. 1999). An investigative
detention is a seizure of limited duration to investigate suspected criminal activity and does not
offend the Fourth Amendment if the facts availabl e to the officer at th e time gave rise to reasonable suspicion to believe that criminal activity was afoot. Terry v. Ohio , 392 U.S. 1 (1968); Ferreira , 133 Idaho at 479, 988 P.2d at 705; State v. Dice , 126 Idaho 595, 599, 887 P.2d 1102, 1106 (Ct. App. 1994); State v. Knapp , 120 Idaho 343, 347, 815 P.2d 1083, 1087 (Ct. App. 1991). The reasonable suspicion st andard requires less than probabl e cause, but more than mere speculation or instinct on the part of the officer. Ferreira , 133 Idaho at 483, 988 P.2d at 709. An officer may draw reasonable inferences from the facts in his or her possession, and those inferences may be drawn from the officer’s experience and law enforcement training. State v. Montague , 114 Idaho 319, 321, 756 P.2d 1083, 1085 (Ct. App. 1988). The reasonableness of the suspicion must be evaluated based on the totali ty of the circumstances and upon the objective
information available to officers. Deen v. State , 131 Idaho 435, 436, 958 P.2d 592, 593 (1998).
Nicolescu does not contend that officers lacked reasonable suspicion to conduct an investigatory detention. Instead, Nicolescu argu es that absent the preliminary breath test, the police officers lacked facts necessary to satisfy the legal standard required to administer the evidentiary breath test. Idaho Code § 18-8002(1) establishes th at a motorist who operates a vehicle in Idaho implicitly consents to evidentiary testing, provided that the police officer has6 reasonable grounds to believe the motorist is intoxicated. Thus, the proper standard for administering an evidentiary te st for the purpose of criminal DUI is “reasonable grounds.” “Reasonable grounds” is not defined by statute, nor has it been defi ned by case law in the context of evidentiary testing. However, Idaho case law provides guidance on the thresholds that have
been sufficient to establish reas onable grounds. For instance, in Diaz , the Idaho Supreme Court held that a motorist’s bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech, and erratic driving were sufficient to establish reasonable grounds for the officers to administer an evidentiary test. Diaz , 144 Idaho at 302-03, 160 P.3d at 741-42. In another case, the Idaho Supreme Court stated that a motorist’s own admission to consuming alc ohol, the odor of alcohol, and the officer’s
observations of the motorist’s conduct established reasonable gr ounds for the officer to demand an evidentiary test. State v. Tierney , 109 Idaho 474, 477, 708 P.2d 879, 882 (1985). Additionally, this Court ha s concluded that the odor of alcoho l and the presence of beer cans in a
vehicle were sufficient evidence to conduct a blood alcohol test. State v. DeWitt , 145 Idaho 709, 713, 184 P.3d 215, 219 (Ct. App. 2008) (“Indeed, from the odor of alcohol and presence of beer cans in his vehicle, there was ample evidence that DeWitt had been driving under the influence at the time of the accident.”); State v. Curtis , 106 Idaho 483, 489, 680 P.2d 1383, 1389 (Ct. App. 1984) (full and empty beer cans and the strong odor of alcohol). In the instant case, we conclude that the police officers had reasonable grounds to administer an evidentiary test, pursuant to I. C. § 18-8002(1), even without considering the result of the preliminary breath test. While questioning Nicolescu, the officer de tected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage and observed that Nico lescu’s eyes were red, bloodshot, and watery.
Nicolescu informed the officer that he had been consuming al cohol earlier that evening. Additionally, the officer conducted a partial HGN te st and detected four decision points, which equated to a failed test. Based on the foregoing evidence, and absent the preliminary breath test, the officers had reasonable grounds to administer an evidentiary breath test. Nicolescu notes that the deployment of the airbag and the scratch on his cornea could explain why his eyes were red and bloodshot and why he failed the HGN test. However, the existenc e of an alternative innocent explanation does not negate the fact that the officers had reasonable grounds to believe
Nicolescu was intoxicated. See State v. Rader , 135 Idaho 273, 276, 16 P.3d 949, 952 (Ct. App. 2000) (finding that the existence of alternative explanations did not negate the officer’s reasonable suspicion). Thus, ba sed on the objective information available, the police officers7 had reasonable grounds to administer an eviden tiary breath test, abse nt the result of the preliminary breath test. As a resu lt, we need not address whether the preliminary breath test was properly administered, nor reach th e State’s argument that the prel iminary breath test was valid under the implied consent laws. Accordingly, the district court did not err in reversing the magistrate’s decision to suppress the evidence.
III.
CONCLUSION
Nicolescu has failed to demonstrate reversible error. Therefore, the district court’s decision reversing the magistrate’s order to suppress evidence is affirmed. Chief Judge GUTIERREZ and Judge MELANSON CONCUR.