Case Name: The STATE of Florida, Petitioner, v. Eduardo RIVAS-MARMOL, Respondent
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1996-07-31
Citations: 679 So. 2d 808
Docket Number: No. 96-385
Parties: The STATE of Florida, Petitioner, v. Eduardo RIVAS-MARMOL, Respondent.
Judges: Before COPE, LEVY and FLETCHER, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 679
Pages: 808–811

Head Matter:
The STATE of Florida, Petitioner, v. Eduardo RIVAS-MARMOL, Respondent.
No. 96-385.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
July 31, 1996.
Rehearing Denied Oct. 9, 1996.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, and Keith S. Kromash, Assistant Attorney General, for petitioner.
Robert S. Reiff and H. Scott Fingerhut, Miami, for respondent.
Before COPE, LEVY and FLETCHER, JJ.

Opinion:
FLETCHER, Judge.
The State seeks certiorari review of a decision of the appellate division of the circuit court, which decision affirmed (Judge Hub-bart dissenting) a county court order suppressing the introduction of a chemical breath test in a DUI criminal prosecution of respondent Eduardo Rivas-Marmol. The county court suppressed the test results on the ground that the test was not made incident to a lawful arrest as required by section 316.1932, Florida Statutes (1993). We grant the writ and quash the decision of the circuit court with instructions to reverse the county court's suppression order.
The undisputed facts show that Police Officer Carlos Mendez responded to a radio call concerning an automobile accident involving Rivas-Marmol. Officer Mendez noticed an odor of alcoholic beverage coming from Rivas-Marmol and had him perform roadside sobriety tests, which he failed. Officer Mendez then placed Rivas-Marmol in the backseat of his marked police car, advising him that he was taking him to the police substation. Arriving at the police substation, Officer Mendez opened the back door of the police car (which was not capable of being opened from the interior), handcuffed Rivas-Marmol, and took him into the DUI room. Subsequently, the breath test was administered to Rivas-Marmol.
From the foregoing, based on an objective view, it would appear that Officer Mendez arrested Rivas-Marmol prior to the administering of the breath test. However, Officer Mendez testified at the suppression hearing that he "detained" Rivas-Marmol prior to the breath test, but "formally" placed him under arrest after it. Based on Officer Mendez' testimony, the county court concluded that the arrest was made after the breath test, and therefore the test was given in violation of section 316.1932, Florida Statutes (1993), and the results of the test were not admissible in evidence. See State v. Barrett, 508 So.2d 361 (Fla. 5th DCA), rev. denied, 511 So.2d 299 (Fla.1987).
We have no quarrel with Barrett. However, notwithstanding the testimony of Officer Mendez from his subjective view that he "detained" Rivas-Marmol before the test and arrested him after the test, we conclude from an objective view that the arrest took place prior to the test.
In State v. Coron, 411 So.2d 237 (Fla. 3d DCA 1982), this court dealt with the question of a "silent" arrest. Although Coron did not involve section 316.1932, Florida Statutes (1993), it did involve section 856.021, Florida Statutes (1979), which required a specific procedure by the law enforcement officer involved prior to an arrest for loitering or prowling. The defendant Coron contended that his warrantless arrest was illegal as the offense was not committed in the presence of a Detective Edgerton, the officer who "formally" placed Coron under arrest. This court rejected that contention, finding that Coron was arrested by the first officer on the scene, Officer Llano-Montes. In reaching the result, we stated:
"Officer Llano-Montes took defendant Coron into custody, instructed him that he was not free to leave, handcuffed him, and placed him in the patrol car. He subsequently advised Coron of his rights.
Although Officer Llano-Montes did not announce You are under arrest,' his con duct clearly informed Coron that he was, in fact, under arrest."
411 So.2d at 238.
Here, Officer Mendez, in fact, arrested Rivas-Marmol before the breath test was administered. We find no violation of section 316.1932, Florida Statutes (1993). Because we find that the circuit court applied the wrong law, the petition for writ of certiorari is granted. The decision of the circuit court is quashed with instructions to that court to reverse the county court's order suppressing the results of the chemical breath test.
Writ issued.
LEVY, J., concurs.