Title: Barnhart v. Kansas Dept. of Revenue
Citation: 243 Kan. 209, 755 P.2d 1337
Docket Number: 60,419
State: Kansas
Issuer: Kansas Supreme Court
Date: June 3, 1988

243 Kan. 209 (1988)
755 P.2d 1337
MAURICE G. BARNHART, Appellant,
v.
KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, Appellee.
No. 60,419

Supreme Court of Kansas.
Opinion filed June 3, 1988.
Michael V. Foust, of Goodland, argued the cause and was on the briefs for appellant.
James G. Keller, of the Kansas Department of Revenue, argued the cause and was on the briefs for appellee.
The opinion of the court was delivered by
HOLMES, J.:
Maurice G. Barnhart appeals from a decision of the Thomas County District Court which upheld the suspension of his driver's license by the appellee Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles (Department). Appellant's driver's license was suspended pursuant to K.S.A. 8-1001 et seq. for refusal to take a breath alcohol test. The Court of Appeals upheld the district court ruling in an unpublished opinion filed December 23, 1987. We granted appellant's petition for review.
The facts are not in dispute. On January 24, 1986, appellant was involved in a two-car collision. The other vehicle was driven *210 by appellant's son. Following the collision, appellant was located at a nearby hospital where he was interviewed by a deputy sheriff. The officer administered field sobriety tests to appellant and then arrested him for driving under the influence of alcohol (K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1567).
The officer transported appellant to the sheriff's office and asked him to undergo a breathalyzer test. Appellant refused, stating that he was under stress and that he believed such testing would violate his constitutional rights. The officer proceeded to give appellant oral and written notice in accordance with procedures adopted by the Department for compliance with K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f)(1). Appellant again refused to submit to testing and, pursuant to K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1002, the officer initiated procedures for suspension of appellant's driver's license. Appellant's plastic driver's license had been taken from him by the officer at the hospital. At the sheriff's office he was given a notice of suspension and a paper temporary license effective for 15 days, as provided by K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1002(b).
The deputy sheriff forwarded a copy of the notice of suspension to the Division of Vehicles. Appellant submitted a timely written request for an administrative hearing pursuant to K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1002(d) and his temporary license was extended for 45 days. At the administrative hearing, the examiner determined that the appellant's license should be suspended. Appellant sought and obtained de novo review by the district court as provided by K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-259. The district court upheld the administrative determination and granted summary judgment to the Department.
The first issue is whether the suspension of appellant's driver's license for refusing to take a breath alcohol test (BAT) must be invalidated, due to an alleged deficiency in the oral and written notice given to appellant. K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f)(1) provides:
It is undisputed that appellant was given oral and written notice as set forth on preprinted forms developed by the Department specifically for that purpose. Appellant contends, however, that the Department's form notice was deficient as to the information required by K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f)(1)(E). The pertinent part of the notice relating to subsection (E) of the statute and given to appellant read:
The Court of Appeals in affirming the suspension relied upon its decision in State v. Doeden, 12 Kan. App.2d 245, 738 P.2d 876, rev. denied 242 Kan. 904 (1987). In Doeden the court held that the notice provisions of K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f) were merely directory and not mandatory. In the present case, the Court of Appeals, relying upon Doeden, summarily disposed of appellant's claim that the notice provisions were mandatory and we granted review in order to further consider the holding in Doeden. The Court of Appeals also found that, in any event, the notice given in the present case was in substantial compliance with the statute.
In Doeden the arresting officer failed to give the defendant the notices listed in K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f)(1). A majority of the panel of the Court of Appeals, after discussing the intent of the legislature, found the notice provisions of the statute to be directory. Judge Meyer, in a dissenting opinion, reviewed the language and purpose of the statute, concluded the statute was mandatory, and then stated:
The clear language of the statute indicates that the legislature intended to ensure that a person arrested for driving under the influence was made aware, by the required notice procedure, of his statutory rights. Those rights include the right to obtain independent testing of his blood alcohol level following testing by or under the direction of a law enforcement officer. K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1004 both establishes this right to an independent test, and enforces compliance by law officers. It provides that if the law enforcement officer refuses to permit the person tested to obtain such additional testing, the results of the test administered under the direction of the officer are inadmissible in evidence.
K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f)(2) states in part:
See also similar language in K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1002(c)(1)(B) and 8-1002(d)(3).
The statute in question clearly requires that certain procedures shall be followed and certain notices shall be given to a defendant arrested for driving under the influence. K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f) was enacted as part of a comprehensive revision of the statutes pertaining to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The language of the statute is clearly mandatory. *213 For additional discussion of the distinction between mandatory and directory, as applied to statutes, see Wilcox v. Billings, 200 Kan. 654, 657, 438 P.2d 108 (1968); 2A Sutherland Statutory Construction §§ 57.01-57.26 (Sands 4th ed. 1984); 73 Am.Jur.2d, Statutes §§ 14-27. We conclude the notice provisions of K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f) are mandatory and not merely directory. The holding in Doeden to the contrary is overruled. The holding of the Court of Appeals in this case that the statute is directory and not mandatory is erroneous.
However, the foregoing does not necessarily dispose of the case before us. As with any notice required by statute, the provisions of K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f) need not be given in the exact words of the statute. While using the statutory language would have negated the issue now before us, it is generally recognized that substantial compliance with statutory notice provisions will usually be sufficient. To substantially comply with the requirements of the statute, a notice must be sufficient to advise the party to whom it is directed of the essentials of the statute.
Here, it is undisputed that the notice provisions of subsections (A) through (D) in the Department's form notices, although not identical with the statute, contained language sufficient to comply with the statute. As to subsection (E), the notice advised appellant of his right to consult with an attorney after taking the test and that he had the right to have additional testing done "as soon as possible and as available." Appellant contends the failure to advise that the testing "should be done as soon as possible" and where the testing is customarily available precludes suspension of his license. While it would be advisable for the Department to include the statutory language in its form notices, we are of the opinion that the notice as given conveyed the essentials of the statute and did not mislead the appellant. He was fully advised of his right to additional testing. Appellant did not refuse to take the BAT because of any deficiency in the notice but because he felt he was under stress and thought his constitutional rights were being violated. Appellant made no inquiry of the officer about additional testing, its availability, or when it should be done. We conclude that under the facts of this case, there was substantial compliance with the mandatory notice *214 requirements of K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f)(1)(E). Absent any showing of prejudice by appellant, the point lacks merit. Cf. Howard v. Cofer, 150 Ga. App. 579, 258 S.E.2d 195 (1979); Wimmer v. MVD, 75 Or. App. 287, 706 P.2d 182 (1985).
Next, the appellant contends that the statutory procedure utilized to suspend his driving privilege constituted a denial of his right to due process of law. At the time of his arrest, appellant's plastic driver's license was taken by the officer and he was given a combination paper license and notice of suspension which provided, inter alia, "This Notice is valid as a temporary license for fifteen (15) days from the date shown above [January 24, 1986]. Carry this Notice with you as a driver's license." The paper license also stated there were no restrictions on appellant's driving privilege and advised him of his rights to an administrative hearing before any actual suspension. On January 31, 1986, appellant mailed his request for an administrative hearing. K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1002. On February 10, 1986, the Department mailed to appellant a notice that his requested hearing was set for February 27, 1986. The notice also provided that appellant's driving privilege was extended for an additional 45 days beyond February 10, 1986. Although appellant did not have written proof of his right to drive from February 8 to February 11, his privilege to drive was not suspended at any time prior to the administrative hearing.
Appellant asserts numerous arguments to support his claim that the statutes and the procedure utilized in his particular case violated his due process rights. The Court of Appeals addressed all his arguments at length, stating:
The Court of Appeals concluded that none of appellant's due process arguments had merit. We concur in the Court of Appeals' decision on this issue. Neither the statutes nor the procedure in this case constitute a denial of appellant's right to due process of law.
The judgment of the district court is affirmed. The judgment of the Court of Appeals is affirmed. The holding in State v. Doeden, 12 Kan. App.2d 245, 738 P.2d 876, rev denied 242 Kan. 904 (1987), that the notice requirements of K.S.A. 1985 Supp. 8-1001(f)(1) are directory rather than mandatory is overruled.