Opinion ID: 1813958
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Heading: Arrested for OWI Purposes.

Text: We have previously stated an individual's detention by an officer for the purposes of performing field sobriety tests does not rise to the level of custody, but is merely detention for investigative purposes. State v. Krebs, 562 N.W.2d 423, 426 (Iowa 1997). In Krebs this court determined that a request for counsel made during field sobriety tests was premature under section 804.20 because at that point the defendant was not under arrest or restrained of [his] liberty for any reason whatever. 562 N.W.2d at 426. Furthermore, the invocation of implied consent procedures does not require an arrest if the situation qualifies under one of the conditions set forth in Iowa Code section 321J.6(1)(b)-(f). See also State v. Brundt, 356 N.W.2d 575, 576 (Iowa 1984) (interpreting Iowa Code § 321B.4 (1983)). In State v. Brundt , defendant was involved in an accident and taken to the hospital. 356 N.W.2d at 575. At the hospital, an officer requested the withdrawal of defendant's blood pursuant to implied consent procedures for unconscious persons. Id. Defendant was later charged with OWI, and he moved to dismiss the trial information based upon speedy indictment grounds. Id. Defendant argued he was constructively arrested on the date his blood sample was taken. Id. at 576. We determined that, pursuant to Iowa Code section 321B.4 (1983), an arrest was not required prior to invoking implied consent procedures because defendant had been in a motor vehicle accident resulting in personal injury, and there was substantial evidence supporting the trial court's decision that defendant was not arrested on that date. Id. Similarly, the situation in the present case did not require an arrest because there were reasonable grounds for the officer to believe Dennison was operating a motor vehicle in violation of section 321J.2, the PBT result was less than .10, and the officer had reasonable grounds to believe Dennison was under the influence of a drug other than alcohol, or a combination of alcohol and another drug. Iowa Code section 321J.6(1), our current statute and successor to section 321B.4, allows a law enforcement officer to request chemical testing in situations where the officer has reasonable grounds to believe an individual may be under the influence of a drug other than alcohol or a combination of alcohol and another drug. [4] An arrest is not required prior to invoking implied consent procedures in such circumstances. See Iowa Code § 321J.6(1). Therefore, because the statute allows a police officer to request a chemical test without placing the individual under arrest, limited detention for purposes of obtaining that chemical test, including transportation to the jail or other facility, is necessary and reasonable.