Opinion ID: 1791191
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Background in Kenley

Text: On February 17, 2004, Bridget L. Kenley was arrested on suspicion of DUI. After Kenley refused to submit to a blood test, she was given a Notice/Sworn Report/Temporary License form, which informed Kenley that her driver's license would be revoked in 30 days. She timely filed a petition for an ALR hearing to contest the revocation. An ALR hearing was conducted, and on March 24, 2004, the director of the DMV ordered Kenley's driver's license revoked for 1 year. Kenley appealed this determination to the district court. The district court entered its order on September 30. District Court Rulings The district court ruled in each of these cases that the ALR provisions in § 60-498.01 pertaining to motorists who refuse to submit to chemical testing were facially unconstitutional on due process and equal protection grounds. The court held that the statute was constitutionally impaired because it lacked a procedure whereby a motorist could obtain a reinstatement of his or her driver's license that had been administratively revoked if the motorist was subsequently acquitted of the criminal refusal charge. The court noted that the ALR statutes provide such a remedy for a motorist whose license is revoked for failing a chemical test, if that person is not subsequently convicted of the criminal DUI charge. See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-498.02(4) (Reissue 2004). For the sake of clarity, we point out that the statute in effect at the time of Shiels' arrest and ALR hearing was Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-6,205 (Reissue 1998). That statute number was changed as a result of 2003 Neb. Laws, L.B. 209, § 4. Also, the statute in effect at the time of Kenley's arrest and ALR hearing was § 60-498.01 (Supp. 2003). For purposes relevant to the issues in the appeals before us, the refusal-to-submit provisions were the same. Thus, all references hereinafter will be to § 60-498.01 (Reissue 2004), unless otherwise specified.