Opinion ID: 886522
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: ¶ 3 At approximately 11:00 a.m. on June 17, 2001, motorist Darwin Belcourt witnessed a red Ford Probe, bearing Montana license plate number 5A30553, traveling west on Interstate 90, near Belgrade, Montana, drive off of the road in a construction zone, return to the road, and then proceed to travel west in an erratic manner. Belcourt followed the vehicle for approximately twenty miles to a Town Pump at the junction of Interstate 90 and U.S. 287 near Three Forks, Montana. Belcourt noted that a lone male occupant exited the vehicle and staggered into the building. Using a cell phone, Belcourt phoned 911 to report his observations. Belcourt remained at the Town Pump until law enforcement arrived. ¶ 4 The 911 operator conveyed the report to Montana Highway Patrol Officers Cal Janes, Jim Hunter, and Mike Swingley at approximately 11:18 a.m. Officer Janes arrived at the Town Pump around 11:38 a.m. and Officers Hunter and Swingley arrived shortly thereafter. Upon his arrival, Officer Janes identified an unoccupied vehicle matching the description and license plate number of the vehicle reported by Belcourt. Officer Janes remained outside to establish contact with Belcourt while Officer Hunter and Sergeant Swingley proceeded inside. A short time later, Officer Janes joined Hunter and Swingley. ¶ 5 Once inside, the officers observed a lone male talking on a pay phone. The officers also noted that the male continually swayed as he stood at the phone. The officers initiated contact with the individual, later determined to be Wagner, and immediately discerned an odor of alcohol emanating from Wagner's person. The officers requested that Wagner speak with them outside and Wagner complied. As the parties proceeded to the patrol cars, Officer Janes observed Wagner's staggering gait. Further, Wagner voluntarily apologized to Officer Janes and admitted that he should not have proceeded to drive given his prior consumption of alcohol. ¶ 6 At the patrol car, Wagner performed poorly on the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, incorrectly recited the alphabet, and admitted several times that he was intoxicated. Officer Janes read Wagner the preliminary breath test implied consent form but Wagner declined to submit a breath sample for analysis. Officer Janes subsequently transported Wagner to the Broadwater County Sheriff's Office where Wagner refused to perform any field sobriety tests or provide a breath sample. Officer Janes seized Wagner's driver's license and cited him for driving under the influence of alcohol, second offense. ¶ 7 On June 29, 2001, Wagner filed a petition with the District Court challenging the suspension of his driver's license. Wagner contested whether Officer Janes procured the requisite particularized suspicion prior to conducting the alleged investigative stop. More specifically, Wagner argued that Officer Janes did not sufficiently corroborate Belcourt's report of erratic driving. Simultaneously, Wagner moved the Broadwater County Justice Court to dismiss the DUI charge for the same reasons submitted in the reinstatement proceedings, lack of particularized suspicion. On August 28, 2001, the Justice Court denied Wagner's motion. The Justice Court continued the criminal proceedings pending resolution of the reinstatement proceedings. ¶ 8 On October 9, 2001, the District Court denied Wagner's petition for reinstatement of his driver's license. The District Court concluded that Officer Janes sufficiently corroborated Belcourt's report and, therefore, satisfied the particularized suspicion requirements. On October 19, 2001, Wagner pled guilty to the offense in Justice Court under a reservation of rights. On October 25, 2001, Wagner appealed the Justice Court's denial of his motion to dismiss to the District Court. On November 30, 2001, the District Court rejected Wagner's appeal concluding that the District Court's Order on Petition for Review dated October 9, 2001, is res judicata and dispositive of Defendant's Notice of Appeal to the District Court in the criminal proceeding. ¶ 9 Wagner has perfected two separate appeals, one from the reinstatement proceedings and one from the criminal proceedings. As the separate appeals contemplate identical issues, we hereby consolidate the cases on appeal.