Opinion ID: 1965359
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: introduction

Text: On May 6, 2006, at approximately 2:30 in the morning, Ms. Delawter was involved in a single motor vehicle crash on Potomac and Main Streets in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland. Deputy First Class J. Garrett Mills of the Washington County Sheriffs Office arrived at the scene, determined that Ms. Delawter was the driver of the vehicle, and upon approaching her, detected a strong odor of alcohol about her person and noticed that her eyes appeared red and glassy. Deputy Sheriff Mills arrested Ms. Delawter for driving under the influence and provided her with a DR-15 Advice of Rights form, [3] This Page Contains Footnotes. which advised her of the potential administrative sanctions she faced. Ms. Delawter was not subjected to field sobriety tests due to her injuries, but subsequently she had a blood sample taken, which indicated an alcohol concentration of .17. Four months later, on September 5, 2006, Deputy Sheriff Mills confiscated Ms. Delawter's driver's license, served her with an order of suspension, and issued her a temporary license. Ms. Delawter requested a hearing before an administrative law judge, who convened it on November 8, 2006. Administrative Law Judge C. Hooker Davis admitted the DR-15 Advice of Rights Form signed by Deputy, Sheriff Mills and Ms. Delawter, the DR-15A Order of Suspension, [4] the MSP-33 Result of Test Alcohol Concentration Form, [5] and Ms. Delawter's driving record. Although her counsel argued that the Order of Suspension should be dismissed because of the delay between the accident and the issuance of the suspension, the ALJ disagreed. Ms. Delawter also contended that she should be granted a restricted license, arguing that she was enrolled at Mountain Manor treatment program for alcohol dependency and that she was employed in two different positions which required her to travel to various sites, which the ALJ also rejected. At the conclusion of the hearing, the ALJ determined that Deputy Sheriff Mills had reasonable grounds to believe that Ms. Delawter was driving while under the influence of or impaired by alcohol, that the Deputy believed that. Ms. Delawter had consumed alcohol, that he had advised her of the administrative sanctions to be imposed and had requested that an alcohol concentration test be performed, that the test was performed, and that the test results reflected an alcohol concentration of .17. The ALJ reduced the suspension to twenty-five days and also referred Ms. Delawter to the Medical Advisory Board: After considering the evidence presented in this case, I find by a preponderance of the evidence the following facts. The officer who stopped or detained the Licensee had reasonable grounds to believe that the Licensee was driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle while under the influence of or impaired by alcohol based on the following. The Licensee was the driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident. The evidence of the use of alcohol was based on the following, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was on her person. The officer fully advised the Licensee of the administrative sanctions to be imposed. The officer requested that the Licensee take a test as defined in Maryland Code Annotated Transportation Section 16-205.1. The Licensee drove a motor vehicle and took the test as requested which indicated an alcohol concentration of 0.17 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood at the time of testing. The Licensee did not refuse the test. The Licensee was not driving a commercial motor vehicle. I find the Licensee did not present any evidence to refute the evidence presented by the MVA. I further find the Licensee was not prejudiced by the Administration regarding the delay in issuing the order of suspension. The Licensee is employed by CVS # 1484 as a pharmacy technician and by a private patient as a health care provider. The Licensee drives to work sites. The Licensee is under the supervision of the Division of Parole and Probation. She attends alcohol education at Mountain Manor where she was diagnosed as alcohol dependent on June 23, 06. Based upon the, foregoing, I conclude that the Licensee is subject to sanction under Section 16-205.1.