Opinion ID: 884083
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: issues

Text: Did the District Court err when it found that Officer Leonard had reasonable grounds to believe that Anderson had been driving while under the influence of alcohol? Our review of a district court's denial of a petition for reinstatement of a driver's license is two-fold. We review the court's findings of fact to determine whether they are clearly erroneous. In re Bauer (1996), ___ Mont. ___, ___, 910 P.2d 886, 887. We then review the court's conclusions of law to determine whether they are correct. Bauer, ___ Mont. at ___, 910 P.2d at 887. Pursuant to § 61-8-403(4), MCA, the District Court's review of Anderson's petition for the reinstatement of his driver's license was limited to three issues: (1) whether Officer Leonard had reasonable grounds to believe that Anderson had been driving or was in actual physical control of a vehicle upon ways of this state open to the public while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of the two; (2) whether Anderson was placed under arrest; and (3) whether Anderson refused to submit to a blood, breath, or urine test, as required by § 61-8-402, MCA. In this case, Anderson maintains only that Officer Leonard did not have reasonable grounds upon which to base her investigative stop. In particular, Anderson maintains that Officer Leonard lacked a particularized suspicion of some kind of wrongdoing, and therefore, that her detention of Anderson was unlawful. We have held that a finding of reasonable grounds to make an investigative stop, as required by § 61-8-403, MCA, is in effect, the equivalent of a finding of particularized suspicion to make an investigative stop, as set forth in § 46-5-401, MCA. Bauer, ___ Mont. at ___, 910 P.2d at 889. Section 46-5-401, MCA, provides: In order to obtain or verify an account of the person's presence or conduct or to determine whether to arrest the person, a peace officer may stop any person or vehicle that is observed in circumstances that create a particularized suspicion that the person or occupant of the vehicle has committed, is committing, or is about to commit an offense. (Emphasis added). The issue of whether a particularized suspicion existed is a question of fact which is dependent on the totality of the circumstances. State v. Reynolds (1995), 272 Mont. 46, 50, 899 P.2d 540, 542-43. Because an investigative stop must be justified by some objective manifestation that the person stopped might be engaged in some criminal activity, this Court has adopted a two-part test to determine whether an officer had sufficient cause to stop a person. State v. Gopher (1981), 193 Mont. 189, 631 P.2d 293. First, the state must show objective data from which an experienced officer can make certain inferences. Gopher, 193 Mont. at 194, 631 P.2d at 296. Second, the state must demonstrate a resulting suspicion that the occupant of a certain vehicle is or has been engaged in wrongdoing or was a witness to criminal activity. Gopher, 193 Mont. at 194, 631 P.2d at 296. In In re Blake (1986), 220 Mont. 27, 712 P.2d 1338, we upheld a finding of particularized suspicion where a driver exhibited patterns of driving while under the influence of alcohol by swerving into the other lane and driving in the vicinity of several bars at around 2 a.m. More recently, in Bauer, ___ Mont. at ___, 910 P.2d at 889, we agreed that particularized suspicion existed where a driver crossed the center line and braked hard around corners while exceeding the speed limit. In this case, Officer Leonard observed Anderson shuffling and staggering toward his car between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m., just prior to the closing of the bars in downtown Billings. When she followed Anderson in his car, Leonard observed that Anderson employed what she interpreted as evasive driving tactics and failed to use his turn signal in violation of § 61-8-336, MCA. In addition, when Officer Leonard again spotted Anderson shuffling down the sidewalk and attempted to stop him, he failed to respond. At that time, Officer Leonard smelled a strong odor of intoxicants emanating from Anderson. Clearly the combination of Anderson's stumbling walk, his failure to use his turn signal, his failure to stop when requested to do so by a peace officer, and the smell of intoxicants coming from his person was sufficient to create a particularized suspicion that Anderson may have been driving while under the influence of alcohol. We therefore hold that the totality of the circumstances supports the District Court's finding that Officer Leonard had a particularized suspicion that Anderson had committed an offense, and therefore, that the court's finding that Officer Leonard had reasonable grounds to believe that Anderson had been driving under the influence of alcohol was not clearly erroneous.