Opinion ID: 1774325
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Hourigan

Text: Appellant, Pamela Y. Hourigan, was driving in the early morning hours of January 24, 1992, in downtown Lexington when Officer Jeff Jacobs, a Lexington police officer who was on patrol, observed the car she was driving swerving and crossing the center line on various streets, including a one-way street (North Limestone). Officer Jacobs testified at trial that he pulled the car over, approached the car, and asked for Hourigan's driver's license. He testified that when she rolled down the window, he detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage from inside the car. He also testified that Appellant's speech was slurred and as to specific aspects of her appearance which suggested intoxication. Officer Jacobs testified that he gave Appellant three field sobriety tests, the alphabet recitation test, the counting backwards test, and the horizontal gaze nystagmus test. Appellant performed poorly on two of the three tests and advised Officer Jacobs that she could not perform the other. As a result of the tests, Officer Jacobs determined that she was under the influence of alcohol. Consequently, Officer Jacobs placed Appellant under arrest. At her arraignment in Fayette District Court, Appellant's driver's license was suspended, pre-trial, on the grounds that she had a prior conviction for DUI and for refusing to take a chemical breathalyzer test. Appellant was convicted in Fayette District Court of Driving Under the Influence, second offense, and appealed her conviction to the Fayette Circuit Court which affirmed her conviction. During her initial trial, the trial judge directed that she be tried only as a first offender and subsequently granted a mistrial. The Commonwealth obtained a writ from the Fayette Circuit Court which directed the district court to allow the Commonwealth to proceed as a second offense. The writ was affirmed by the Kentucky Court of Appeals. Upon retrial, Hourigan was convicted of DUI, second offense, and her conviction was affirmed by the Fayette Circuit Court. This Court granted discretionary review following the Court of Appeals denial of discretionary review.