Opinion ID: 77631
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Intoxilyzer Consent Form

Text: 21 Once Bircoll arrived at the police station, another police officer, Officer Everett Townsend, tried to communicate with him and obtain his consent to take an Intoxilyzer test. Bircoll told Townsend that he was deaf. Townsend sat down on Bircoll's left side about a foot away. Townsend had two copies of the Intoxilyzer consent form. Townsend read from one form and handed the other form to Bircoll to read. Bircoll acknowledges that Townsend handed him a piece of paper but denies that Townsend asked him to read it. 7 22 The consent form advises a DUI arrestee that he will be offered a breath and/or urine test, and that if he refuses to take the test, his driver's license will be suspended, as follows: 23 You are under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or a chemical substance and/or a controlled substance. You will be offered a Breath Test for determining the alcohol content of you[r] breath and/or a Urine Test for detecting the presence of a chemical and/or controlled substance. Should you refuse to take either of the tests, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will suspend your privilege to operate a motor vehicle for a period of twelve (12) months. . . . Your refusal to submit to a breath and/or urine test upon request of a law enforcement official shall be admissible into evidence in any criminal proceeding. You may, at your own expense, have other Chemical or Physical Tests performed to determine the alcohol content of your blood or breath, or to detect the presence of a chemical and/or controlled substance. 24 Bircoll does not deny that Townsend read aloud the consent form twice. In fact, Bircoll states that he did not read the form himself because Townsend continued talking to Bircoll and Bircoll did not look away from Townsend's face and down at the form he was given. However, Bircoll also states that because they were side by side and not facing each other, Bircoll had trouble understanding Townsend. Bircoll testified that Townsend was talking towards the other way. 25 As Townsend read aloud the consent form for the first time, Bircoll asked if he could get his wallet, which contained a Driver's Rights Card. This card states that any consent to a test is not voluntary, as follows: 26 In compliance with the requirements of Florida's Implied Consent Law I will consent to submit to tests of my breath, urine, blood or other bodily substances which you may designate, provided the test I am offered is properly done . . . . However, since I maintain that you do not have probable cause to make this request for a chemical test, my consent is given under protest and is no way voluntary. 27 Townsend stopped reading, photocopied the card, and wrote on the photocopy that Bircoll, upon being shown the consent language on the card, advised that his consent was not voluntary and he was not consenting to anything. After copying the card, Townsend finished reading the consent form once and then read the form aloud a second time. 28 Bircoll claims that he requested an interpreter many times while he was at the police station. However, Townsend in his affidavit stated that Bircoll never asked for an interpreter in my presence. Officer James Dooner was also there and stated that Bircoll never asked for an interpreter in his presence. 29 In addition, Townsend made notes on the two consent forms. On the first form, Townsend wrote my copy I read from and recorded that Bircoll said, I hear you, but I don't understand the law. I understand what you said but I don't understand the law. I['m] not going to consent to anything. The notes on the back say that the consent form was read to Bircoll, that Bircoll was asked if he read English, and that Bircoll was given a consent form to read as well. 30 On the second form, Townsend wrote, handed to defendant to read and noted that he advised Bircoll that he would read aloud so that Bircoll could read his lips. The second form notes that Bircoll stated he would not sign anything. 31 Bircoll's version of the events differs materially. Bircoll denies that he ever said he understood what the police were saying but did not understand the law. Instead, Bircoll claims he told the officer that he did not understand what the officer was saying. Bircoll also denies saying that he would not consent to anything. Bircoll testified that he never refused to take the Intoxilyzer test and that the police never asked him to take it. 32 Townsend testified that [a]lthough it is not usually the practice to give arrestees telephone calls at the Substation, he called Bircoll's girlfriend and informed her of Bircoll's situation. Bircoll's girlfriend stated in her deposition that she found out Bircoll had been arrested for DUI because [t]he cops called me.