Opinion ID: 900846
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Excessive Civil Penalty

Text: [¶ 20.] First, defendants maintain that the excessive fines for overweight vehicles are not civil in nature and request that this Court reconsider its holding in Feiok, 364 N.W.2d 536. Recently, we reexamined our holding in Feiok regarding whether overweight truck fines are civil in nature. Barton, 2001 SD 52, 625 N.W.2d 275. In Feiok, after considering the seven factors set forth in Kennedy v. Mendoza-Martinez, 372 U.S. 144, 83 S.Ct. 554, 9 L.Ed.2d 644 (1963), we held that the overweight fines were not so punitive as to negate the Legislature's intention to impose a civil penalty. Barton, 2001 SD 52 at ¶ 33, 625 N.W.2d at 282-83. Although we reaffirmed our Feiok holding in Barton, we will nonetheless analyze here whether the penalty for an overweight vehicle is civil or criminal in nature. [¶ 21.] In Feiok, we outlined the analysis for deciding whether a penalty is civil or criminal in nature. State v. Barber, 427 N.W.2d 375, 376 (S.D.1988). First, it must be determined whether the Legislature indicated an express or implied preference for one label or the other in establishing the penalizing mechanism. Feiok, 364 N.W.2d at 538. If this review indicates that the Legislature intended to establish a civil penalty, the second step is to ascertain whether the statutory scheme is so punitive either in purpose or in effect as to negate that intention and turn the civil penalty into a criminal penalty. Id. at 538-39. [¶ 22.] Applying the first step of the analysis, we are convinced that the Legislature intended to establish a civil penalty in SDCL 32-22-55, in addition to the criminal penalty for overweight vehicles. In Feiok, we reached this conclusion for two reasons. First, well after the criminal penalty for overweight trucks was enacted in 1929, the predecessor statute to SDCL 32-22-55 was enacted and established a civil penalty for overweight vehicles in 1951. Feiok, 364 N.W.2d at 539. Second, if the Legislature had intended that the sanctions provided by SDCL 32-22-55 be penal in nature, it would have reclassified the violation of SDCL 32-22-16 from a Class 2 misdemeanor to a Class 1 misdemeanor or a felony. Id. [¶ 23.] The next step in our analysis is to determine whether, despite the Legislature's intent to establish a civil penalty for overweight vehicles, the statutory scheme is so punitive in purpose or effect as to negate this intention. Id. at 540. When determining whether a penalty is punitive in nature, the seven factors to consider are: (1) Whether the sanction involves an affirmative disability or restraint, (2) whether it has historically been regarded as a punishment, (3) whether it comes into play only on a finding of scienter, (4) whether its operation will promote the traditional aims of punishmentretribution and deterrence, (5) whether the behavior to which it applies is already a crime, (6) whether an alternative purpose to which it may rationally be connected is assignable for it, and (7) whether it appears excessive in relation to the alternative purpose assigned. Barton, 2001 SD 52 at ¶ 33, n3, 625 N.W.2d at 282-83 (citing Feiok, 364 N.W.2d at 540 (quoting Kennedy, 372 U.S. at 168, 83 S.Ct. at 567-68, 9 L.Ed.2d at 661)). See State v. Goffe, 41 Conn.App. 454, 676 A.2d 1377 (1996) for an analysis of each of the above seven factors as applied to an overweight vehicle statute. [¶ 24.] The Feiok court concluded that only the fifth and seventh factors were relevant. Feiok, 364 N.W.2d at 540. With respect to the fifth factor, whether the behavior to which the sanction imposed by SDCL 32-22-55 is already a crime, the Court noted that the Legislature may provide that one single act may result in both a civil and a criminal sanction. Id. (citing United States v. Ward, 448 U.S. 242, 248, 100 S.Ct. 2636, 2641, 65 L.Ed.2d 742, 749 (1980)). Again, the substantial length of time (22 years) between the enactment of the criminal penalty and the enactment of the subsequent civil penalty (SDCL 32-22-55) repudiates the notion that the penalty in SDCL 32-22-55 is criminal in nature. Feiok, 364 N.W.2d at 540. Likewise, with respect to the seventh factor, whether the penalty is excessive in relation to the purpose assigned to it, the Feiok court found that the penalties authorized by SDCL 32-22-55, although certainly not insubstantial, are not so clearly excessive as to bear no relationship to the purpose for which they were imposed. Id. [¶ 25.] We find the reasoning in Feiok persuasive. We reaffirm the holding in Feiok that the penalties of SDCL 32-22-55 are civil in nature. Although we recognize that the civil penalties are not insubstantial, in most instances the Legislature is in a better position to discern the appropriate gradations for civil penalties. [¶ 26.] Second, defendants submit that it would be unreasonable to construe SDCL ch. 32-22 to allow a civil penalty for an overweight vehicle, without proof of any actual damage, potentially leaving them subject to a later civil action for actual damages. Again, we have previously addressed this issue in Feiok. There, we held that the imposition of a penalty based upon the amount by which a vehicle is overweight is a reasonable way for the state to police the [motor vehicle] weight restrictions. 364 N.W.2d at 540 (citing State ex rel. Hjelle v. A Motor Vehicle, etc., 299 N.W.2d 557 (N.D.1980)). Further, this Court held in Feiok, that to require the state to demonstrate actual damage to a highway caused by an overweight vehicle would for all practical purposes render any statute imposing a civil cost penalty upon overweight vehicles unenforceable. 364 N.W.2d at 540. [¶ 27.] Other jurisdictions have also addressed this issue. The Supreme Court of North Dakota held that the operator of an overweight truck did not receive an unduly harsh fine when he was cited for driving one mile on a road under construction and no actual damage to the road was found. Hjelle, 299 N.W.2d at 563. Moreover, the North Dakota court ruled that the overweight penalty was for extraordinary use of the highway, not for actual damage, and there is no burden on the state to prove actual damage. Id. Ultimately, the Hjelle court found it reasonable to assess an overweight civil penalty on a pro rata basis. Id. [¶ 28.] We conclude that actual damage is not a condition precedent to the imposition of a civil penalty. Again, we note that defendants have failed to cite any supporting authority for their double jeopardy argument and thus it will not be addressed.