Opinion ID: 1379473
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: hicks case

Text: Defendant Hicks was arrested for driving while impaired at 12:45 a.m. on 28 April 1984 in or near Knightdale by Officer Dail of the Knightdale Police Department. He was taken to the Wake County Courthouse; was given an intoxilyzer test, which indicated an alcohol concentration of 0.18; and was taken before a magistrate. Defendant was allowed to call his wife at their home in Wendell at 1:30 a.m., but she did not have a vehicle at the time and could not come to the courthouse to pick him up. When he was charged with DWI, he was not allowed to post his own $200.00 bond, though he had on his person over $2,000 in cash. Defendant remained in jail until 6:00 a.m. that morning. At a hearing on Hicks' Motion to Dismiss, the trial judge made, inter alia, the following findings of fact: 4. After taking the intoxilyzer test, the defendant appeared with Officer Dail before a magistrate who formally charged the defendant with driving while impaired. From what the court can determine from the available records and evidence, the magistrate apparently did not inform the defendant concerning his rights about communication with counsel and friends and apparently asked neither him nor the arresting officer any questions about matters that would affect the bond in this case.... 5. When he advised the defendant that his bond was $200.00, the magistrate asked him if he had any money. The defendant responded that he did have enough money on him to post a $200.00 bond and showed him at least $200.00. In fact, he then had some $2,200.00 on his person.... [T]he magistrate committed the defendant to jail apparently based upon the inability of the defendant's wife to come pick him up at that time. The time of commitment was between 1:45 A.M. and 2:00 A.M. and the defendant remained in jail thereafter until about 6:00 A.M. the same morning. .... 7. Had the defendant been released immediately upon posting bond for himself, he could have caught a taxi to go home and could have been in the presence of his wife within a short period of time, probably within 30 mintues [sic] considering the distance between Raleigh and Wendell. Too, there were others that he could have gone to see and have observe his condition had he chosen to do so, and they could have been possible witnesses for him. Moreover, he would have had the opportunity upon release to secure further chemical testing in an attempt to gather evidence in his behalf as to his alcohol concentration. In each of the three cases, the trial judge made specific findings to the effect that the defendant created no disturbance and was cooperative and polite; that there was no clear and convincing evidence that, if he were released, he would create a threat of physical injury to himself or others or of damage to property; and that therefore the defendant should have been released. While a magistrate may refuse to release one who is intoxicated to such a degree that he would be endangered by being released without supervision, here it is quite clear that such was not the situation in any of the three cases. In the case of Knoll, whose intoxilyzer reading was 0.30, and in the case of Warren, whose reading was 0.25, neither would have been released without supervision but into the custody of appropriate people who were seeking their release. In the case of Hicks, whose reading was 0.18 and whose wife was temporarily unavailable to pick him up, he could have, by the use of a taxi, been in the presence of his wife within a short period of time. With only insignificant variations in the three judgments, the specific finding in each case was substantially as follows: At no time ... did the defendant create any disturbance. He cooperated as required during his processing and was polite. His condition was not such to suggest that he would create problems of any kind if released without commitment to jail. There was no clear and convincing evidence that any impairment of his mental or physical faculties presented a danger, if he were released, of physical injury to himself or others or damage to property, and there was no apparent reason for him not to be released forthwith in accordance with Article 26 of Chapter 15A of the General Statutes. Also in each of the three cases, the trial judge found that the defendant's confinement was at a time crucial to his ability to gather evidence and have witnesses to his condition at the time. This finding in each case reads substantially as follows: The defendant's confinement in jail came at a crucial time when he could have gathered evidence in his behalf by having friends or others who he could have contacted observe him and form opinions as to his condition. That opportunity to gather evidence was lost because of his commitment to jail and because of his not being informed properly by the officials processing him of his various rights. The defendant has been seriously prejudiced in preparing his defense because of his commitment to jail, which was unnecessary and contrary to standards of pretrial release. ... To assume that his lost opportunity to gather evidence in his behalf was not prejudicial is to assume that which is incapable of proof. The Court cannot assume the infallability [sic] and credibility of the State's witnesses or the certitude of their tests. It is to be noted further that in each of the three cases the trial judge found that the magistrate failed to carry out his responsibilities regarding pretrial release under N.C.G.S. §§ 15A-511(b), -533(b), and -534(c). The trial judge found in each of the cases substantially as follows: [T]he magistrate failed to inform the defendant of the circumstances under which he could secure pretrial release as required by G.S. 15A-511(b). Further, the magistrate failed to determine conditions of pretrial release in accordance with G.S. 15A-533(b) and by [-]534(c). It is quite clear that the magistrates involved in these particular cases were on special notice of each defendant's right to be released upon meeting certain conditions. In the findings of fact in each of the three cases, this finding was made: The Honorable James H. Pou Bailey and the Honorable George F. Bason by joint order dated January 11, 1978, have required in Wake County that a defendant being held for public intoxication or driving under the influence must be released as soon as the defendant is able to meet a magistrate's conditions of pretrial release. With regard to this standing order, the trial judge in each of these three cases made a specific finding of fact that [t]he magistrate did not carry out the spirit and intent of this requirement adequately. Finally, the trial judge in each of the three cases made the following conclusions of law: 1. The facts of this case demonstrate that the defendant has been deprived of certain constitutional and statutory rights as claimed in his MOTION TO DISMISS.... Such deprivation has prejudiced him in the preparation of his defense and has resulted in an unwarranted loss of liberty for a significant period of time.... 2. The only effective remedy for the violations of the defendant's rights is dismissal of the driving while impaired charge that led to his confinement. In reversing the dismissal of the DWI charges and remanding the cases for trial, the Court of Appeals agreed with the findings of the trial judge in each case that the magistrate failed to inform defendant of the circumstances under which he could secure his pretrial release as required by N.C.G.S. § 15A-511(b)(3); that the magistrate failed to determine conditions of pretrial release in accordance with N.C.G.S. §§ 15A-533(b) and -534(c); and that, but for these statutory deprivations, each defendant could have secured his release from jail and could have had access to friends and family. The Court of Appeals further concluded that the per se prejudice rule of State v. Hill, 277 N.C. 547, 178 S.E.2d 462 (1971), does not apply when a person is charged under N.C.G.S. § 20-138.1(a)(2) with driving [a]fter having consumed sufficient alcohol that he has, at any relevant time after the driving, an alcohol concentration of 0.10 or more. See N.C.G.S. § 20-138.1(a)(2) (1983). The panel below further concluded in each case that the district court therefore erred in applying the per se prejudice rule of Hill and that, though each defendant had been substantially deprived of his statutory rights, the evidence in each case was insufficient to support the trial judge's finding of prejudice and was therefore inadequate to support the dismissal of the case. We agree with the Court of Appeals that application of a per se prejudice rule as set out in Hill is inappropriate in cases involving a violation of N.C.G.S. § 20-138.1(a)(2) (driving with an alcohol concentration of 0.10 or more). As the Court of Appeals correctly stated in its opinion below: Because of the change in North Carolina's driving while intoxicated laws, denial of access is no longer inherently prejudicial to a defendant's ability to gather evidence in support of his innocence in every driving while impaired case. While denial of access was clearly prejudicial in Hill, under the current 0.10 statute, a defendant's only opportunity to obtain evidence is not lost automatically when he is detained, and improperly denied access to friends and family. Prejudice may or may not occur since a chemical analysis result of 0.10 or more is sufficient, on its face, to convict. State v. Knoll, 84 N.C.App. 228, 233, 352 S.E.2d 463, 466. We therefore agree with the Court of Appeals that, in those cases arising under N.C.G.S. § 20-138.1(a)(2), prejudice will not be assumed to accompany a violation of defendant's statutory rights, but rather, defendant must make a showing that he was prejudiced in order to gain relief. Having so stated, we hasten to add that, in the view of the Court, each of the defendants in these cases made a sufficient showing of a substantial statutory violation and of the prejudice arising therefrom to warrant relief. More precisely, we conclude that the findings of the district court in each case were in no way challenged, that the evidence presented in each case was adequate to support the finding of fact that the defendant was prejudiced, and that this finding in turn supports the trial judge's conclusion that defendant was irreparably prejudiced. Accordingly, we reverse the decision below. The Court of Appeals correctly concluded that there are three statutes that are applicable to the issue of whether there was a substantial violation of defendant's statutory right of access to counsel and friends. First, N.C.G.S. § 15A-511(b) states: (b) Statement by the Magistrate. The magistrate must inform the defendant of: (1) The charges against him; (2) His right to communicate with counsel and friends; and (3) The general circumstances under which he may secure release under the provisions of Article 26, Bail. Second, N.C.G.S. § 15A-533(b) reads in applicable part as follows: (b) A defendant charged with a noncapital offense must have conditions of pretrial release determined, in accordance with G.S. 15A-534. Third, N.C.G.S. § 15A-534(c) provides in pertinent part the following: (c) In determining which conditions of release to impose, the judicial official must, on the basis of available information, take into account the nature and circumstances of the offense charged; the weight of the evidence against the defendant; ... whether the defendant is intoxicated to such a degree that he would be endangered by being released without supervision; ... and any other evidence relevant to the issue of pretrial release. The Court of Appeals also correctly concluded (1) that the trial judge properly found in each case that the magistrate failed to inform the defendant of the circumstances under which he could secure his pretrial release and failed to determine conditions of pretrial release and (2) that, but for these failures and the resulting deprivation of his statutory rights, each defendant could have secured his release from jail and could have had access to friends and family. These findings, supported by the evidence of record, and indeed unchallenged by any evidence to the contrary, are conclusive on appeal. Fast v. Gulley, 271 N.C. 208, 155 S.E.2d 507 (1967). Thus, as the Court of Appeals recognized, it is established in this case that each defendant was substantially deprived of his rights. The panel below erroneously concluded, however, that the substantial deprivation of defendants' statutory rights did not result in prejudice to them. In effect, the Court of Appeals concluded that each trial judge's findings did not support his conclusion that the substantial deprivation of each defendant's rights prejudiced him in the preparation of his defense and has resulted in an unwarranted loss of liberty for a significant period of time and that [t]he only effective remedy for the violations of the defendant's rights is dismissal of the driving while impaired charge that led to his confinement. It is in this latter conclusion that the panel below erred. We find that the trial judges' conclusions of prejudice are amply supported by the unchallenged findings, which are themselves amply supported by the evidence. The Court of Appeals itself, in its opinion below, stated that a defendant in a case such as this must show that lost evidence or testimony would have been helpful to his defense, that the evidence would have been significant, and that the evidence or testimony was lost as a result of the statutory deprivations of which he complains. State v. Knoll, 84 N.C.App. 228, 234, 352 S.E.2d 463, 466 (1987) (quoting State v. Dietz, 289 N.C. 488, 493, 223 S.E.2d 357, 360 (1976)). Such was exactly the situation in the three cases now before us, and the several trial judges correctly so found. Each defendant's confinement in jail indeed came during the crucial period in which he could have gathered evidence in his behalf by having friends and family observe him and form opinions as to his condition following arrest. This opportunity to gather evidence and to prepare a case in his own defense was lost to each defendant as a direct result of a lack of information during processing as to numerous important rights and because of the commitment to jail. The lost opportunities, in all three cases, to secure independent proof of sobriety, and the lost chance, in one of the cases, to secure a second test for blood alcohol content constitute prejudice to the defendants in these cases. That the deprivations occurred through the inadvertence rather than the wrongful purpose of the magistrate renders them no less prejudicial. State v. Graves, 251 N.C. 550, 112 S.E.2d 85 (1960). Accordingly, the decision of the Court of Appeals is reversed, and the cases are remanded to the Court of Appeals for further remand to the Superior Court, Wake County, for reinstatement of the judgment of dismissal in each of the cases. REVERSED.