Opinion ID: 1179534
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: gonzales case

Text: On June 17, 1984, King County Police Officer Carolyn Dopps arrested Mr. Gonzales for driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. After taking him to the police station, the officer advised him of his rights concerning the taking of a Breathalyzer test. She informed him: You are under arrest for driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. Further, you are now being asked to submit to a chemical test of your breath to determine the alcoholic content of your blood. You are now advised that you have the right to refuse this breath test; that if you refuse, your privilege to drive will be revoked or denied by the department of licensing and that you have the right to additional tests administered by a qualified person of your own choosing and at your own expense and that your refusal to take the test shall be used against you in a subsequent criminal trial. (Italics ours.) This case primarily concerns the effect of the emphasized language on the adequacy of these warnings. After the officer read these warnings, Mr. Gonzales inquired about the effect of taking or not taking the Breathalyzer test on the status of his driver's license. The officer explained to him that if he refused to take the test, his license would be revoked for a year, and that if he was convicted of driving while intoxicated, he would lose his license for 90 days. The officer asked him to take the Breathalyzer test three separate times, each request being made approximately a minute after the previous request. Mr. Gonzales did not verbalize his refusal but nevertheless firmly declined to take the test. The Department revoked Mr. Gonzales' driver's license for 1 year for refusing to take the test, following which he appealed to the Superior Court for King County, which sustained the Department's decision.