Opinion ID: 884140
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Did the District Court err in denying Sidmore's motion to dismiss for failure of the State to provide him the opportunity to obtain exculpatory evidence, i.e., an independent blood test?

Text: On June 12, 1996, an evidentiary hearing was held concerning Sidmore's argument in his first motion to dismiss that his right to obtain exculpatory evidence was violated. During this hearing Sidmore's arresting officer testified that when he processed Sidmore for driving under the influence, he read the Implied Consent Law to Sidmore twice and Sidmore read it once. Then he asked Sidmore to take a breath test and Sidmore refused. Sidmore's arresting officer also testified that after reading the Implied Consent Law to Sidmore, Sidmore requested a blood test and that he advised Sidmore that after processing, he would give Sidmore a telephone book to locate someone to perform the blood test. Furthermore, he told Sidmore that when Sidmore located someone, he would take Sidmore to have the blood test performed. Thereafter, Sidmore was placed in a booking cell which contained a telephone and was given a phone book. The arresting officer testified that Sidmore remained in the booking cell for 30-45 minutes and during that time he was no more than a few feet away from Sidmore, separated only by bars and an open doorway. Yet, during that time, Sidmore never made arrangements for an independent blood test. Citing City of Whitefish v. Pinson (1995), 271 Mont. 170, 895 P.2d 610, Sidmore argues that his due process rights were violated because he was denied the opportunity to obtain exculpatory evidence. Specifically, Sidmore asserts that he refused an officer-designated breath test and stated that he wanted an independent blood test. However, Sidmore contends that the officer simply provided him with a phone book to locate a doctor or nurse who was willing to draw blood rather than transporting him to the local hospital emergency room for the blood test. Therefore, Sidmore argues that by failing to take him for a blood test, the officer violated his right to obtain exculpatory evidence. Accordingly, Sidmore concludes that the District Court erred when it failed to dismiss the felony DUI charge against him on this basis. Relying on State v. Klinkhammer (1993), 256 Mont. 275, 846 P.2d 1008, the State responds that Sidmore did not request an independent blood test. Rather, the State argues that Sidmore, like Klinkhammer, requested a blood test in lieu of the officer-designated breath test, and, therefore, this constituted a refusal of the officer-designated test rather than a request for an independent blood test. Additionally, citing State v. Clark (1988), 234 Mont. 222, 762 P.2d 853, the State argues that the arresting officer did not impede Sidmore's ability to obtain an independent blood test. Accordingly, the State concludes that the District Court properly denied Sidmore's first motion to dismiss on this basis. In addition to the officer-designated breath test provided for under § 61-8-402, MCA (1995) (the Implied Consent Law), § 61-8-405(2), MCA (1995), allowed for additional tests to determine blood alcohol. Section 61-8-405(2), MCA (1995), provided: The person may, at the person's own expense, have a physician or registered nurse of the person's own choosing administer a test, in addition to any administered at the direction of a peace officer, for the purpose of determining any measured amount or detected presence of alcohol or drugs in the person at the time alleged, as shown by analysis of the person's blood, breath, or urine. The failure or inability to obtain an additional test by a person does not preclude the admissibility in evidence of the test or tests taken at the direction of a peace officer. In State v. Swanson (1986), 222 Mont. 357, 722 P.2d 1155, after quoting § 61-8-405(2), MCA, we recognized that an accused person has a constitutionally guaranteed right to attempt to obtain exculpatory evidence. Swanson, 722 P.2d at 1157. More specifically, we recognized that the accused's right to obtain exculpatory evidence includes the right to obtain an independent test to establish sobriety when charged with the offense of driving under the influence, even if the accused has refused a test offered by a law enforcement officer. Swanson, 722 P.2d at 1157. Furthermore, we held that [w]hile the police have no duty to assist an accused in obtaining independent evidence of sobriety, they cannot frustrate such an effort through either affirmative acts or their rules and regulations. Swanson, 722 P.2d at 1158. In State, City of Bozeman v. Peterson (1987), 227 Mont. 418, 739 P.2d 958, we clarified the rule in Swanson concerning the accused's right to obtain an independent blood test as follows: For the purpose of clarification of our rule in Swanson that one accused of a crime involving intoxication is entitled to obtain a blood test, it should be explained that the rule applies only when (1) the defendant has timely claimed the right to a blood test, and (2) the officer or officers do not unreasonably impede the defendant's right to obtain a blood test. If a blood test of the defendant is unavailable through no unreasonable acts of an officer or officers, the Swanson rule does not apply. Peterson, 739 P.2d at 961 (emphasis added). We subsequently quoted the criteria necessary for the Swanson rule to apply again in Clark, 762 P.2d at 856; Klinkhammer, 846 P.2d at 1011; and Pinson, 895 P.2d at 612. Without disagreeing with the quoted material of Peterson previously set forth, we conclude that the second criterion, as written, is grammatically incorrect. As we explained in Klinkhammer: Both criteria must be satisfied in order to support an allegation of a violation of a defendant's due process rights. The Swanson rule will not apply if the defendant either fails to timely request the test, or the test is unavailable through no unreasonable acts of law enforcement. Klinkhammer, 846 P.2d at 1011. In other words, the rule in Swanson will apply only if the defendant can establish that he made a timely request for an independent test and that a law enforcement officer unreasonably impeded his right to obtain the test. However, as it is currently written, the second criterion sets forth that a defendant must establish that a law enforcement officer did not unreasonably impede his right to obtain an independent blood test to support an allegation that his due process rights were violated. As such, the second criterion is inconsistent with the rule as set forth in Swanson. Therefore, for the second criterion to be grammatically correct, it should read (2) the officer or officersdo notunreasonably impede[d] the defendant's right to obtain a blood test. Accordingly, to clarify our rule in Swanson that one accused of a crime involving intoxication is entitled to obtain an independent blood test, we hold that the rule applies only when (1) the defendant has timely claimed the right to an independent blood test, and (2) a law enforcement officer has unreasonably impeded the defendant's right to obtain an independent blood test. Both criteria must be satisfied in order to support an allegation of a violation of a defendant's due process rights. The Swanson rule will not apply if the defendant either fails to timely request the independent blood test, or the independent blood test is unavailable through no unreasonable acts of law enforcement. Furthermore, after this appeal was submitted on briefs, we decided the case of State v. Strand (Mont.1997), 951 P.2d 552. In Strand, we reaffirmed the rule in Swanson and acknowledged that Swanson did not create for law enforcement officers an affirmative duty to assist the accused in obtaining independent evidence of sobriety, nor did that case go so far as to create a duty on the part of the police to inform the accused of the right to obtain an independent blood test. Strand, 951 P.2d at 554. However, without disrupting the rule set forth in Swanson, we took the next step and held that due process requires that the arresting officer inform the accused of his or her right to obtain an independent blood test, regardless of whether the accused consents to the test designated by the officer. Strand, 951 P.2d at 554. We explained that due to the evanescent character of blood alcohol evidence, the accused's right to obtain an independent blood test is rendered meaningless unless the accused is apprised of this right while the blood can still be analyzed. Strand, 951 P.2d at 554-555. Therefore, we held that a law enforcement officer has an affirmative duty to inform the accused of the right to obtain an independent blood test at the time of arrest. Strand, 951 P.2d at 555. In Strand, the Kalispell police department had an express policy that law enforcement officers should not read to the accused the implied consent advisory form, which explained the substance of Montana's implied consent statutes, unless or until the accused refused to submit to an officer-designated sobriety test. Strand, 951 P.2d at 553. Because Strand had submitted to the officer-designated breath test, he was never read the form, and, consequently, was never informed of his right to obtain an independent blood test. Strand, slip op. 4-5, 951 P.2d at 553-554. Because Strand was not informed of his right to obtain an independent blood test, we concluded that his due process rights were violated. Strand, 951 P.2d at 555. In the case at bar, Sidmore does not argue that his due process rights to obtain exculpatory evidence were violated because he was never informed of his right to obtain an independent blood test, as was the case in Strand. Rather, Sidmore argues that his due process rights were violated because his arresting officer failed to take him to the local emergency room for an independent blood test after he requested the test. Therefore, as discussed previously, for Sidmore to support his allegation that his due process rights were violated, he must establish that his request for an independent blood test was timely and that the law enforcement officer unreasonably impeded his right to obtain the blood test. See Swanson, 722 P.2d at 1157-58. First, we note that the State argues on appeal that Sidmore did not request an independent blood test. However, contrary to this argument, we note in the District Court record that the State clearly states in its June 3, 1996 Response to Sidmore's first motion to dismiss that [d]uring the Defendant's DUI processing at the Lake County Sheriff's Department the Defendant did request an independent blood test. Because the State's argument that Sidmore did not request an independent blood test is not only not supported by the trial court record but also is raised for the first time on appeal, we will not address it. See State v. Fuhrmann (1996), 278 Mont. 396, 404, 925 P.2d 1162, 1167 (citing State v. Henderson (1994), 265 Mont. 454, 458, 877 P.2d 1013, 1016). Consequently, we conclude that Sidmore made a timely request for an independent blood test. Accordingly, we must only determine whether the State unreasonably impeded Sidmore's right to obtain an independent blood test. Sidmore in essence argues that his arresting officer had a duty to take him to the local emergency room for an independent blood test, and that by failing to do so, the arresting officer violated his right to obtain exculpatory evidence. We disagree. As we explained in Clark, someone accused of criminal intoxication has a constitutional right to obtain exculpatory evidence, but such right is limited. Clark, 762 P.2d at 855. That is, law enforcement officers do not have an affirmative duty to assist the accused in obtaining exculpatory evidence, rather law enforcement officers must only avoid interfering with the accused's efforts to obtain an independent sobriety test. Clark, 762 P.2d at 855-56 (citing Swanson, 722 P.2d at 1158). In Clark, a police officer arrested Clark for driving under the influence. During the booking procedure, Clark interrupted the arresting officer's reading of the State of Montana Implied Consent Law Advisory Form to request a physician's care which the arresting officer denied. Thereafter, Clark again interrupted the arresting officer and stated that he wanted a physician and registered nurse at this moment to take a sample of my blood. The arresting officer replied just a minute and finished reading the implied consent form. Clark the refused the breath test offered. After placing Clark in a holding cell, the arresting officer made five phone calls for Clark, including three to Clark's physician. During these telephone calls, Clark never requested that the physician perform a blood test. Clark, 762 P.2d at 855. We rejected Clark's argument that due to his request during the reading of the implied consent law, the arresting officer was on notice that he was requesting an independent blood test and that by not aiding him in obtaining the test his rights were violated. Rather, we concluded that Clark was given an opportunity to obtain an independent blood test when the officer made phone calls on Clark's behalf to Clark's physician but that Clark failed to take the opportunity to set up an independent blood test. Therefore, we held that Clark's due process rights had not been violated. Clark, 762 P.2d at 856. Here, after requesting an independent blood test, Sidmore's arresting officer advised him that after processing, he would give Sidmore a telephone book to locate someone to perform a blood test. Furthermore, Sidmore's arresting officer told Sidmore that once Sidmore located someone to perform the test, he would take Sidmore to have the test performed. Thereafter, he placed Sidmore in a booking cell which contained a telephone and Sidmore was given a telephone book. Sidmore remained in the booking cell for 30-45 minutes while his arresting officer was no more than a few feet away, separated only by bars and an open doorway. However, despite having access to a telephone and a telephone book during this period of time, Sidmore, like Clark, failed to take the opportunity to make arrangements for an independent blood test. As we explained in Clark, Sidmore's request for an independent blood test did not create a duty on the part of his arresting officer to take him to the local hospital emergency room for a blood test to be performed. See Clark, 762 P.2d at 855-56. Rather, Sidmore's arresting officer was only required to avoid interfering with Sidmore's efforts to obtain the independent blood test. Clark, 762 P.2d at 855-56. Here, Sidmore's arresting officer did not interfere with Sidmore's efforts to obtain an independent blood test. Instead, after Sidmore requested an independent blood test, Sidmore's arresting officer provided him with the opportunity to obtain an independent blood test by giving him access to a telephone and a telephone book and by informing him that transportation would be provided to the test once Sidmore made arrangements. Despite this opportunity, Sidmore failed to make arrangements for the independent blood test. Therefore, while Sidmore made a timely request for an independent blood test, the unavailability of the test was not caused by the unreasonable acts of law enforcement, but rather was caused by Sidmore's own failure to act after he requested the independent blood test and was given the opportunity to arrange the test. As such, we conclude that Sidmore's due process rights were not violated. Accordingly, we hold that the District Court did not err in denying Sidmore's motion to dismiss on this basis.