Opinion ID: 1219093
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Identical issues presented in both proceedings

Text: Gusman also failed to establish that the issues litigated at the BAC hearing were identical to those to be litigated in the criminal prosecution for DUI. The BAC hearing is a limited hearing addressing only why the defendant did not submit to, or complete, the evidentiary test. I.C. § 18-8002. The court is required to suspend the driver's license unless it finds the officer did not have probable cause to stop and request the defendant to take the test, or the request violated the defendant's civil rights. I.C. § 18-8002(4)(b). An obvious threshold determination must be made as to whether the defendant was even operating a motor vehicle, but that is not the primary focus of the BAC hearing. On the other hand, the issue to be decided in the criminal prosecution for DUI is whether the defendant was operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I.C. § 18-8004. In this instance, the court used a factual finding that Gusman was not in actual physical control of the vehicle to establish that the officer lacked probable cause to request the evidentiary test. The court made this finding based upon Gusman's uncontroverted testimony at the BAC hearing. Collateral estoppel only precludes the relitigation of ultimate issues of fact. Powell, 120 Idaho at 709, 819 P.2d at 563. In Powell, we explained that [a]lthough the evidence received in each proceeding may be very similar, the issues for which that evidence is offered as proof [may] differ significantly. Id. at 709, 819 P.2d at 562. In Powell, we specifically did not allow a magistrate's finding in a hearing under the Child Protective Act that the evidence of sexual abuse was inconclusive to preclude subsequent criminal prosecution for lewd and lascivious conduct. Id. at 709, 819 P.2d at 562. Whether or not Gusman was driving was not the ultimate issue in the BAC hearing; rather, it was a factual finding to support the ultimate issue that the officer lacked probable cause to request the evidentiary test. Thus, the only issues decided at the BAC hearing and the only issue entitled to preclusive effect is that the officer did not have probable cause to request Gusman to submit to the evidentiary test. This issue is not present in the criminal prosecution for DUI; thus, the ultimate issues are not identical.