Opinion ID: 884140
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Expungement of Sidmore's 1990 BAC conviction

Text: In 1990, Sidmore received a BAC conviction pursuant to §§ 61-8-406 and -722, MCA (1989). Section 61-8-406, MCA (1989), provided: It is unlawful and punishable as provided in 61-8-722 and 61-8-723 for any person to drive or be in actual physical control of a vehicle upon the ways of this state open to the public while the alcohol concentration in his blood, breath, or urine is 0.10 or more. Absolute liability as provided in 45-2-104 will be imposed for a violation of this section. Additionally, § 61-8-722(6), MCA (1989), provided in pertinent part: For the purpose of determining the number of convictions under this section, conviction means a final conviction, as defined in 45-2-101, in this state or a similar statute in another state or a forfeiture of bail or collateral deposited to secure the defendant's appearance in court in this state or another state, which forfeiture has not been vacated. An offender is considered to have been previously convicted for the purposes of this section if less than 5 years have elapsed between the commission of the present offense and a previous conviction. If there has been no additional conviction for an offense under this section for a period of 5 years after a prior conviction hereunder, then such prior offense shall be expunged from the defendant's record. [Emphasis added.] Section 61-8-714, MCA (1995), provides that both BAC (§ 61-8-406, MCA) and DUI (§ 61-8-401, MCA) convictions may be counted to support a charge of felony DUI, fourth offense. However, in the case at bar, Sidmore's prior 1990 BAC conviction may only be counted under § 61-8-714, MCA (1995), if his 1990 BAC conviction was not expunged from his record pursuant to § 61-8-722(6), MCA (1989). See Brander, 930 P.2d at 35-37. When Sidmore received his BAC conviction in 1990, § 61-8-722(6), MCA (1989), contained an expungement provision which provided that [i]f there has been no additional conviction for an offense under this section for a period of 5 years after a prior conviction hereunder, then such prior offense shall be expunged from the defendant's record. [Emphasis added.] That is, the expungement provision of § 61-8-722(6), MCA (1989), provided that if Sidmore did not receive an additional BAC conviction within the five-year period following his 1990 BAC conviction, he was entitled to have his 1990 BAC conviction expunged from his record. Nothing in § 61-8-722(6), MCA (1989), provided that both BAC and DUI convictions received within the five-year period following Sidmore's 1990 BAC conviction could be counted to determine whether Sidmore was entitled to have his prior BAC conviction expunged from his record. Indeed, the plain language of this section requires precisely the opposite conclusion. In other words, whether Sidmore received a subsequent DUI conviction within the five-year period following his 1990 BAC conviction would not affect his 1990 BAC conviction's eligibility for expungement under § 61-8-722(6), MCA (1989), providing he did not receive another BAC conviction within five years of the 1990 BAC conviction. As Sidmore's driving record indicates, while he received a subsequent DUI conviction in 1994, he did not receive another BAC conviction during the five-year period following his 1990 BAC conviction. Consequently, based on the plain language of § 61-8-722(6), MCA (1989), Sidmore's 1990 BAC conviction should have been automatically expunged in 1995, as a matter of law. See State v. Bowles (1997), ___ Mont. ___, 947 P.2d 52, 54 St. Rep. 962 (holding that identical language in the expungement provision of § 61-8-714(5), MCA (1981), provided for automatic expungement of eligible DUI convictions as a matter of law). That is, all traces of the criminal process relating to his 1990 BAC conviction should have been destroyed in 1995. See Brander, 930 P.2d at 36 (citations omitted). Therefore, because Sidmore's 1990 BAC conviction no longer exists, it cannot be counted to support the present charge of felony DUI, fourth offense, pursuant to § 61-8-714, MCA (1995).