Opinion ID: 889028
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: ¶ 3 Shortly after 9 p.m. on April 14, 2007, Tyler Tobel was driving west on Highway 12 from Townsend, Montana, to East Helena, Montana, with Shari-Rochael Kelly riding as a passenger. Near the Silos Bar, a maroon Dodge Dakota truck pulled out in front of them, causing them to slow down. As Kelly and Tobel followed the truck toward East Helena, they observed the driver repeatedly swerve across both the yellow center line and the white fog line of the highway. Kelly also observed the driver speeding up and slowing down and flashing his truck's lights from dim to bright and back again. ¶ 4 Kelly called 911 to report a suspected drunk driver as she and Tobel followed the Dodge Dakota toward East Helena. She gave the 911 dispatcher her full name and her cell phone number and described the silver Nissan vehicle in which she was riding. She also described the truck as a maroon 4-door Dodge Ram, which description she later corrected to Dodge Dakota, with a grille guard on the front. She reported that the truck's license plate number began with a 5 and ended with 48, but she was not able to provide the dispatcher with the entire license plate number because a trailer hitch hid the middle numbers on the plate. About three minutes into the phone call, she told the dispatcher that the driver of the truck had slowed his vehicle considerably, pulled off to the side of the road, and continued to drive on the side of the road. Tobel and Kelly passed the vehicle, but continued to observe it, and Kelly stayed on the line with the 911 dispatcher as they traveled into East Helena. ¶ 5 The dispatcher contacted East Helena police officer Brian Morgan and informed him that a possible drunk driver was traveling west toward East Helena in a maroon Dodge Dakota. Officer Morgan positioned his patrol vehicle just off the highway on the east side of East Helena. Soon afterward, he observed Tobel's and Kelly's silver Nissan entering East Helena, followed by a maroon Dodge Dakota. At the same time, the dispatcher, still on the telephone with Kelly, informed Morgan that Kelly had spotted his patrol vehicle. Morgan pulled in behind the Dodge Dakota, and Kelly confirmed to the dispatcher that Morgan was following the correct vehicle. ¶ 6 Morgan followed the Dodge Dakota for three to four blocks before stopping it. Morgan told Rutherford, the driver and sole occupant of the truck, that he had stopped him because the truck's rear license plate was obstructed and because of a citizen's complaint. Morgan noticed a strong odor of alcohol on Rutherford. Rutherford's speech was slurred, he had difficulty answering Morgan's questions, and he fumbled with his wallet when retrieving his driver's license. Based on his observations, Morgan arrested Rutherford. ¶ 7 The State of Montana filed an Information charging Rutherford with DUI (4th or subsequent offense), driving without liability insurance, operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver's license, criminal possession of dangerous drugs (marijuana), and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia. Rutherford filed a combined motion to suppress and dismiss, on grounds that Morgan did not have the requisite particularized suspicion to make an investigative stop. The District Court held a hearing on that motion, at which Morgan, Rutherford, and Kelly testified and the State introduced an audio tape of Kelly's 911 call into evidence. After listening to the tape and reviewing the parties' briefs, the District Court denied Rutherford's motion. ¶ 8 Rutherford later agreed to plead guilty to DUI, driving without liability insurance, and operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver's license, and the State agreed to dismiss the other two charges it had filed against him. Rutherford reserved the right to appeal the court's denial of his motion to dismiss and suppress evidence, and the parties agreed his sentence would be stayed pending appeal, subject to conditions. The District Court accepted the plea agreement, sentenced Rutherford, and entered judgment accordingly.