Court Opinion

ID: 9784812
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-30 20:54:39.589578+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:35:59.762601
License: Public Domain

*550Dooley, J.,
¶ 16. concurring. I concur to
make clear what is not decided in this case. The trial judge apparently determined that defendant was seized when the officer directed him to produce his license and registration. As I noted in State v. Sutphin, courts from other jurisdictions “have held that requesting a license and registration does not constitute a seizure unless the officer does not return these documents.” 159 Vt. 9, 13, 614 A.2d 792, 794 (1992) (Dooley, J., concurring) (citing 3 W. LaFave, Search & Seizure § 9.2(h), at 414 n.252 (2d ed. 1987)). An operator must “produce his or her operator’s license and the registration certificate for the motor vehicle” to an officer who has reasonable suspicion that the operator has committed a violation of Title 23. 23 V.S.A. § 1012(b). The distinction between this case and others we have considered is that here defendant was out of his car and had to go a short distance to the car to produce his license and registration. It is arguable whether this is a distinction with a real difference. Whether in the car or not, defendant is not free to leave while he retrieves the documents, gives them to the officer, and waits for their return.
¶ 17. Because we are deciding that the officer had reasonable suspicion for a seizure based on defendant’s violation of 23 V.S.A. § 1031 and the odor of alcohol, we do not need to, and do not, reach when a seizure occurred.
¶ 18. I am authorized to state that Justice Skoglund joins this concurrence.