Court Opinion

ID: 9764663
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 03:34:59.682756+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:59.825312
License: Public Domain

KELLEY, Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully disagree. The majority opinion fails to treat the statutory distinction of prearrest test and the post arrest chemical test. Section 1547 provides, in part, that:
(b) Suspension for refusal.—
(1) If any person placed under arrest for a violation of section 3731 (relating to driving under influence of alcohol or controlled substance) is requested to submit to chemical testing and refuses to do so, the testing *6shall not be conducted but upon notice by the police officer, the department shall suspend the operating privilege of the person for a period of 12 months..
(2) It shall be the duty of the police officer to inform the person that the person’s operating privilege will be suspended upon refusal to submit to chemical testing.
(3) Any person whose operating privilege is suspended under the provisions of this section shall have the same right of appeal as provided for in cases of suspension for other reasons.
(k) Prearrest breath test authorized. — A police officer, having reasonable suspicion to believe a person is driving or in actual physical control of the movement of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, may require that person prior to arrest to submit to a preliminary breath test on a device approved by the Department of Health for this purpose. The sole purpose of this preliminary breath test is to assist the officer in determining whether or not the person should be placed under arrest. The preliminary breath test shall be in addition to any other requirements of this title. No person has any right to expect or demand a preliminary breath test. Refusal to submit to the test shall not be considered for purposes of subsections (b) and (e).
75 Pa.C.S. § 1547 (emphasis added).
The facts of the case clearly reflect the arresting officer either requested a prearrest breath test with erroneous information of suspension, if refused, or arrested the operator after a refusal. Either factual pattern necessitates voiding of the suspension.
The two types of tests, pre-and-post arrest, necessitate that the state of mind of the arresting officer is essential to the arrest being perfected, not just the “freedom” of movement by the operator.
Because of the explicit statutory language of the prearrest breath test and the post arrest chemical test, the *7statute necessitates the formal arrest, as distinguished from the circumstantial arrest, in post arrest chemical test requests.
Accordingly, I believe the trial court is correct and would affirm.