Court Opinion

ID: 9884648
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-06 03:05:08.764145+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:48:40.074779
License: Public Domain

FOLEY, Judge
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent. The officer testified that the dispatcher told him the informant had reported a vehicle which was “all over the road,” as well as a specific description of the vehicle, its occupants, and its direction. These facts as found by the referee are not clearly erroneous. Appel-gate v. Commissioner of Public Safety, 402 N.W.2d 106, 109 (Minn.1987). Unlike Olson v. Commissioner of Public Safety, 371 N.W.2d 552, 556 (Minn.1985), the dispatcher told the officer specific and articu-lable facts which formed the basis for a reasonable suspicion that the driver of the vehicle was under the influence.
While the informant did not identify himself, the location of his call was known. Whether it was known because he called 911 or because he gave it, the officer had a basis, as in Marben v. State, Department of Public Safety, 294 N.W.2d 697 (Minn.1980), for concluding the informant had in fact seen the driver. City of Minnetonka v. Shepherd, 420 N.W.2d 887, 890 (Minn.1988). There is a presumption of reliability of a private citizen informer. Marben, 294 N.W.2d at 699.
Finally, respondent’s legal U-turn, while insufficient in itself for a stop, showed inattentive driving consistent, in the officer’s experience, with the driving of a person who is under the influence. This provided minimal corroboration for the tip. Shepherd, 420 N.W.2d at 890, n. 2.
I would reverse the trial court and sustain the revocation of respondent’s driver’s license, as the referee recommended.