Patricia S. Reed, Comm., W. Va. DMV v. Jeffrey Hill , 235 W. Va. 1 ( 2015 )

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS OF WEST VIRGINIA
January 2015 Term FILED
February 27, 2015
released at 3:00 p.m.
RORY L. PERRY II, CLERK
No. 14-0103 SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS
OF WEST VIRGINIA
PATRICIA S. REED, COMMISSIONER,
WEST VIRGINIA DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES
Petitioner Below, Petitioner
v.
JEFFREY HILL,
Respondent Below, Respondent
Appeal from the Circuit Court of Kanawha County
Honorable Carrie L. Webster, Judge
Civil Action No. 12-AA-140
REVERSED AND REMANDED
Submitted: January 27, 2015
Filed: February 27, 2015
Patrick Morrisey, Esq. Todd F. La Neve, Esq.
Attorney General Clarksburg, West Virginia
Janet E. James, Esq. Attorney for Respondent
Senior Assistant Attorney General
Charleston, West Virginia
Attorneys for Petitioner
JUSTICE LOUGHRY delivered the Opinion of the Court.
JUSTICE DAVIS dissents and reserves the right to file a dissenting opinion.
SYLLABUS BY THE COURT
1. “On appeal of an administrative order from a circuit court, this Court
is bound by the statutory standards contained in W.Va. Code § 29A-5-4(a) and reviews
questions of law presented de novo; findings of fact by the administrative officer are
accorded deference unless the reviewing court believes the findings to be clearly wrong.”
Syl. Pt. 1, Muscatell v. Cline, 196 W.Va. 588, 474 S.E.2d 518 (1996).
2. “Upon judicial review of a contested case under the West Virginia
Administrative Procedure Act, Chapter 29A, Article 5, Section 4(g), the circuit court may
affirm the order or decision of the agency or remand the case for further proceedings. The
circuit court shall reverse, vacate or modify the order or decision of the agency if the
substantial rights of the petitioner or petitioners have been prejudiced because the
administrative findings, inferences, conclusions, decisions or order are: ‘(1) In violation of
constitutional or statutory provisions; or (2) In excess of the statutory authority or jurisdiction
of the agency; or (3) Made upon unlawful procedures; or (4) Affected by other error of law;
or (5) Clearly wrong in view of the reliable, probative and substantial evidence on the whole
record; or (6) Arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion or clearly
unwarranted exercise of discretion.’” Syl. Pt. 2, Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Dept. v.
State ex rel. State of W.Va. Human Rights Comm’n, 172 W.Va. 627, 309 S.E.2d 342 (1983).
i
3. “A driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle in this State cannot be
administratively revoked solely and exclusively on the results of the driver’s horizontal gaze
nystagmus test. Rather, additional evidence in conjunction with the horizontal gaze
nystagmus test is required for revocation: for example, the results of other field sobriety
tests; the results of a secondary chemical test; whether the vehicle was weaving on the
highway; whether the driver admitted consuming an alcoholic beverage; whether the driver
exhibited glassy eyes or slurred speech; and/or whether the odor of an alcoholic beverage was
detected.” Syl. Pt. 3, White v. Miller, 228 W.Va. 797, 724 S.E.2d 768 (2012).
4. “‘“‘Probable cause to make an arrest without a warrant exists when the
facts and circumstances within the knowledge of the arresting officers are sufficient to
warrant a prudent man in believing that an offense has been committed.’ Point 1 Syllabus,
State v. Plantz, [155] W.Va. [24] [180 S.E.2d 614].” Syllabus Point 3, State v. Duvernoy,
156 W.Va. 578, 195 S.E.2d 631 (1973).’ Syl. Pt. 7, State v. Craft, 165 W.Va. 741, 272
S.E.2d 46 (1980).” Syl. Pt. 2, State v. Rahman, 199 W.Va. 144, 483 S.E.2d 273 (1996).
5. “Where there is evidence reflecting that a driver was operating a motor
vehicle upon a public street or highway, exhibited symptoms of intoxication, and had
consumed alcoholic beverages, this is sufficient proof under a preponderance of the evidence
ii
standard to warrant the administrative revocation of his driver’s license for driving under the
influence of alcohol.” Syl. Pt. 2, Albrecht v. State, 173 W.Va. 268, 314 S.E.2d 859 (1984).
6. The requirement in West Virginia C.S.R. § 64-10-7.2(a) (2005) that a
law enforcement officer shall keep the person being tested under constant observation for a
period of twenty minutes before administering a secondary chemical breath test does not
require uninterrupted visual monitoring. The observation may be accomplished by the
officer’s use of his or her visual, auditory, and olfactory senses.
iii
LOUGHRY, Justice
The petitioner, Patricia S. Reed, Commissioner of the West Virginia Division
of Motor Vehicles (“Commissioner”),1 appeals the Circuit Court of Kanawha County’s
December 30, 2013, order affirming the November 13, 2012, order of the Office of
Administrative Hearings (“OAH”). The OAH reversed the Commissioner’s January 28,
2011, order that administratively revoked the respondent Jeffrey Hill’s driver’s license for
driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol (“DUI”). The OAH found there
was insufficient evidence that the respondent was DUI or was lawfully arrested for DUI.
After carefully considering the parties’ briefs and oral argument, as well as the appendix
record on appeal and the applicable law, we reverse the circuit court’s order for the reasons
set forth below and remand this matter for reinstatement of the Commissioner’s revocation
order.
I. Factual and Procedural Background
Deputy Edwin Delgado of the Taylor County Sheriff’s Department testified
that on the early morning of October 24, 2010, his police cruiser was nearly hit head-on by
an oncoming vehicle, requiring the deputy to take quick evasive action to avoid a collision.
1
When the revocation order was entered, Joe Miller was the Commissioner of the
West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles. Pursuant to Rule 41(c) of the Rules of Appellate
Procedure, the current commissioner, Patricia S. Reed, has been automatically substituted as
the named petitioner herein.
1
He indicated that the driver of the other vehicle took no action to avoid a collision and, in
the deputy’s estimation, was traveling in excess of the posted speed limit. The deputy turned
his cruiser around, caught up with the other vehicle, and initiated a traffic stop at 2:07 a.m.
The stopped vehicle was driven by the respondent, Jeffrey Hill, and contained
two passengers. At the administrative hearing in this matter, Mr. Hill denied speeding and
denied that he was driving down the very center of the roadway; however, he admitted that
he was driving toward the center of the unlined roadway and that he also had to swerve to
avoid striking the police car. He testified that immediately after swerving, he knew he was
going to be pulled over. Mr. Hill has conceded that the officer had sufficient grounds to stop
his vehicle.2
Upon having Mr. Hill exit the vehicle, Deputy Delgado smelled an odor of an
alcoholic beverage emanating from both the vehicle and from Mr. Hill’s breath. The deputy
observed that Mr. Hill had bloodshot and glassy eyes, was a bit unsteady while standing,
talked in a continuous and excited manner, and had a slight slur in his speech. The deputy
attributed the slur to both nervousness and to alcohol impairment. Mr. Hill admitted that he
had been drinking beer, but he chose to drive his friend’s car because he believed that he was
2
Deputy Delgado testified that in the related criminal case, Mr. Hill “pled to reckless
driving” and a DUI charge was dismissed. The record before us does not indicate whether
the reckless driving plea was guilty or no contest.
2
in a better condition to drive than were his friends. The deputy administered three field
sobriety tests–the horizontal gaze nystagmus (“HGN”), the walk and turn, and the one leg
stand–and a preliminary breath test (“PBT”) to Mr. Hill.3 Mr. Hill passed the walk and turn
and one leg stand tests. As to the HGN test, the deputy wrote on the DUI Information Sheet
that he observed two detection clues in each of Mr. Hill’s eyes. Two detection clues in each
eye constitutes a total of four detection clues, which is a failing score. However, at the
administrative hearing, the deputy gave contradictory testimony about his observations
during the HGN test and testified to his belief that Mr. Hill had passed the test.
Mr. Hill took the PBT at 2:15 a.m. The PBT registered a blood alcohol
concentration (“BAC”) of .114. Deputy Delgado arrested Mr. Hill for DUI at 2:25 a.m. and
subsequently transported him to the police station.4 See W.Va. Code § 17C-5-2(2010)
(defining criminal DUI to include driving under the influence of alcohol or driving with a
BAC of .08 or more). Mr. Hill executed the West Virginia Implied Consent Statement and,
at 4:11 a.m., registered a BAC of .108 on the designated secondary chemical breath test.
3
Mr. Hill testified that the field sobriety tests were only administered after he was
transported to the police station. However, Deputy Delgado testified that he administered
the field sobriety tests at both the scene of the traffic stop and again at the station, with the
same results.
4
There was a short delay in transporting Mr. Hill while Deputy Delgado ensured that
Mr. Hill’s passengers, who had also been drinking, were picked up by their parents.
3
Deputy Delgado wrote on the DUI Information Sheet that during a post-arrest
interview, Mr. Hill admitted that he had consumed four twelve-ounce bottles of light beer in
a period of one hour.5 However, during the administrative hearing, Mr. Hill testified that he
had consumed this amount of beer over a longer period of time. Mr. Hill also testified that
he had stopped drinking one hour before driving because he wanted to “sober up,” but he
then denied that he was under the influence of alcohol.6 Finally, Mr. Hill’s father testified
that when he saw the respondent approximately one hour after the arrest, his son did not
appear to be impaired.7
Upon receipt of the DUI Information Sheet completed by Deputy Delgado, the
Commissioner entered an order on January 28, 2011, administratively revoking Mr. Hill’s
driver’s license for DUI. See W.Va. Code § 17C-5A-1 (2008) (providing for revocation of
5
The deputy explained that during a post-arrest interview, he reads each question on
the DUI Information Sheet and then records verbatim the person’s answers. The deputy wrote
that Mr. Hill said, “I found myself in a situation where I thought I was better off to drive but
that was found to be nontrue [sic]. I only had four beers in an hour and figured I would be
sober enough to drive. I regret risking everyones [sic] life [sic]!”
6
At the hearing, when asked when he had finished his last beer, Mr. Hill testified that
“[i]t was about an hour before I got in the car. I decided to, you know, try to sober up or
whatever you want to say about it. I mean, I stopped drinking because I realized I had to
drive because I was better off than either of the two people I was with.” Mr. Hill went on
to deny that he was ever impaired that night, even at the point in time when he had decided
to stop drinking.
7
A passenger in the vehicle also testified, but he was too intoxicated at the time of the
arrest to know whether Mr. Hill was under the influence of alcohol.
4
driver’s license if person drives under the influence of alcohol or drives with a BAC of .08
or more).8
Mr. Hill timely challenged the revocation at the OAH. After holding an
evidentiary hearing, the OAH reversed the Commissioner’s revocation order. The OAH
concluded that the deputy had sufficient reasonable suspicion to initiate the traffic stop, but
did not have reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Hill was driving under the influence of
alcohol or to make a lawful arrest. See W.Va. Code § 17C-5A-2(f) (2010). In reaching these
conclusions, the OAH found that the HGN test was improperly administered and must be
disregarded; that Mr. Hill passed two field sobriety tests despite continuously talking to the
officer, and his talking would have been distracting to Mr. Hill thus making it harder to pass
those tests; and that the PBT result must be disregarded because Deputy Delgado was not
properly certified to administer the PBT and had failed to observe Mr. Hill for fifteen
minutes before administering the test. The OAH’s order did not mention the secondary
chemical test result.
8
Because the secondary chemical test showed that Mr. Hill had a BAC of higher than
.08, his driver’s license was revoked for at least ninety days or until he complied with
provisions of the Test and Lock Program. However, we note that even if Mr. Hill’s BAC had
been at a lower level of between .02 and .08, a sixty-day suspension of his license would still
be required because he was eighteen years old. See W.Va. Code § 17C-5A-1(c) (2008);
W.Va. Code § 17C-5A-2(n) (2010).
5
The Commissioner appealed to the circuit court, which affirmed the OAH on
December 30, 2013. In addition to discounting the evidence of the HGN and PBT tests, the
circuit court concluded that the results of the secondary chemical test should be disregarded
because, in the circuit court’s opinion, Deputy Delgado did not constantly observe Mr. Hill
for the required twenty minutes prior to the administration of the secondary test.
Seeking reinstatement of the revocation order, the Commissioner now appeals
the circuit court’s order to this Court.
II. Standard of Review
This Court applies the following standard of review when reviewing a circuit
court’s order in an administrative appeal:
On appeal of an administrative order from a circuit court,
this Court is bound by the statutory standards contained in
W.Va. Code § 29A-5-4(a) and reviews questions of law
presented de novo; findings of fact by the administrative officer
are accorded deference unless the reviewing court believes the
findings to be clearly wrong.
Syl. Pt. 1, Muscatell v. Cline, 196 W.Va. 588, 474 S.E.2d 518 (1996).
Upon judicial review of a contested case under the West
Virginia Administrative Procedure Act, Chapter 29A, Article 5,
Section 4(g), the circuit court may affirm the order or decision
of the agency or remand the case for further proceedings. The
circuit court shall reverse, vacate or modify the order or decision
6
of the agency if the substantial rights of the petitioner or
petitioners have been prejudiced because the administrative
findings, inferences, conclusions, decisions or order are: “(1) In
violation of constitutional or statutory provisions; or (2) In
excess of the statutory authority or jurisdiction of the agency; or
(3) Made upon unlawful procedures; or (4) Affected by other
error of law; or (5) Clearly wrong in view of the reliable,
probative and substantial evidence on the whole record; or (6)
Arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion
or clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion.”
Syl. Pt. 2, Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Dept. v. State ex rel. State of W.Va. Human Rights
Comm’n, 172 W.Va. 627, 309 S.E.2d 342 (1983). With these precepts in mind, we turn to
a consideration of the case before us.
III. Discussion
West Virginia Code § 17C-5A-2(f) requires the OAH to make specific findings
after considering the evidence in an administrative hearing. These findings include whether
the investigating law enforcement officer had reasonable grounds to believe the person was
driving under the influence of alcohol, whether the person was lawfully placed under arrest,
and whether the tests, if any, were administered in accordance with the law.9 When
9
The 2010 version of West Virginia Code § 17C-5A-2(f) applies to this case. This
statute provided as follows:
In the case of a hearing in which a person is accused of
driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol,
controlled substances or drugs, or accused of driving a motor
vehicle while having an alcohol concentration in the person’s
blood of eight hundredths of one percent or more, by weight, or
7
overturning the Commissioner’s revocation order, the OAH concluded that Deputy Delgado
did not have sufficient evidence of DUI to arrest Mr. Hill during the traffic stop. For the
reasons discussed below, this was error. While the OAH was not clearly wrong to disregard
the results of the HGN and PBT tests, there still remained evidence of DUI providing the
deputy with probable cause to arrest Mr. Hill. Moreover, when considering all of the
accused of driving a motor vehicle while under the age of
twenty-one years with an alcohol concentration in his or her
blood of two hundredths of one percent or more, by weight, but
less than eight hundredths of one percent, by weight, the Office
of Administrative Hearings shall make specific findings as to:
(1) Whether the investigating law-enforcement officer had
reasonable grounds to believe the person to have been driving
while under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances or
drugs, or while having an alcohol concentration in the person’s
blood of eight hundredths of one percent or more, by weight, or
to have been driving a motor vehicle while under the age of
twenty-one years with an alcohol concentration in his or her
blood of two hundredths of one percent or more, by weight, but
less than eight hundredths of one percent, by weight; (2)
whether the person was lawfully placed under arrest for an
offense involving driving under the influence of alcohol,
controlled substances or drugs, or was lawfully taken into
custody for the purpose of administering a secondary test:
Provided, That this element shall be waived in cases where no
arrest occurred due to driver incapacitation; (3) whether the
person committed an offense involving driving under the
influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs, or was
lawfully taken into custody for the purpose of administering a
secondary test; and (4) whether the tests, if any, were
administered in accordance with the provisions of this article
and article five of this chapter.
8
evidence of DUI, including the .108 BAC result on the secondary chemical breath test, the
Commissioner’s revocation order should have been upheld.
A. PBT and HGN Test Results
The OAH found that Deputy Delgado did not properly administer the HGN test
because he failed to perform a pre-assessment to ascertain whether Mr. Hill’s eyes displayed
equal tracking. The OAH also found that the deputy gave conflicting evidence regarding his
observations during the HGN test. In prior cases, we have explained that a police officer’s
failure to satisfy some requirements for administering an HGN test goes to the weight of the
evidence, not to its admissibility. Dale v. Oakland, 234 W.Va. 106, ___, 763 S.E.2d 434,
440 (2014); Dale v. McCormick, 231 W.Va. 628, 633-34, 749 S.E.2d 227, 232-33 (2013).
After examining the record in this case, we conclude that the OAH’s concerns
about the HGN test were well-founded. The DUI Information Sheet indicates that the deputy
engaged in a medical assessment of Mr. Hill, during the course of which the officer observed
that Mr. Hill had equal pupils, no resting nystagmus, and equal tracking. However, during
the administrative hearing the deputy testified that he did not check for equal tracking of the
eyes prior to administering the HGN test. He also did not ask whether Mr. Hill had an injury
or condition that would impact his ability to take the HGN test. With regard to the deputy’s
observations during the test, Deputy Delgado recorded on the DUI Information Sheet that
9
Mr. Hill exhibited a lack of smooth pursuit in each eye, exhibited distinct and sustained
nystagmus at the maximum deviation in each eye, but did not exhibit the onset of nystagmus
prior to forty-five degrees. However, in marked contrast to the DUI Information Sheet data,
the deputy testified at the administrative hearing that he did observe the onset of nystagmus
prior to forty-five degrees. Moreover, while conceding on direct examination that the boxes
he checked on the DUI Information Sheet reflected that Mr. Hill had failed the HGN test, the
deputy nonetheless maintained his belief that Mr. Hill had indeed passed. Because the
contradictory evidence from Deputy Delgado raised concerns about whether the HGN test
was properly administered, it was not clearly wrong for the OAH to accord no weight to the
HGN test results.10
As to the PBT test result, the OAH disregarded this evidence for two reasons.
First, the OAH found that “certified records provided by the West Virginia Division of Motor
10
In its order, the circuit court added an additional reason why the HGN result should
be disregarded: the circuit court found that Mr. Hill may have been exposed to the police
car’s flashing emergency lights during the test. The circuit court discussed that flashing
lights can cause optokinetic nystagmus, and this type of nystagmus is not indicative of
alcohol consumption. However, not only did the OAH make no findings of fact regarding
the police car’s flashing lights and optokinetic nystagmus, the circuit court’s findings in this
regard are wholly unsupported by the record. Mr. Hill never claimed that any lights were in
his eyes or affected his ability to take field sobriety tests, and the deputy testified that he
made sure there were no lights–including the cruiser’s flashing lights–shining in Mr. Hill’s
eyes during the HGN test. Indeed, Mr. Hill testified that the field sobriety tests were
administered at the police station where, presumably, there were no flashing emergency
lights.
10
Vehicles do not establish that the Investigating Officer was trained and certified to administer
the SD-5 Preliminary Breath Test.” Critically, no such records were included in the
administrative record or even identified in the OAH’s order. Moreover, when asked about
this during the hearing, Deputy Delgado testified that he was certified on the SD-5 on
January 25, 2009. Accordingly, we must conclude that the OAH’s finding regarding the
officer’s training and certification was clearly wrong in view of the reliable, probative, and
substantial evidence on the whole record.
Second, the OAH found that Deputy Delgado did not observe Mr. Hill for
fifteen minutes prior to administering the PBT. The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health
has promulgated a legislative rule providing that “[t]he law enforcement officer shall prohibit
the person from drinking alcohol or smoking for at least fifteen minutes before conducting
the [PBT] test.” W.Va. C.S.R. § 64-10-5.2(a) (2005). West Virginia Code § 17C-5-5 (1983)
directs that a PBT “must be administered with a device and in a manner approved by the
Department of Health for that purpose.” Undoubtedly, the purpose of this legislative rule is
to promote accuracy and reliability in the test result. According to the DUI Information
Sheet, Deputy Delgado administered the PBT just eight minutes after he first had contact
with Mr. Hill. Because the deputy did not comply with C.S.R. § 64-10-5.2(a) by prohibiting
11
Mr. Hill from drinking alcohol and smoking for at least fifteen minutes before the PBT was
administered, the OAH was not clearly wrong to exclude this test result.11
B. Probable Cause to Arrest for DUI
The analysis required by West Virginia Code § 17C-5A-2(f)(2)12 as to whether
Mr. Hill “was lawfully placed under arrest for an offense involving driving under the
influence of alcohol . . . or was lawfully taken into custody for the purpose of administering
a secondary test” does not end with the exclusion of Mr. Hill’s HGN and PBT test results.
Neither the DUI statutes nor our case law require a PBT or any particular field sobriety test
to establish that a driver was under the influence for purposes of administrative revocation.13
11
When discussing that the PBT result should not be considered, the circuit court
required a longer waiting period than did the OAH. The circuit court found that the
manufacturer of this particular PBT device requires a twenty-minute waiting period before
taking a breath sample, and West Virginia C.S.R. § 64-10-5.1 provides that “[t]he use of the
approved [PBT] instrument shall adhere to the manufacturer’s specifications for operation[.]”
Because the manufacturer’s recommendations were never put in the record, it is unclear how
the circuit court made the determination that a twenty minute period should be used. Given
our conclusion that the shorter fifteen minute period required by C.S.R. § 64-10-5.2(a) was
not met, we need not address the circuit court’s findings on this issue.
12
See supra note 9.
13
Our laws also do not require a secondary chemical test to prove that a motorist was
DUI for purposes of administrative revocation. Syl. Pt. 5, Coll v. Cline, 202 W.Va. 599, 505
S.E.2d 662 (1998); Syl. Pt. 1, Albrecht v. State, 173 W.Va. 268, 314 S.E.2d 859 (1984).
12
Indeed, the Legislature expressly left the decision on whether to administer a
PBT to the law enforcement officer’s discretion. West Virginia Code § 17C-5-5 provides
that when an officer has reason to believe that a person has committed a DUI offense, the
“officer may require such person to submit to a preliminary breath analysis for the purpose
of determining such person’s blood alcohol content.” Id. (emphasis added); accord W.Va.
Code § 17C-5-4(b) (2010) (also stating PBT “may” be administered). Moreover, the OAH
is only required to determine whether tests were correctly administered if any tests were, in
fact, given. W.Va. Code § 17C-5A-2(f)(4) (directing OAH to make findings on whether
“tests, if any,” were administered in accordance with law).
The PBT and field sobriety tests, if administered, are tools for the officer to
use,14 but the results of those tests do not constitute the totality of the evidence that a law
enforcement officer may consider when deciding whether to arrest a driver for DUI. In
White v. Miller, a case addressing how HGN test results may be used in a license revocation
proceeding, we listed several examples of evidence indicative of DUI:
14
The Legislature has directed that a PBT is “solely for the purpose of guiding the
officer in deciding whether an arrest should be made.” W.Va. Code § 17C-5-5. An HGN
test may be used to guide the officer in deciding whether an arrest should be made, and it is
also substantive evidence of impairment. See Syl. Pt. 1, in part, White v. Miller, 228 W.Va.
797, 724 S.E.2d 768 (2012) (“The horizontal gaze nystagmus test is a field sobriety test, and
a driver’s performance on the test is admissible as evidence that the driver may have
consumed alcohol and may, therefore, be impaired.”).
13
A driver’s license to operate a motor vehicle in this State
cannot be administratively revoked solely and exclusively on the
results of the driver’s horizontal gaze nystagmus test. Rather,
additional evidence in conjunction with the horizontal gaze
nystagmus test is required for revocation: for example, the
results of other field sobriety tests; the results of a secondary
chemical test; whether the vehicle was weaving on the highway;
whether the driver admitted consuming an alcoholic beverage;
whether the driver exhibited glassy eyes or slurred speech;
and/or whether the odor of an alcoholic beverage was detected.
Syl. Pt. 3, White v. Miller, 228 W.Va. 797, 724 S.E.2d 768 (2012). Thus, it is clear that
neither the relevant statutes nor our case law require that a preliminary breath test or any
particular field sobriety test be administered, and failed, in order to establish that a motorist
was driving under the influence. The results of such tests, if the tests were properly
administered, are to be considered in conjunction with all of the other evidence.
In 2010, the Legislature reinserted language into West Virginia Code § 17C­
5A-2(f) requiring the OAH to make a finding that the arrest for DUI was lawful. Dale v.
Ciccone, 233 W.Va. 652, 658-59, 760 S.E.2d 466, 472-73 (2014). To be lawful, an arrest
must be supported by probable cause. Ciccone, 233 W.Va. at 661, 760 S.E.2d at 475; State
v. Runner, 172 W.Va. 720, 723, 310 S.E.2d 481, 484 (1983) (Reiterating that “a warrantless
arrest . . . must be supported by probable cause to be valid”). On multiple occasions, this
Court has explained that
“‘“[p]robable cause to make an arrest without a warrant exists when the
facts and circumstances within the knowledge of the arresting officers are
sufficient to warrant a prudent man in believing that an offense has been
14
committed.” Point 1 Syllabus, State v. Plantz, [155] W.Va. [24] [180 S.E.2d
614].’ Syllabus Point 3, State v. Duvernoy, 156 W.Va. 578, 195 S.E.2d 631
(1973).” Syl. Pt. 7, State v. Craft, 165 W.Va. 741, 272 S.E.2d 46 (1980).
Syl. Pt. 2, State v. Rahman, 199 W.Va. 144, 483 S.E.2d 273 (1996); accord Syl. Pt. 1, State
v. Drake, 170 W.Va. 169, 291 S.E.2d 484 (1982). The United States Supreme Court has
phrased the test as follows:
This Court repeatedly has explained that “probable
cause” to justify an arrest means facts and circumstances within
the officer’s knowledge that are sufficient to warrant a prudent
person, or one of reasonable caution, in believing, in the
circumstances shown, that the suspect has committed, is
committing, or is about to commit an offense.
Michigan v. DeFillippo, 443 U.S. 31, 37 (1979) (citations omitted).
It is important to remember that a law enforcement officer may have evidence
sufficient to establish probable cause for an arrest, even if that evidence is less than what
would be needed to ultimately convict at a criminal trial. “It is basic that an arrest with or
without a warrant must stand upon firmer ground than mere suspicion . . . though the
arresting officer need not have in hand evidence which would suffice to convict.” Wong Sun
v. United States, 371 U.S. 471, 479 (1963) (internal citation omitted). The United States
Supreme Court has “made clear that the kinds and degree of proof and the procedural
requirements necessary for a conviction are not prerequisites to a valid arrest.” DeFillippo,
443 U.S. at 36 (citations omitted). “[I]t is clear that only the probability, and not a prima
facie showing, of criminal activity is the standard of probable cause.” Illinois v. Gates, 462
15
U.S. 213, 235 (1983) (citation and internal quotation marks omitted); accord Maryland v.
Pringle, 540 U.S. 366, 371 (2003).
Indeed, “the probable-cause standard does not require that the officer’s belief
be more likely true than false.” United States v. Humphries, 372 F.3d 653, 660 (4th Cir.
2004) (citation omitted) (reversing district court’s misapprehension that probable cause
meant “more likely than not, [more than] 50/50”). “The probable-cause standard is incapable
of precise definition or quantification into percentages because it deals with probabilities and
depends on the totality of the circumstances.” Pringle, 540 U.S. at 371 (citations omitted).
Probable cause is a “practical, nontechnical conception that deals with the factual and
practical considerations of everyday life on which reasonable and prudent men, not legal
technicians, act.” Id., 540 U.S. at 370 (citations and internal question marks omitted).
Returning to the case before us, we find that there was probable cause for
Deputy Delgado to arrest Mr. Hill for DUI.15 A prudent person would believe, under the
circumstances presented here, that a DUI offense was committed. The evidence that Mr. Hill
passed the walk and turn and one leg stand field sobriety tests, even while constantly talking,
15
The OAH found, and Mr. Hill concedes, that Officer Delgado had reasonable
suspicion to initiate the traffic stop. The disputed issue in this case is whether, after the
traffic stop, there was probable cause for the arrest.
16
is evidence in his favor.16 Contrasted with those assessments, however, is the evidence of
Mr. Hill’s driving. The deputy testified that Mr. Hill almost caused a head-on collision
requiring the officer to take quick evasive action. Even though Mr. Hill’s lawyer tried to
challenge the deputy’s description of the avoided collision, during his own testimony Mr.
Hill conceded that he had been driving more toward the center of the roadway, that he had
to swerve to avoid hitting the police car, and that he immediately knew the officer was going
to pull him over because of his driving. This evidence of erratic driving does not go just to
the issue of whether the traffic stop was justified; it is also evidence that Mr. Hill was driving
while under the influence. Moreover, Mr. Hill had the odor of alcohol on his breath, had
bloodshot and glassy eyes, exhibited some unsteadiness while standing, had a slight slur
when speaking, and talked in a continuous and excited manner. He admitted to the deputy
that he drank beer before he drove the car, but he believed he was in a better condition to
drive than were his friends. This was sufficient to establish probable cause to arrest Mr. Hill
for DUI. When finding otherwise, the OAH and the circuit court imposed a level of proof
that exceeds what is required to establish probable cause.
16
Because the HGN and PBT results were disregarded due to concerns about the
officer’s administration of those tests, the HGN and PBT neither favor nor disfavor a finding
of DUI.
17
C. Secondary Chemical Breath Test and Revocation
After concluding that there was probable cause to arrest, we turn to the issue
of whether the license revocation was proper. “The principal question at the [administrative
license revocation] hearing shall be whether the person did drive a motor vehicle while under
the influence of alcohol . . . or did drive a motor vehicle while having an alcohol
concentration in the person’s blood of eight hundredths of one percent or more, by weight[.]”
W.Va. Code § 17C-5A-2(e). We have held that
[w]here there is evidence reflecting that a driver was operating a motor
vehicle upon a public street or highway, exhibited symptoms of intoxication,
and had consumed alcoholic beverages, this is sufficient proof under a
preponderance of the evidence standard to warrant the administrative
revocation of his driver’s license for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Syl. Pt. 2, Albrecht v. State, 173 W.Va. 268, 314 S.E.2d 859 (1984).
In addition to the evidence that provided probable cause to arrest Mr. Hill for
DUI, Mr. Hill registered a .108 BAC on the secondary chemical breath test. Pursuant to
West Virginia Code § 17C-5-8(a)(3) (2004), a chemical test result of .08 or more within two
hours of arrest is prima facie evidence that the person was under the influence of alcohol.17
17
The 2004 version of West Virginia Code § 17C-5-8 applies to this case. When the
statute was amended in 2013, this presumption was redesignated as § 17C-5-8(b)(3).
18
The OAH’s order did not mention Mr. Hill’s secondary chemical breath test,
undoubtedly because the OAH found that the arrest was unlawful and the secondary test was
administered after the arrest. See W.Va. Code § 17C-5-4(c) (2010) (stating that secondary
test of breath is incidental to lawful arrest). Despite the OAH’s silence on the issue, the
circuit court considered the secondary chemical breath test and concluded that the result
should be excluded from evidence. However, the circuit court’s conclusions regarding the
secondary test were based upon the court’s mistaken interpretation of a legislative rule. As
set forth above, we apply a de novo standard of review to questions of law. Muscatell, 196
W.Va. at 590, 474 S.E.2d at 520, syl. pt. 1.
To be admissible into evidence and give rise to a presumption of DUI, a
secondary chemical test must be performed in accordance with methods and standards
approved by the Bureau for Public Health. W.Va. Code § 17C-5-8(c) (2004); Syl. Pt. 4, State
v. Dyer, 160 W.Va. 166, 233 S.E.2d 309 (1977).18 To that end, the Bureau promulgated a
legislative rule requiring a twenty-minute observation period prior to the administration of
a secondary breath test:
18
The 2004 version of this statute was in effect at the time of Mr. Hill’s arrest. When
the statute was later amended, the requirement for performing a secondary chemical test in
accordance with approved methods and standards was redesignated as West Virginia Code
§ 17C-5-8(e)(1) (2013). When State v. Dyer was decided, this requirement was codified in
West Virginia Code § 17C-5A-5.
19
The law enforcement officer shall keep the person being
tested under constant observation for a period of twenty minutes
before the [secondary breath] test is administered to insure that
the person has nothing in his or her mouth at the time of the test
and that he or she has had no food or drink or foreign matter in
his or her mouth during the observation period.
W.Va. C.S.R. § 64-10-7.2(a) (2005). When discussing the requirements of this rule, the
circuit court made two errors.
First, the circuit court found that “[t]he most reliable evidence of the start of
the observation period is generally the time of execution of the West Virginia Implied
Consent warning.” The circuit court went on to note that Mr. Hill executed the implied
consent form at 3:54 a.m., while the printer ticket from the secondary breath test device
indicated that Mr. Hill’s breath sample was obtained at 4:11 a.m., a total of seventeen
minutes later. The circuit court found that this “clearly indicates the arresting officer did not
observe Hill for the full twenty minutes required under the aforementioned rule.”
The circuit court’s rationale is simply not supported by the plain language of
C.S.R. § 64-10-7.2(a). Beginning the observation period from the time when the implied
consent form is signed would be a convenient way to ensure that the twenty-minute period
is observed. However, the rule does not mandate that obtaining a signature on a form be the
starting point for the observation. The rule only requires that the twenty-minute observation
period occur before the administration of the test. In the case sub judice, so long as Deputy
20
Delgado constantly observed that Mr. Hill had no food, drink, or foreign matter in his mouth
in the twenty minutes immediately preceding the administration of the secondary breath
test–which would include the three minutes before the implied consent form was signed–then
the deputy fully complied with the pre-test observation requirement.
The evidence in the record shows that Deputy Delgado did have Mr. Hill under
constant observation for twenty minutes prior to administering the secondary breath test.
Deputy Delgado affirmatively testified that he ensured that Mr. Hill had nothing in his mouth
for a period “well longer” than twenty minutes prior to the test, and that Mr. Hill was in his
presence and view for the entire twenty-minute period. The officer added that the only time
Mr. Hill was allowed to leave his sight was after the test was completed, when Mr. Hill was
allowed to use the restroom. This evidence was unrefuted at the hearing.19
Second, the circuit court misapplied the requirement in C.S.R. § 64-10-7.2(a)
that the observation be “constant.” The circuit court found that Deputy Delgado’s
observation was not “constant” because the deputy readied and entered data into the
secondary breath testing device during the twenty-minute observation period. The circuit
court based this finding upon the device’s printer ticket that showed a test sequence occurring
19
Mr. Hill did not testify about the length of time that he was observed prior to taking
the secondary chemical test. As to whether he had anything in his mouth, Mr. Hill testified
only that he spit out some chewing gum before taking the PBT during the traffic stop.
21
at 4:08 a.m., which was three minutes before Mr. Hill blew into the machine. Even though
it was uncontested that Mr. Hill was in the deputy’s presence the entire time, the circuit court
found that it would be “impossible” for the deputy to have “constantly” observed Mr. Hill
while performing tasks on the machine.
With this ruling, the circuit court has interpreted the legislative rule to require
that a law enforcement officer may never divert his or her eyes from the person to be tested,
even when the person is in close proximity to the officer. We disagree. The regulation does
not limit the period of constant observation to “constant visual observation,” and a law
enforcement officer can ensure that a person has nothing in his or her mouth without fixedly
staring at the person for the entire twenty-minute period. In addition to visually observing,
an officer who is in close proximity may rely on his other senses, including hearing and
smell, to maintain a constant observation of the test subject.
Other jurisdictions with regulations similar to our rule are in agreement. For
example, in State v. Smith, 547 A.2d 69 (Conn. App. Ct. 1988), the Connecticut Appellate
Court considered a regulation requiring a DUI suspect to be under “continuous observation”
for fifteen minutes prior to the administration of the breath test. The court held that this
regulation must be interpreted with reference to its stated purpose of ensuring that the person
being tested had not ingested food or beverages, regurgitated, or smoked. Id., 547 A.2d at
22
73. The court determined that an officer could ensure that those activities did not occur
without “fix[ing] his unswerving gaze upon a subject” during the observation period, and a
contrary interpretation “would not only be practically impossible to perform but would allow
a subject to thwart compliance with the regulation simply by turning his head away from the
observing officer.” Id.
In State v. Remsburg, 882 P.2d 993 (Idaho Ct. App. 1994), the Idaho Court of
Appeals considered a criminal DUI defendant’s claim that she was not “closely observed”
during the secondary breath test’s observation period because the officer’s attention was
briefly diverted while programming the testing machine, waiting for the machine to warm
up, and reading the advisory form to the suspect. As a matter of law, the court rejected the
argument that continuous, direct, visual observation was required for the entire observation
period. Id., 882 P.2d at 995-996.
Likewise, the Illinois Court of Appeals ruled that a DUI suspect was under the
required period of “continuous observation” even though, during the six minutes immediately
preceding the administration of the secondary breath test, the officer focused his attention on
resetting the testing machine. In re Ramos, 508 N.E.2d 484, 485-86 (Ill. App. Ct. 1987).
The evidence showed that the officer never left the suspect, who was within the officer’s
peripheral vision; that there was no water fountain or food in the area; and that the officer
23
did not smell smoke or see vomit. Id. The court affirmed the revocation of the driver’s
license.20
We do not overlook the possibility that the period of constant observation, once
begun, could be disrupted by the acts or omissions of a law enforcement officer. As another
court sagely noted, “[a]n officer’s observation should be of the sort capable of detecting
contamination if it actually occurred. Thus, an officer who looks away must be close enough
to detect contamination through aural or olfactory senses.” State v. Filson, 976 A.2d 460,
469 (N.J. Super. 2009).
Accordingly, we now hold that the requirement in West Virginia C.S.R. § 64­
10-7.2(a) (2005) that a law enforcement officer shall keep the person being tested under
constant observation for a period of twenty minutes before administering a secondary
20
See also Glasmann v. State, Dept. of Revenue, 719 P.2d 1096, 1097 (Colo. App.
1986) (finding that regulation requiring “close and continuous observation” does not require
officer to stare fixedly at test subject, rather, compliance is question of fact); Webb-
Buckingham v. Delaware, No. 0612020853 PLA., 2009 WL 147020 (Del. Super. Ct. 2009)
(finding DUI suspect was under “continuous” and “uninterrupted” observation while officer
completed paperwork nearby); People v. Chairavalle, No. 4-14-0445, 2014 WL 7215765 (Ill.
App. Ct. Dec. 19, 2014) (finding that observation may be accomplished by using senses in
addition to sight); State v. Scheffert, 778 N.W.2d 733, 741 (Neb. 2010) (finding that
observation does not require officer to stare fixedly at person being tested); State v. Filson,
976 A.2d 460 (N.J. Super. 2009) (recognizing that purpose of observation period may be
satisfied through officer’s visual, aural, or olfactory senses); Peterson v. Wyoming Dept. of
Transp., 158 P.3d 706 (Wyo. 2007) (finding DUI suspect was under observation while
officer readied Intoximeter machine).
24
chemical breath test does not require uninterrupted visual monitoring. The observation may
be accomplished by the officer’s use of his or her visual, auditory, and olfactory senses. The
manner in which the officer conducts the observation period must serve the purpose of
ensuring that the person being tested has nothing in his or her mouth at the time of the test
and has had no food, drink, or foreign matter in his or her mouth during the observation
period. If the officer diverts his eyes from the person being observed, the officer must be in
close enough proximity to be able to constantly detect with his other senses whether the
person has food, drink, or foreign matter in his or her mouth.21
In this case, Deputy Delgado testified that Mr. Hill was in his presence and
view during the entire twenty-minute observation period, and that he ensured Mr. Hill had
nothing in his mouth during that period. There is no evidence in the record to contradict this
testimony or otherwise indicate that the secondary breath test result was compromised. For
example, there was no evidence that the deputy left the immediate area where Mr. Hill was
being held, no evidence that the deputy was distracted by other people, and no evidence of
food or drink that Mr. Hill could have covertly ingested when the deputy’s eyes were
21
If the law enforcement officer is unable to personally maintain the entire twenty-
minute period of constant observation, another officer may provide assistance. In
McCormick, 231 W.Va. at 634, 749 S.E.2d at 233, we ruled that the twenty-minute
observation period was satisfied when the arresting state trooper left the room but another
trooper remained to observe the suspect. “The regulation does not require the observation
period be made by the person who administers the Intoximeter test.” Id.
25
momentarily diverted. There is nothing in the record to indicate that performing tasks at the
testing device interrupted Deputy Delgado’s ability to constantly observe Mr. Hill.
Consequently, we find that the circuit court erred when excluding from evidence Mr. Hill’s
secondary chemical breath test result.
The preponderance of the evidence in this case, including the events leading
up to the arrest and the result of the secondary chemical breath test, prove that Mr. Hill was
DUI on October 24, 2010. Accordingly, we conclude that the circuit court erred in affirming
the OAH’s order that overturned the Commissioner’s revocation order.
IV. Conclusion
For the reasons set forth herein, we reverse the circuit court’s December 30,
2013, order. This case is remanded to the circuit court for reinstatement of the
Commissioner’s order administratively revoking Mr. Hill’s driver’s license.
Reversed and Remanded with Directions.
26