Petition for Writ of
Certiorari to Review Quasi-Judicial Action, Department of Highway Safety and
Motor Vehicles: DRIVER’S LICENSES – fellow officer rule – conflicting
evidence - specific findings of fact – fellow officer rule allowed arresting
deputy to rely on representations of officer that conducted traffic stop – hearing
officer was charged with resolving conflicting evidence as to time of arrest
and when breath test was administered – hearing officer is not required to make
specific findings in addressing issues raised during the formal review hearing
- Petition denied. Emley v. Dept. of Highway Safety and Motor
Vehicles, No. 06-0091AP-88B (
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE SIXTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT
IN AND
APPELLATE DIVISION
DEAN ROYCE EMLEY,
Petitioner,
vs. Appeal No. 06-0019AP-88B
UCN522006AP000019XXXXCV
STATE OF
HIGHWAY SAFETY AND MOTOR VEHICLES,
DIVISION OF DRIVER LICENSES,
Respondent.
____________________________________________/
THIS CAUSE came before
the Court on the Petition for Writ of Certiorari and the Response.[1] Upon consideration
of the same, the record and being otherwise fully advised, the Court finds that
the Petition must be denied as set forth below.
The
Petitioner, Dean Royce Emley (Emley), seeks review of the Final Order of
License Suspension, entered February 9, 2006, in which the Respondent,
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (Department), suspended Emley’s
driving privilege for a period of one year for driving under the
influence. In reviewing the Final Order
and the administrative action taken by the Department, this Court must
determine whether Emley was afforded procedural due process, whether the
essential requirements of law were observed, and whether the Department’s
findings and judgment are supported by competent substantial evidence. See Vichich v. Department of
Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 799 So.2d 1069, 1073 (
After a formal review hearing, the hearing
officer made the following findings of fact, which neither party disputes:
On November 24, 2005, at approximately 12:58 a.m., Deputy Langlais of the
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office responded to a traffic stop conducted by
Sergeant Page. Sergeant Page stated that
he observed a vehicle driven by Dean R. Emley having difficulty maintaining a
single lane. Sergeant Page stated that
he observed the vehicle leave the lane of travel on several occasions to the
right, and the driver would correct by jerking the vehicle back into the lane. Based on his experience, Sergeant Page
believed the driver might be possibly impaired, and he initiated a traffic
stop. As he spoke with Mr. Emley,
Sergeant Page detected clues of impairment, and Mr. Emley admitted that he had
been drinking. Sergeant Page requested a
DUI traffic unit to respond.
When he met Mr. Emley, Deputy Langlais noticed a distinct odor of an
alcoholic beverage on his breath, his eyes were bloodshot, he was unsteady on
his feet, and he swayed as he stood.
Deputy Langlais asked Mr. Emley if he would perform some Field Sobriety
Exercises and he agreed. His performance
on the Field Sobriety Exercises indicated further clues of impairment and he
was arrested for DUI. Mr. Emley was
asked to take a lawful breath test and he agreed. His results were .174g/210L and
.183g/210L. Mr. Emley’s driving
privilege was suspended for driving with an unlawful alcohol level.
At the conclusion of the formal review hearing, the hearing officer
sustained Emley’s
license suspension
for a period of one year for DUI.
On appeal, Emley argues that the hearing officer erred in not invalidating his license suspension as Emley was not under lawful arrest at the time the breath test was administered and that there was no admissible proof that Emley was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle. Emley also argues that the hearing officer departed from the essential requirements of law in failing to make specific findings of fact in regard to the motions raised by Emley during the formal review hearing.
First, the Court finds that the record supports the hearing officer’s finding that Emley was in actual physical control of the vehicle. The “fellow officer rule” allowed Deputy Langlais to rely on the representations of Sergeant Page, who had firsthand knowledge of the events, to develop probable cause to make a lawful arrest of Emley for DUI. See State, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles v. Porter, 791 So.2d 32 (Fla. 2d DCA 2001)(holding that under the fellow officer rule, one law enforcement officer may develop probable cause to arrest based in part on facts know to another officer); State, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles v. Shonyo, 659 So.2d 352, 353 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995)(explaining that the fellow officer’s rule allows the arresting officer to assume probable cause to arrest the suspect exists when he or she relies upon representations of the officer who had firsthand knowledge of the events). While there is not a Law Enforcement Oath form in the record from Sergeant Page, there is an Affidavit by Deputy Langlais swearing that the attached documents, including Sergeant Page’s Supplemental Report setting forth the basis for the traffic stop, are true and correct. The hearing officer could make a determination that Emley was lawfully arrested for DUI based on these documents which were generated at the time of his arrest. See Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles v. Satter, 643 So.2d 692, 695 (Fla. 5th DCA 1994).
Second, assuming Emley is correct in his assertion that the traffic citation shows an arrest time of 2:26 a.m. (the traffic citation is illegible), several minutes after the breath samples were taken at 2:14 a.m. and 2:18 a.m., the arrest report gives an arrest time of 1:32 a.m. and states that Deputy Langlais transported Emley to breath testing facility after his arrest. The hearing officer, as the trier of fact, was in the best position to evaluate the conflicting evidence and the Court cannot substitute its judgment for that of the hearing officer. See id.
In addressing the last issue, the Court finds that Emley failed to cite to any statutory or case law in support of his argument that the hearing officer is required to make specific findings in addressing issues raised during the formal review hearing.
Therefore, it is,
ORDERED
AND ADJUDGED that the Petition for Writ of
Certiorari is denied.
DONE
AND ORDERED in Chambers, at
______________________________
DAVID
A. DEMERS
Circuit Judge, Appellate Division
_____________________________ _____________________________
PETER
RAMSBERGER ANTHONY
RONDOLINO
Circuit Judge, Appellate Division Circuit Judge, Appellate Division
Copies furnished to:
Frank W. McDermott, Esquire
St.
Pete
Heather Rose Cramer, Assistant General Counsel
Dept. of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles
Bureau of Administrative Reviews
[1] The Court is dismayed that the Response filed by the Department focused on whether the DUI was invalid due to the officer’s failure to read the implied consent warning, an issue not raised by the Petitioner.