People v. Cruz
People v. Cruz
Opinion of the Court
*766Defendant Manuel Miramontes Cruz, Jr., was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol within 10 years of a prior felony DUI conviction ( Veh. Code, § 23550.5, subd. (a) ; count 1), driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more within 10 years of a prior felony DUI conviction ( id ., § 23550.5, subd. (a) ; count 2), driving with a suspended license (id ., § 14601.2, subd. (a); count 3), and resisting arrest ( Pen. Code, § 148, subd. (a)(1) ; count 4).
*767In the published portion of this opinion, we hold that, in light of the conditions of probation to which defendant was subject when arrested, a warrantless seizure of a blood sample against defendant's wishes did not violate the Fourth Amendment. In the unpublished portion, we conclude defendant failed to establish good cause to withdraw his plea. Accordingly, we affirm.
FACTS
At 10:50 p.m. on May 2, 2016, Officer Opinski of the Merced Police Department was traveling northbound on M Street in Merced, when he saw a vehicle heading southbound on M Street at a high rate of speed. At a curve in the roadway, the car, which was driven by defendant, crossed partially into the opposing lane, then corrected itself. Defendant turned eastbound on East 22nd Street, and Opinski followed. After making a U-turn, defendant ran a stop sign and made two more turns, nearly hitting a pedestrian.
Opinski activated his emergency lights. Defendant's vehicle yielded and collided with the curb on West 25th Street. Defendant then got out of the vehicle and ran, falling several times. Opinski caught up *466and arrested him. When he did, he smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from defendant's breath and person. When Opinski asked if defendant was willing to submit to a field sobriety test, defendant said "No." His response to every question Opinski asked was "I want my lawyer." Opinski then read defendant the "Admin Per Se Form," regarding the consequences of failing to submit to a breath or blood test. Again, defendant responded to all questions by saying he wanted his lawyer.
Based on defendant's driving, inability to keep his balance while Opinski was chasing him, and the odor of alcohol, Opinski opined defendant was under the influence and too impaired to operate a motor vehicle safely. In addition, his driver's license was suspended.
Once defendant refused to take a breath or blood test, Opinski transported him to the police station so Opinski could author a search warrant for defendant's blood. Upon receiving paperwork and information from dispatch that defendant was on DUI probation and required to submit to a breath or blood test, Opinski abandoned the warrant and instead transported defendant to the hospital for a blood draw. At the hospital, defendant expressly stated he *768was not consenting to a blood draw. Nevertheless, the phlebotomist drew defendant's blood at 11:57 p.m.
DISCUSSION
I
MOTIONS TO SUPPRESS EVIDENCE
A. Background
Prior to the preliminary hearing, defendant moved to suppress all evidence obtained as a result of the blood draw, on the ground the warrantless invasion of his bodily integrity, undertaken without his consent, violated the Fourth Amendment. The magistrate ruled the terms and conditions of defendant's felony probation justified the nonconsensual blood draw, and so denied the motion.
Following the filing of the information, defendant renewed his motion. At the September 6, 2016 hearing (at which no evidence was presented), defendant argued probation was something to which a person consented, consent could be withdrawn at any time, and the withdrawal of consent would then only constitute a violation of probation. The court rejected this position, reasoning that to put the probationer in control of when he or she wanted to be subject to probation terms would defeat the whole purpose of probation. Accordingly, the motion was denied.
Defendant now reiterates his argument, claiming the forced blood draw violated his Fourth Amendment rights because he did not consent to it and the consequence of his refusal should have been prosecution for a probation violation. He also claims he never consented to a forced blood draw as a condition of probation. The Attorney General contends the suppression motion was properly denied, because defendant expressly consented to chemical tests and a Fourth Amendment waiver as a condition of probation. We agree.
B. Analysis
Invasions of the body, including nonconsensual extractions of blood, "are searches entitled to the protections of the Fourth Amendment. [Citation.]" ( *467*769People v. Robinson (2010)
Where, as here, a motion to suppress evidence is submitted to the superior court on the preliminary hearing transcript (see § 1538.5, subd. (i) ), " 'the appellate court disregards the findings of the superior court and reviews the determination of the magistrate who ruled on the motion to suppress, drawing all presumptions in favor of the factual determinations of the magistrate, upholding the magistrate's express or implied findings if they are supported by substantial evidence, and measuring the facts as found by the trier against the constitutional standard of reasonableness.' [Citation.]" ( People v. Hua (2008)
"It is well settled under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments that a search conducted without a warrant issued upon probable cause is 'per se unreasonable ... subject only to a few specifically established and well-delineated exceptions.' [Citations.] It is equally well settled that one of the specifically established exceptions to the requirements of both a warrant and probable cause is a search that is conducted pursuant to consent. [Citations.]" ( Schneckloth v. Bustamonte (1973)
"In California, a person may validly consent in advance to warrantless searches and seizures in exchange for the opportunity to avoid serving a state prison term. [Citations.] Warrantless searches are justified in the probation context because *468they aid in deterring further offenses by the probationer and in monitoring compliance with the terms of probation. [Citations.] By allowing close supervision of probationers, probation search conditions serve to promote rehabilitation and reduce recidivism while helping to protect the community from potential harm by probationers. [Citation.]" ( People v. Robles (2000)
"Inherent in the very nature of probation is that probationers 'do not enjoy "the absolute liberty to which every citizen is entitled." ' [Citations.]" ( United States v. Knights , supra , 534 U.S. at p. 119,
At the time of his arrest in the present case, defendant was on formal felony probation as a result of a violation of Vehicle Code section 23550, subdivision (a) in a prior matter.
"11 Submit your person, vehicle, place of residence or any other belongings to search and seizure, without a warrant, any time day or night, by any Probation Officer and/or Peace Officer, with or without probable cause. [¶] ... [¶]
"34 If arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in violation of Section 23152 or 23153 of the Vehicle Code, shall not refuse to submit to a chemical *469test of your blood , breath or urine." (Italics added.)
In our view, the only reasonable interpretation of these conditions is that defendant had no right to refuse a blood draw in the present case. When he did refuse, Opinski was legally justified in having blood drawn anyway, so long as the procedure was performed in a reasonable manner.
The federal authorities discussed by defendant at length in his briefs do not assist him. In Schmerber , the United States Supreme Court upheld a warrantless blood test of an individual arrested for DUI because the officer "might reasonably have believed that he was confronted with an emergency, in which the delay necessary to obtain a warrant, under the circumstances, threatened 'the destruction of evidence.' " ( Schmerber , supra , 384 U.S. at p. 770,
Defendant's citation to People v. Mason (2016)
The California Supreme Court has not yet determined whether a general probation search condition authorizes a warrantless, nonconsensual blood draw. (See *470People v. Simon (2016)
Defendant argues, however, that he was never told his refusal to submit to a blood draw would result in a warrantless, forcible blood extraction. Accordingly, he says, he never agreed to undergo a forced blood draw; hence, Opinski's only option was to arrest defendant for violating his probation and have him prosecuted for that violation.
*773We reject this claim. In People v. Mason (1971)
The state high court concluded that when the defendant, in order to obtain probation, specifically agreed to permit a warrantless search of his person, car, and house, he voluntarily waived whatever claim of privacy he might otherwise have had. ( Mason , supra , 5 Cal.3d at p. 766,
Defendant contends Mason is not pertinent authority because it concerns a home search, not a forced blood draw. Insofar as defendant claims Opinski was required to accept defendant's refusal of chemical testing and arrest him for a violation of probation, this is a distinction without a difference. Nor is it relevant to the validity of the search that defendant could have been prosecuted for DUI without the blood draw.
Defendant further contends Mason is an old case, and the United States and California Supreme Courts "have made many new decisions regarding privacy in the probation, consent and blood draw context." Defendant points *774to McNeely , Birchfield , and Schmitz . In our view, these opinions do not detract from Mason , as they are not concerned with searches undertaken pursuant to probation conditions. As we previously observed, McNeely addressed the exigent circumstances exception to the warrant requirement. ( McNeely , supra , 569 U.S. at p. 145,
Birchfield also held that even assuming a warrantless blood sample can be taken pursuant to an implied consent law, a state cannot impose criminal penalties on the refusal to submit to such a test. ( Birchfield , supra , 579 U.S. at p. ----, 136 S.Ct. at p. 2185.) However, laws that imply consent as a condition of the driving privilege are manifestly different, in terms of what constitutes a reasonable search and seizure under the Fourth Amendment, than express consent given by means of probation conditions. We conclude it would be illogical - and would defeat the purpose of probation conditions - to extend Birchfield 's reasoning so as to hold a defendant could withdraw consent to a probation condition, a violation of a search condition of probation could not result in a new criminal charge, or that the results of the search could not be used as evidence in prosecuting that charge.
II
DISPOSITION
The judgment is affirmed.
WE CONCUR:
POOCHIGIAN, Acting P.J.
PEÑA, J.
Further statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise stated.
Included in the agreement was the termination of probation, and imposition of a consecutive eight-month term, in another case. That case is not before us.
The facts are taken from the joint preliminary hearing and hearing on the initial motion to suppress evidence. We review the evidence in a light favorable to the lower court's ruling. (In re William V. (2003)
An audio-video recording of the blood draw obtained from Opinski's body camera was admitted into evidence and played for the magistrate.
Defendant was placed on probation on June 12, 2013.
Defendant raises no issue concerning the manner in which his blood was taken, except to assert he was "in constant pain" and did not consent. We have reviewed the audio and video recording from Opinski's body camera. Although defendant claimed to feel pain during the procedure, the video shows a forcible blood draw only in the sense that it was over defendant's objection and not in the sense that he was physically overpowered.
Review is currently pending before the state high court on the question whether law enforcement violated the Fourth Amendment by taking a warrantless blood sample from an unconscious defendant, or whether the search and seizure was valid because the defendant expressly consented to chemical testing when he applied for a driver's license or because he was deemed to have given his consent under the implied consent law. (People v. Arredondo (2016)
See footnote *, ante .
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.