State v. Marshall, Unpublished Decision (1-16-2001)
State v. Marshall, Unpublished Decision (1-16-2001)
Opinion of the Court
OPINION
Appellant Leeann Marshall appeals a judgment of the Canton Municipal Court convicting her of DUI (R.C.THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO SUPPRESS. THE PROSECUTION FAILED TO MEET ITS BURDEN AS THE EVIDENCE ESTABLISHED THE ARREST OF DEFENDANT WAS WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE IN THAT PROBABLE CAUSE DID NOT EXIST FOR THE ARREST OF THE DEFENDANT FOR THE CHARGE OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL, A VIOLATION OF R.C.4511.19 .
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO SUPPRESS IN THAT THE COURT SHOULD HAVE FOUND THE DEFENDANT'S ARREST WAS WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE, UNLAWFUL, AND ORDERED ALL EVIDENCE AND STATEMENTS OF THE DEFENDANT, SUBSEQUENT TO HER ARREST TO BE QUASHED AND OTHERWISE SUPPRESSED.
THE TRIAL COURT ERRED IN OVERRULING DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO SUPPRESS IN THAT ALL STATEMENTS OF DEFENDANT SUBSEQUENT TO HER ARREST WERE MADE DURING A CUSTODIAL INTERROGATION AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUPPRESSED DUE TO THE LACK OF THE APPROPRIATE MIRANDA WARNING.
At 2:49 a.m. on March 31, 2000, Lieutenant Joseph Nist of the North Canton Police Department was seated in his vehicle in the parking lot of Friendly's Ice Cream on Main Street in the City of North Canton. As the vehicle driven by appellant approached the officer's location, his radar recorded a speed of 54 m.p.h. in a posted 35 m.p.h. zone. Lieutenant Nist activated his overhead lights and began pursuit. He observed appellant's vehicle travel left of center at the 800 block of North Main Street. Lieutenant Nist then activated his siren. Appellant turned onto Charlotte, and was observed traveling left of center for approximately one block. After pursuing appellant for eight blocks in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the vehicle, the officer flashed his spot light in the rear of appellant's vehicle, which finally caused her to stop. After approaching the vehicle, Lieutenant Nist explained that he stopped appellant due to her excessive speed, and driving over the yellow line twice. Appellant repeatedly stated that she was lost. She stated that she was coming from a party or a club in Akron. Lieutenant Nist had a sinus infection, and was having difficulty with his sense of smell. He thought he detected the odor of alcohol, but was not sure, so he called another officer to the scene. At this point, he took appellant's keys from her vehicle, and told her she was under arrest. Officer Robert Dovicik arrived at the scene and administered field sobriety tests. Officer Dovicik immediately detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from appellant's vehicle. Appellant exhibited six out of six identifiable clues on the horizontal gaze nystagmus test. She was unable to successfully complete the one-legged stand test, and the heel-to-toe test. Appellant further admitted to having consumed four to five alcoholic beverages. Appellant was taken to the North Canton Police Department, where she consented to a urine test. The test revealed her alcohol level to be .30. Appellant was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol, speeding, and driving left of center. She moved to suppress her statements and the urine test on the basis that officer Nist did not have probable cause to arrest her at the time he removed her keys from the vehicle. Following a suppression hearing, the court overruled the motion to suppress. Appellant pled no contest and was convicted of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. She was fined $550, and sentenced to 180 days incarceration. She was also found guilty of speeding and left of center upon a plea of no contest. She was ordered to pay costs on these two charges.
The judgment of the Canton Municipal Court overruling appellant's motion to suppress the results of the urine test and all evidence resulting from her arrest is reversed. Pursuant to App.R. 12 (B), we hereby enter final judgment suppressing all evidence retrieved by the State following the arrest of appellant. The conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol is vacated.
The convictions and order to pay costs on the charges of speeding and driving left of center are affirmed.
Gwin, P.J., Hoffman, J., and Wise, J., concur
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.