Birchfield v. North Dakota, USSC No. 14-1468, 2016 WL 3434398 (June 23, 2016), reversing State v. Birchfield, 858 N.W.2d 302 (N.D. 2015); vacating and remanding State v. Beylund, 861 N.W.2d 172 (N.D. 2015); and affirming State v. Bernard, 844 N.W.2d 41 (Minn. 2014); Scotusblog pages: Birchfield, Beylund, Bernard (include links to briefs and commentary) Three years ago, in Missouri v… Read more
c. Implied Consent
State v. Gary F. Lemberger, 2015AP1452-CR, 4/14/2016, District 4 (one-judge decision; ineligible for publication), petition for review granted 10/11/2016, affirmed, 2017 WI 39; case activity (including briefs) A breathalyzer test is a Fourth Amendment search, and state case law holds that the state may not invite a jury to view a defendant’s refusal to consent to a search… Read more
The Court granted certiorari and consolidated three cases presenting identical questions in different factual permutations: Question presented (Birchfield v. North Dakota); (Beylund v. Levi); (Bernard v. Minnesota): Whether, in the absence of a warrant, a State may make it a crime for a person to refuse to take a chemical test to detect the presence of… Read more
State v. Victor J. Godard, 2014AP396-CR, District 4, 8/28/14 (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity The arresting officer provided Godard with accurate information about the implied consent law and thus did not cause Godard to refuse to submit to the implied consent blood test or deny him his right to a second test. Applying the three-part test for the… Read more
State v. Lawrence A. Levasseur, Jr., 2013AP2369-CR, District 4, 2/6/14; court of appeals decision (1-judge; ineligible for publication); case activity The arresting officer used an implied consent form that pre-dated the 2009 amendments to § 343.305, so it omitted language about accidents involving death or serious injury–language that did not apply to Levasseur’s situation. The use… Read more
Town of Mukwonago v. John J. Uttke, 2011AP2021, District 2, 1/18/12 court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Uttke: Michael C. Witt; case activity Uttke’s driver’s license was revoked for refusal to submit to a blood test upon OWI arrest, and he requested a “refusal hearing,” unsuccessfully challenging the existence of probable cause… Read more
State v. Luke T. Nirmaier, 2011AP1355-CR, District 3, 12/28/11 court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Nirmaier: Michael M. Rajek; case activity The odor of alcohol on Nirmaier following a traffic accident resulting in substantial bodily injury triggered the implied consent law, notwithstanding absence of probable cause to arrest at that point: ¶9 Wisconsin Stat. § 343.305(3)… Read more
City of Sun Prairie v. Michael H. Smith, 2010AP2607, District 4, 5/26/11 court of appeals decision (1-judge, not for publication); for Smith: Tracey A. Wood; case activity ¶9 Wisconsin Stat. § 343.305(5)(a) imposes the following obligations on law enforcement: “(1) to provide a primary test at no charge to the suspect; (2) to use reasonable diligence in offering and… Read more
