COURT OF APPEALS DECISION DATED AND FILED September 28, 2010 A.
John Voelker Acting Clerk of Court of Appeals |
|
NOTICE |
|
|
This opinion is subject to further editing. If published, the official version will appear in the bound volume of the Official Reports. A party may file with the Supreme Court a petition to review an adverse decision by the Court of Appeals. See Wis. Stat. § 808.10 and Rule 809.62. |
|
APPEAL
from an order of the circuit court for
¶1 PETERSON, J.[1] Andrew M. LaFond appeals an order revoking his operating privileges because of his failure to submit to a chemical blood test in violation of Wis. Stat. § 343.305(10). LaFond argues the County violated his due process and equal protection rights by failing to give him reasonable notice that a law enforcement officer can forcibly take a blood sample after an arrestee refuses to give it willingly. We affirm.
¶2 The facts are undisputed. On September 27, 2009, Door County Deputy Sheriff Brad Shortreed arrested LaFond for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant, contrary to Wis. Stat. § 346.63(1)(a). Shortreed transported LaFond to a local hospital for a blood alcohol content test. At the hospital, Shortreed read LaFond the “Informing the Accused” form, as required by Wis. Stat. § 343.305(4). The form states:
You have either been arrested for an offense that involves driving or operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or both, or you are suspected of driving or being on duty time with respect to a commercial motor vehicle after consuming an intoxicating beverage.
This law enforcement agency now wants to test one or more samples of your breath, blood or urine to determine the concentration of alcohol or drugs in your system. If any test shows more alcohol in your system than the law permits while driving, your operating privilege will be suspended. If you refuse to take any test that this agency requests, your operating privilege will be revoked and you will be subject to other penalties. The test results or the fact that you refused testing can be used against you in court.
If you take all the requested tests, you may choose to take further tests. You may take the alternative test that this law enforcement agency provides free of charge. You also may have a test conducted by a qualified person of your choice at your expense. You, however, will have to make your own arrangements for that test.
If you have a commercial driver license or were operating a commercial motor vehicle, other consequences may result from positive test results or from refusing testing, such as being placed out of service or disqualified.[2]
LaFond refused to consent to the blood test. Shortreed issued a notice of intent to revoke operating privileges based on LaFond’s refusal. Shortreed then explained that LaFond’s blood could be tested whether he consented or not,[3] and LaFond acquiesced to the test.
¶3 LaFond subsequently requested a refusal hearing. He later moved to dismiss the refusal proceeding, arguing the County had violated his constitutional rights to due process and equal protection by failing to inform him that his blood could be tested even if he refused consent. The trial court concluded LaFond had no constitutional or statutory right to be provided with this information. The court determined LaFond’s refusal was improper, and ordered his license revoked. LaFond now appeals.
¶4 On appeal, as in the trial court, LaFond contends the County
violated both his due process and equal protection rights. However, LaFond does not explain how the
County’s actions violated his right to equal protection. He does not support his equal protection
argument with any legal reasoning or authority.
We deem this argument undeveloped and decline to address it further. See State
v. Pettit, 171
¶5 Whether the County violated LaFond’s right to due process
raises a question of constitutional fact, to which we apply a two-step standard
of review. See State v. Tulley, 2001 WI App 236, ¶5, 248
¶6 Every driver in
¶7 In this case, it is undisputed that Shortreed properly read LaFond the information required by Wis. Stat. § 343.305(4). The sole issue is whether LaFond had a due process right to be provided with additional information, namely that a blood sample could be forcibly taken even if LaFond refused consent.
¶8 Our supreme court has held that the information required by what
is now Wis. Stat. § 343.305(4)
is all that is required to meet due process requirements. Crandall, 133
By the Court.—Order affirmed.
This opinion will not be published. See Wis. Stat. Rule 809.23(1)(b)4.
[1] This appeal is decided by one judge pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 752.31(2). All references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to the 2007-08 version unless otherwise noted.
[2] The “Informing the Accused” form restates verbatim the language of Wis. Stat. § 343.305(4), except that it omits one clause that is only applicable to “the operator of a vehicle that was involved in an accident that caused the death of, great bodily harm to, or substantial bodily harm to a person.”
[3] In
State
v. Bohling, 173
LaFond concedes that Shortreed had authority to obtain a Bohling warrantless blood draw after LaFond refused to consent.
[4]