Motor Vehicle Admin. v. Sundar Seenath, No. 82, September Term, 2015
MD. CODE ANN., TRANSP. (1977, 2012 REPL. VOL., 2015 SUPP.) § 16-205.1 –
IMPLIED CONSENT, ADMINISTRATIVE PER SE LAW – ADVICE OF RIGHTS
FORM – DUE PROCESS – Court of Appeals held that Motor Vehicle Administration
Advice of Rights form is neither invalid as applied nor facially invalid in that form is not
misleading as to eligibility of holder of commercial driver’s license for restrictive license
where commercial driver’s license holder drives non-commercial motor vehicle and fails
alcohol concentration test.
Circuit Court for Montgomery County
Case No. 405656V
Argued: April 5, 2016
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS
OF MARYLAND
No. 82
September Term, 2015
______________________________________
MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION
v.
SUNDAR SEENATH
______________________________________
Barbera, C.J.
*Battaglia
Greene
Adkins
McDonald
Watts
Hotten,
JJ.
______________________________________
Opinion by Watts, J.
Hotten, J., dissents.
______________________________________
Filed: May 23, 2016
*Battaglia, J., now retired, participated in the
hearing and conference of this case while an
active member of this Court; after being recalled
pursuant to the Constitution, Article IV, Section
3A, she also participated in the decision and
adoption of this opinion.
This case requires us to determine the amount of notice that the Motor Vehicle
Administration (“the MVA”), Petitioner, is required to provide the holder of a commercial
driver’s license in the “Advice of Rights” form, previously labeled “DR-15,”1 as to the
commercial driver’s license holder’s eligibility for a restrictive license after having failed
an alcohol concentration test. The purpose of the Advice of Rights form is to assist law
enforcement officers with making the advisements that are required by Md. Code Ann.,
Transp. (1977, 2012 Repl. Vol., 2015 Supp.) (“TR”) § 16-205.1,2 “commonly known as
the ‘implied consent, administrative per se law,’ which provides a basis for the automatic
suspension of the licenses of drivers who refuse to submit to testing for alcohol and drugs.”
Motor Vehicle Admin. v. Gonce, 446 Md. 100, 102, 130 A.3d 436, 437-38 (2016) (citation
omitted).3
1
The Advice of Rights form’s current version is labeled “DR-015,” was produced
in October 2015, and is available at http://www.mva.maryland.gov/_resources/docs/DR-
015-10-15-ENGLISH.PDF [https://perma.cc/V3WQ-4RPD].
2
Two amendments to TR § 16-205.1 have become effective since the traffic stop in
this case, and another amendment will become effective on October 1, 2016. See 2015
Md. Laws ___ (Vol. ___, Ch. 247, H.B. 430); 2015 Md. Laws ___ (Vol. ___, Ch. 302,
H.B. 1188); 2016 Md. Laws ___ (Vol. ___, Ch. 25, S.B. 1052). None of these amendments
affects the substance of the provisions of TR § 16-205.1 that pertain to this case. Below,
we quote TR § 16-205.1’s current version.
3
In Gonce, 446 Md. at 102-03, 130 A.3d at 438, this Court stated:
TR § 16-205.1 incorporates “implied consent” in that TR § 16-205.1 provides
that any individual who drives a vehicle in Maryland is deemed to have
consented to take a chemical test—usually, a breath test—to measure alcohol
concentration, if stopped by a law enforcement officer with reasonable
grounds to believe that the person has been driving under the influence of
alcohol. Despite TR § 16-205.1’s declaration of implied consent by all
drivers, TR § 16-205.1 recognizes that a driver detained by a law
enforcement officer may refuse to take the [alcohol concentration] test. But
In this case, Sundar Seenath (“Seenath”), Respondent, a holder of a commercial
driver’s license, contends that the Advice of Rights form violates due process under the
United States Constitution and the Maryland Declaration of Rights because the form does
not advise that a holder of a commercial driver’s license who drives a non-commercial
motor vehicle and fails an alcohol concentration test—by taking an alcohol concentration
test that indicates an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher4—is ineligible for a
the time for making that decision is limited—alcohol concentration is
transient, and any test must be conducted within two hours of the stop.
The phrase “administrative per se” refers to the administrative consequences
of a refusal to take the [alcohol concentration] test, or of test results that
reveal that the driver has an alcohol concentration above certain levels
(regardless of whether the driver otherwise appears to be impaired). In both
cases, TR § 16-205.1 provides for an automatic suspension of the driver’s
license for specified periods. The license suspension is an administrative
sanction that is distinct from any criminal prosecution of the driver that might
also ensue.
Under TR § 16-205.1, a detained driver thus has a choice to make—a choice
with legal consequences. On the one hand, refusing the [alcohol
concentration] test carries a sure suspension; on the other, taking the [alcohol
concentration] test may result in no sanction at all, or in a significant
suspension plus an increased potential for criminal prosecution, depending
on the [alcohol concentration] test result.
(Quoting Motor Vehicle Admin. v. Deering, 438 Md. 611, 612-13, 92 A.3d 495, 496-97
(2014)) (brackets omitted).
4
Alcohol concentration is measured either in grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of
blood, or in grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. If a driver is driving a commercial
motor vehicle, then the driver fails an alcohol concentration test if the result is an alcohol
concentration of at least 0.04. See TR § 16-812(a)(4) (“The [MVA] shall disqualify any
individual from driving a commercial motor vehicle for a period of 1 year if . . . [t]he
individual drives or attempts to drive a commercial motor vehicle while the alcohol
concentration of the person’s blood or breath is 0.04 or greater[.]”).
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“restrictive license,” which allows a driver to drive only for certain purposes, for example,
in the course of employment.
In a petition for a writ of certiorari, the MVA raised the following issue: “Does the
standard Advice of Rights form (DR-15) provide the necessary information to a driver who
holds a commercial driver’s license of the consequences of submitting to a test of blood
alcohol content if the driver’s results are 0.08 or more?” We answer this question “yes,”
and hold that the Advice of Rights form is not misleading as to the eligibility for a
restrictive license of a holder of a commercial driver’s license and that the Advice of Rights
form comports with due process.
BACKGROUND
Facts
On February 18, 2015, Officer Romack5 of the Montgomery County Police
Department issued to Seenath an “Officer’s Certification and Order of Suspension” that
contained the following facts, which we summarize. At 10:55 p.m. on February 18, 2015,
Officer Norizn6 saw that Seenath was driving a 2004 Ford pickup—i.e., a non-commercial
motor vehicle—south on Maryland Route 355 near the intersection with Redland
Boulevard. Seenath was stopped for changing lanes in an unsafe manner while the Ford
pickup was close to another vehicle. At least one of the officers noticed that Seenath had
bloodshot eyes and a strong odor of alcohol. One of the officers administered the three-
5
The record does not reveal Officer Romack’s first name.
6
The record does not reveal Officer Norizn’s first name.
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part Standardized Field Sobriety Test.7
Although the Officer’s Certification and Order of Suspension does not make clear
the results of the three-part Standardized Field Sobriety Test,8 an administrative law judge
found that the evidence of Seenath’s intoxication included his “poor performance on” the
7
In Gonce, 446 Md. at 105 n.3, 130 A.3d at 439 n.3, this Court described the three-
part Standardized Field Sobriety Test as follows:
The three-part Standardized Field Sobriety Test endorsed by the National
Highway Traffic and Safety Administration consists of the horizontal gaze
nystagmus, walk-and-turn, and one-leg stand:
Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus: This term refers to the involuntary jerking of
the eye that occurs naturally when the eye gazes to the side. But this jerking
(or nystagmus) is exaggerated when someone is impaired by alcohol.
Officers look for three indicators of impairment in each eye: inability to
follow a moving object smoothly; distinct eye-jerking when eye is at
maximum deviation; and eye-jerking within forty-five degrees of center.
Walk and Turn: The purpose of this test, determined to be easily done by
most unimpaired people, tests the suspect’s ability to complete tasks with
divided attention. This is administered by requiring the suspect to take nine
steps, heel-to-toe, along a straight line; turn on one foot; and then return in
the same manner in the opposite direction.
One-Leg Stand: Suspects are asked to stand with one foot about six inches
off the ground and count for thirty seconds. Swaying while balancing, using
arms to balance, hopping, or putting the foot down indicate possible
impairment.
(Brackets, citation, and italics omitted).
8
The Officer’s Certification and Order of Suspension states the following under
“Reasonable Grounds”: “[Horizontal gaze nystagmus.] Did not follow ABC until U. Then
VZ[. Walk and turn] on 3x5 too soon[.] Missed 3 of[] 7. R arms 11 up 11 back [one-leg
stand.]” (Some capitalization omitted). Ostensibly, the term “ABC” referred to the “ABC
test,” in which a law enforcement officer asks a suspect to recite some or all of the alphabet.
See ABC Test, FieldSobrietyTests.org, http://www.fieldsobrietytests.org/abctest.html
[https://perma.cc/55WJ-KJWX]. The ABC test is not part of the three-part Standardized
Field Sobriety Test. See id.
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three-part Standardized Field Sobriety Test. According to the Officer’s Certification and
Order of Suspension, Seenath took a preliminary breath test, which indicated an alcohol
concentration of 0.161.
Officer Romack arrested Seenath and provided him with an Advice of Rights form.
The Advice of Rights form, which was labeled “DR-15,” had been produced in November
2012, and stated in pertinent part:
You have been stopped or detained[,] and reasonable grounds exist to believe
that you have been driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle under
circumstances requiring that you be asked to submit to a test under [TR] §
16-205[.]1 []. In this situation, the law deems that you have consented to
take a test to measure the alcohol concentration or drug or controlled
dangerous substance content in your system. You may refuse to submit to
the test(s), unless you were in a motor vehicle accident resulting in the death
of[,] or life-threatening injury to[,] another person[.]
Suspension of Your Maryland Driver’s License or Driving Privilege:
If you refuse to submit to the test, or submit to the test and the result indicates
an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more at the time of testing, your Maryland
driver’s license will be confiscated, you will be issued an Order of
Suspension[,] and, if eligible, a temporary license [that will be] valid for 45
days[.] The following periods of suspension shall be imposed against your
license or privilege to drive in Maryland[.]
If your test result is an alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 but
less than 0.15: The suspension will be 45 days for a first offense and 90
days for a second or subsequent offense.
If your test result is an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more: The
suspension will be 90 days for a first offense and 180 days for a second
or subsequent offense.
If you refuse to submit to a test: The suspension will be 120 days
for a first offense and one (1) year for a second or subsequent offense.
An additional criminal penalty of not more than $500 or imprisonment for
not more than 2 months[,] or both, may be imposed under [TR] § 27-101(x)
[] if you are convicted of a drunk or drugged driving offense under [TR] §
21-902, and the judge or jury finds beyond a reasonable doubt that you
knowingly refused to take a test arising out of the same circumstances[.] If
you hold a commercial driver’s license [] and were driving a non-commercial
motor vehicle when you were stopped, and refuse to submit to a test, your
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[commercial driver’s license] or privilege will be disqualified for one (1) year
for a first offense[,] or for life if your [commercial driver’s license] or
privilege has been previously disqualified for at least one (1) year under [TR]
§ 16-812(a) or (b) [], a federal law, or any other [S]tate’s law[.] If you were
driving a commercial motor vehicle and refuse the test, your [commercial
driver’s license] or privilege will be disqualified as set forth below[.]
Modification of the Suspension or Issuance of a Restrictive License:
If your test result is an alcohol concentration of 0.08 but less than
0.15: The suspension may be modified or a restrictive license issued at a
hearing in certain circumstances[.]
If you refuse a test, or take a test with a result of 0.15 or more:
You will be ineligible for modification of the suspension or issuance of a
restrictive license, unless you participate in the Ignition Interlock
System Program under [TR] § 16-404.1 []. This program requires the
vehicle(s) [that] you drive to be equipped with a device that prevents you
from operating it if you have alcohol in your blood[.] At a hearing, if you
request one, an administrative [law] judge may modify a suspension by
permitting you to participate in the Ignition Interlock System Program for
one year, but is not required to do so[.] Instead of requesting a hearing,
you may elect to participate in the Ignition Interlock System Program
for one year, instead of the period of suspension, if the following conditions
are met[:] 1) your driver’s license is not currently suspended, revoked,
canceled, or refused, 2) you were not charged with a moving violation arising
out of the same circumstances as the Order of Suspension that involved the
death of, or serious physical injury to, another person, and 3) within thirty
(30) days of the date of this Order of Suspension[,] you[:] a) elect in writing
to participate in the Ignition Interlock System Program for one year, instead
of requesting a hearing, and b) surrender a valid Maryland driver’s license or
sign a statement certifying that the license is no longer in your possession[.]
An ignition interlock election form is located on the reverse side of the
driver’s copy of the Order of Suspension[.]
You Have the Right to Request an Administrative Hearing:
You may request an Administrative Hearing at any time within 30 days of
the date of the Order of Suspension to show cause why your driver’s license
or privilege should not be suspended[.] You must request a hearing within
10 days of the date of the Order of Suspension to [e]nsure that your privilege
to drive is not suspended prior to your hearing[.] Your request for a hearing
must be made in writing[.] You may use the “Hearing Request” form if
available[.] Send your request to the Office of Administrative Hearings at
11101 Gilroy Rd[.], Hunt Valley, MD 21031-1301[.] You must include a
check or money order for $150[.]00, which is the required filing fee, made
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payable to the “Maryland State Treasurer[.]” Your request for a hearing will
be invalid if submitted without the required $150[.]00 filing fee (or
applicable fee waiver)[.]
Offenses Occurring While Driving a Commercial Motor Vehicle: In
addition to any suspension for a test failure or refusal, if you were operating
a commercial motor vehicle and your test result indicates an alcohol
concentration of 0[.]04 or more, or you refused to submit to a test, your
commercial driver’s license or privilege shall be disqualified one (1) year for
a first offense, or 3 years for a first offense [that was] committed while
transporting hazardous materials [that are] required to be placarded, and
disqualified for life if your commercial driver’s license has been previously
disqualified for at least one (1) year under [TR ]§16-812(a) or (b), a federal
law, or any other [S]tate’s law[.]
Your Driver’s license or Privilege will be Suspended on the 46th Day
after the Order of Suspension if: You do not request a hearing within 10
days of the date of the Order of Suspension[,] or, if eligible, you do not elect
within 30 days of the Order of Suspension to participate in the Ignition
Interlock System Program for one (1) year instead of requesting a hearing[.]
If you submit a valid hearing request, a suspension will not be imposed unless
a decision is rendered against you, or if you fail to appear for the hearing[.]
Certification: I, the Undersigned [Law Enforcement] Officer, certify that I
have advised the driver of the above[-]stated Advice of Rights, including the
sanctions imposed for[:] 1) a refusal to take a test, 2) a test resulting in an
alcohol concentration of at least 0[.]08 but less than 0[.]15, 3) a test resulting
in an alcohol concentration of 0[.]15 or more, and 4) disqualifications for
persons holding a commercial driver’s license[.]
I, the undersigned officer, have provided the driver with the aforementioned
in[:] English and Spanish[.]
Read Before Signing: I, the undersigned driver, acknowledge that I have been
read[,] or I have read[,] the above[-]stated Advice of Rights as certified by
the [law enforcement] officer[.] I understand that this requested test is in
addition to any preliminary tests that were taken[.]
Having been so advised, do you now agree to submit to a test? (Officer check
reply)
(Emphasis in original). At 11:37 p.m. on February 18, 2015, Seenath consented to take an
alcohol concentration test; the box next to the words “Yes - Agree to submit to an alcohol
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concentration test” on the Advice of Rights form was checked; and Seenath signed the
form.
According to a “Notification to Defendant of Result of Test for Alcohol
Concentration” (some capitalization omitted), at 11:47 p.m. on February 18, 2015, a
specimen of Seenath’s breath was collected; an alcohol concentration test of Seenath’s
breath indicated an alcohol concentration of 0.15. According to the Officer’s Certification
and Order of Suspension, Officer Romack confiscated Seenath’s commercial driver’s
license and issued Seenath a temporary driver’s license, which would be valid for 45 days;
starting on the forty-sixth day, Seenath’s commercial driver’s license would be suspended
for 90 days.
Proceedings Before the Administrative Law Judge
Seenath requested an administrative hearing. On May 27, 2015, an administrative
law judge (“the ALJ”) of the Office of Administrative Hearings conducted a hearing, at
which Seenath was represented by counsel. Without objection, the ALJ admitted into
evidence, among other things, the Officer’s Certification and Order of Suspension, the
Advice of Rights form, and the Notification to Defendant of Result of Test for Alcohol
Concentration.
Through counsel, Seenath moved that no action be taken with respect to the
suspension of his commercial driver’s license on the ground that the Officer’s Certification
and Order of Suspension did not state reasonable grounds for requesting an alcohol
concentration test. Specifically, Seenath’s counsel stated that the handwritten notations
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under “REASONABLE GROUNDS” were “impossible to interpret[.]”9 The ALJ denied
the motion on the ground that the strong odor of alcohol on Seenath was sufficient to
establish reasonable grounds for requesting an alcohol concentration test.
Seenath testified at the administrative hearing that he had participated in alcohol
counseling; that he owned his own business, SS Trucking, of which four dump trucks were
a part; and that he drove a dump truck five to six days per week. Seenath did not testify
about any matter with regard to his signing or understanding of the Advice of Rights form.
After testifying, Seenath, through counsel, again moved for no action with respect
to the suspension of his commercial driver’s license, this time on the ground that the Advice
of Rights form “did not fully advise him of all the potential consequences.” Specifically,
Seenath’s counsel argued that the Advice of Rights form did not advise that, if a
commercial driver’s license holder’s license is suspended, the driver cannot have access to
a commercial driver’s license through a restrictive license or participation in the Ignition
Interlock System Program. Seenath’s counsel stated:
[T]his form is particularly deceptive to someone who is in [Seenath]’s
position because[,] with regard to a [commercial driver’s license], the only
thing that it alleges is, look, if you refuse, you’re going to lose your
[commercial driver’s license] for a year. And[,] by asserting that and not
mentioning the other aspect[—]that[,] if you get any modification, you’re
also going to lose your [commercial driver’s license—i]t creates the
impression that the only way [that] you’re going to lose your [commercial
driver’s license] is if you refuse. So [Seenath] then goes ahead and he takes
the test with a form that leads someone to believe [that] you’ll be okay, you’ll
get to keep your [commercial driver’s license], you can even put an [ignition
i]nterlock [system] in a dump truck if you need to and keep on driving, you
might get a restrict[ive] license and keep on driving. So[,] when [Seenath]
comes into my office, I have to tell him that, no, this form is incorrect as it
9
See supra Footnote 8.
-9-
applies to you. You are subject to a different aspect of the law, [Code of
Maryland Regulations (“COMAR”) 11.11.12.07,] which is not mentioned in
this [Advice of Rights] form.
(Paragraph break omitted). COMAR 11.11.12.07A states: “The [MVA] may not issue any
type of temporary, conditional, or work[-]restricted license permitting an individual to
drive a commercial motor vehicle during any period in which the individual’s driving
privilege is disqualified, refused, cancelled, suspended, or revoked in this or any other state
in accordance with [TR] §[ ]16-808[ (Persons Ineligible to Drive Commercial Motor
Vehicles)] and 49 [Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”)] §[ ]384.210 [(Limitation on
Licensing)].”
The ALJ ruled as follows:
I’m going to respond to your [m]otion, first with a common[]sense response,
and then cite case law. The common[]sense response is, if a driver is driving
with alcohol in his or her system and the amount of the alcohol is [0].15 or
greater, if the driver would submit to the [alcohol concentration] test, then a
[0].15 or greater . . . would result in the possibility of a 90-day suspension[,]
or[,] in the alternative, the Ignition Interlock [System Program]. If the driver
has a [c]ommercial [d]river’s [l]icense, that means that the driver[,] under
either the circumstance of taking the [alcohol concentration] test or refusing
the [alcohol concentration] test[,] would face suspension[,] and, therefore,
the loss of the [commercial driver’s license]. I don’t believe [that] there is a
requirement that the driver be advised of this aspect because[,] under either
circumstance, no matter what decision the driver would make, the
[commercial driver’s license] would have to be converted to a non[-
]commercial license. There’s no decision [that] the driver could make with
[0].15 or greater in his or her system that would not result in the [commercial
driver’s license’s] being disqualified. The case law aspect in light of that
common[]sense factual argument, I have to go back to Hare v[. Motor
Vehicle Admin.], 326 Md. 296[, 604 A.2d 914 (1992)], and Hare generally
is not cited anymore because the [General Assembly] amended [TR] 16-
205.1. But the principle in Hare that was announced is still valid[,] and that
is, due process does not require that the driver be told of every conceivable
incentive for taking a chemical test for alcohol[,] or even[] one additional
incentive [that is] not required by [TR] 16-205.1. And[,] in fact, the law
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favors the taking of the [alcohol concentration] test. This is actually not a
refusal case. But again, the consequences were described in the [Advice of
Rights form], the eligibility for the Ignition Interlock [System Program], and
not every conceivable outcome has to be explained. So[,] for those reasons[,]
I am going to deny your motion.
(Italics and paragraph breaks omitted). Seenath’s counsel responded:
[I]f the MVA and the case law and the courts are going to say[,] use this
form, right, give him some advice, the advice should be accurate. . . . [I]f
you’re going to advise someone of these rights, you got to tell them the
significant things, and the significant thing being, he’s not eligible really for
a restrict[ive] license and keeping his [commercial driver’s license].
The ALJ stated: “[Y]our argument is preserved[.]”
Through counsel, Seenath declined to participate in the Ignition Interlock System
Program. In making conclusions of law, the ALJ stated:
You argued that[,] because you had a [commercial driver’s license], the
Advice of Rights [form] did not fully inform you of the administrative
sanctions to be imposed. However, the consequences of refusing or taking
the [alcohol concentration] test and scoring [0].15 or higher would be the
same for a [commercial driver’s license’s] disqualification. Hare[], 326 Md.
296[, 604 A.2d 914] indicates [that] the drivers need not be advised of every
conceivable outcome concerning submitting to or refusing an alcohol
[concentration] test. Hill v[. Motor Vehicle Admin.], 4[15] Md. 231[, 999
A.2d 1019] (2010) addressed the [commercial driver’s license] issue vis-à-
vis[] the participation of the Ignition Interlock [System P]rogram.
(Italics and paragraph breaks omitted). The ALJ concluded that Seenath had violated TR
§ 16-205.1, and suspended Seenath’s commercial driver’s license for 90 days. On the same
day as the administrative hearing, the ALJ issued an order to the same effect. As a result
of having consented to take the alcohol concentration test—as opposed to refusing to take
the alcohol concentration test—Seenath’s ability to drive commercial motor vehicles was
not disqualified for one year.
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Proceedings in the Circuit Court
On June 4, 2015, Seenath petitioned for judicial review. On October 21, 2015, the
Circuit Court for Montgomery County (“the circuit court”) conducted a hearing. The
circuit court reversed the decision of the ALJ and ruled in pertinent part as follows:
[T]he [Advice of Rights] form need not advise a driver of every possible
contingency that might be available with regard to the suspension of his [or
her] driver’s license. However, the [Advice of Rights] form must advise the
driver of the sanctions that the [General Assembly] had mandated for
inclusion in the form, and those sanctions are found in [TR §] 16-205.1 [].
But the [Advice of Rights form] must also inform the driver of sanctions that
are required, not mere potential sanctions. It’s also clear that the continued
possession of a driver’s license is essential to earning a livelihood, and it
cannot be suspended without due process of law. Due process requires that
the officer advise the driver of the applicable sanctions [that] exist. It is clear
that the suspension of a [commercial driver’s] license for taking and failing
a breath test is a certainty. The holder of a [commercial driver’s] license will
receive a 45-day suspension for a first test failure and a 90-day suspension
for a subsequent failure or a[n alcohol concentration] test result above a
[0].15. . . . It fails to adequately advise the petitioner of the sanctions that he
[or she] faces for failing to pass the breathalyzer test. It’s particularly
egregious . . . when the [A]dvice of [R]ights [form] . . . partially address[es]
the consequences of refusing to submit to a[n alcohol concentration] test
while driving a non-commercial motor vehicle while holding a commercial
driver’s license, but then fails to go on to advise the petitioner of the
consequences of failing to pass the breathalyzer test. Due process dictates
that he be so advised. The law requires that he be so advised. Accordingly,
I’m going to reverse the decision of the [ALJ], [and] vacate the suspension
that was imposed.
(Paragraph breaks omitted). On the same day as the hearing, the circuit court issued an
order to the same effect.
Afterward, on November 25, 2015, the MVA petitioned for a writ of certiorari. On
January 27, 2016, this Court granted the petition. See Motor Vehicle Admin. v. Seenath,
446 Md. 218, 130 A.3d 507 (2016).
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DISCUSSION
The Parties’ Contentions
The MVA contends that the Advice of Rights form that Seenath signed satisfied due
process. The MVA argues that Seenath’s right to due process was not violated because the
Advice of Rights form did not prejudice Seenath, a first-time offender who chose to consent
to take an alcohol concentration test and whose commercial driver’s license was suspended
for 90 days due to an alcohol concentration of 0.15; as the Advice of Rights form stated,
Seenath’s commercial driver’s license would have been suspended for 120 days if Seenath
had chosen to refuse to take an alcohol concentration test, and his ability to drive
commercial vehicles would have been disqualified for one year.
Seenath responds that the Advice of Rights form violated his right to due process
because it did not inform him that, if he failed an alcohol concentration test, his commercial
driver’s license would necessarily be suspended, and he would be ineligible for a restrictive
commercial driver’s license, even if he participated in the Ignition Interlock System
Program. Seenath contends that the Advice of Rights form falsely suggested that, if a
commercial driver’s license holder drove a non-commercial motor vehicle and failed an
alcohol concentration test, then the result would be either no suspension of the commercial
driver’s license, or a suspension with eligibility for a restrictive commercial driver’s
license. Seenath argues that, in discussing restrictive licenses, the Advice of Rights form
fails to distinguish between commercial driver’s licenses and non-commercial driver’s
licenses.
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Standard of Review
Where, as here, the facts are undisputed, a court determines whether an
administrative law judge’s decision “is premised upon an erroneous conclusion of law.”
Hill, 415 Md. at 239, 999 A.2d at 1023 (citation and internal quotation marks omitted). A
court reviews without deference an administrative law judge’s conclusion as to a matter of
constitutional law. See Md. State Comptroller of Treasury v. Wynne, 431 Md. 147, 161,
64 A.3d 453, 461 (2013), aff’d sub nom. Comptroller of Treasury of Md. v. Wynne, ___
U.S. ___, 135 S. Ct. 1787 (2015) (“Because our review of its analysis turns on a question
of constitutional law, we do not defer to the agency’s determination.” (Citation omitted)).
Implied Consent and Mandatory Suspensions
“We begin by examining the relevant provisions of TR § 16-205.1, the implied
consent, administrative per se law.” Gonce, 446 Md. at 110, 130 A.3d at 442 (brackets,
citation, and internal quotation marks omitted). TR § 16-205.1(a)(2) provides for “implied
consent” as follows:
Any person who drives or attempts to drive a motor vehicle on a highway or
on any private property that is used by the public in general in this State is
deemed to have consented, subject to the provisions of [Md. Code Ann., Cts.
& Jud. Proc. (1973, 2013 Repl. Vol.) (“CJP”)] §§ 10-302 through 10-309,[10]
to take a test if the person should be detained on suspicion of driving or
attempting to drive while under the influence of alcohol, while impaired by
alcohol, while so far impaired by any drug, any combination of drugs, or a
combination of one or more drugs and alcohol that the person could not drive
a vehicle safely, while impaired by a controlled dangerous substance, in
violation of an alcohol restriction, or in violation of [TR] § 16-813 [(Driving
Motor Vehicle with Alcohol Concentration in Blood or Breath Prohibited)].
10
CJP §§ 10-302 through 10-309 govern both the administration of alcohol
concentration tests and drug tests and the admissibility of the results of those tests. No
statute in CJP §§ 10-302 through 10-309 is at issue in this case.
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Despite TR § 16-205.1(a)(2)’s embodiment of “implied consent,” a person cannot
be compelled to take an alcohol concentration test unless the “person is involved in a motor
vehicle accident that results in the death of, or a life[-]threatening injury to, another person
and the person is detained by a police officer who has reasonable grounds to believe that
the person has been driving or attempting to drive while” impaired, TR § 16-205.1(c)(1);
see TR § 16-205.1(b)(1) (“Except as provided in [TR § 16-205.1](c) [], a person may not
be compelled to take a test.”). In other words, if a driver has not been involved in a motor
vehicle accident that results in death or a life-threatening injury to another person, then the
driver may refuse to take an alcohol concentration test. In the absence of a motor vehicle
accident that results in death or a life-threatening injury to another person, if a person is
detained on suspicion of driving or attempting to drive under the influence of drugs or
alcohol, the person is deemed under the implied consent law to have consented to alcohol
or drug testing, and is subject to a mandatory suspension of his or her driver’s license for
not consenting to take a test.
Indeed, refusing to take an alcohol concentration test has serious consequences. If
a driver refuses to take an alcohol concentration test, then the MVA must suspend the
driver’s license for 120 days for a first offense, and must suspend the driver’s license for 1
year for a second or subsequent offense. See TR § 16-205.1(f)(4)(i)(5), (f)(8)(v)(5).
Refusing to take an alcohol concentration test has additional consequences for a
holder of a Maryland commercial driver’s license. Specifically, under TR § 16-
205.1(f)(4)(ii)(1):
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In the case of a person operating a commercial motor vehicle or who holds .
. . a commercial driver’s license who refuses to take a test, [the MVA shall]
disqualify the person from operating a commercial motor vehicle for a period
of 1 year for a first offense, 3 years for a first offense [that] occurs while
transporting hazardous materials [that are] required to be placarded, and for
life for a second or subsequent offense [that] occurs while operating any
commercial [motor] vehicle[.]
As does refusing to take an alcohol concentration test, failing an alcohol
concentration test has serious consequences. The length of the mandatory suspension
depends on the driver’s alcohol concentration; the higher the driver’s alcohol
concentration, the longer the mandatory suspension. If a driver was not involved in a motor
vehicle accident that resulted in the death of another person, and an alcohol concentration
test indicates that the driver’s alcohol concentration is at least 0.08 but less than 0.15, then
the MVA must suspend the driver’s license for 45 days for a first offense, and must suspend
the driver’s license for 90 days for a second or subsequent offense. See TR § 16-
205.1(f)(4)(i)(1), (f)(8)(v)(1). If a driver was not involved in a motor vehicle accident that
resulted in the death of another person, and an alcohol concentration test indicates that the
driver’s alcohol concentration is 0.15 or higher, then the MVA must suspend the driver’s
license for 90 days for a first offense, and must suspend the driver’s license for 180 days
for a second or subsequent offense. See TR § 16-205.1(f)(4)(i)(2), (f)(8)(v)(2). All of
these mandatory suspensions apply to commercial driver’s licenses and non-commercial
driver’s licenses alike.
Modifications of Suspensions and Restrictive Licenses
Under certain circumstances, the MVA may issue a modification of a suspension or
a restrictive license, which allows a driver to drive only for certain purposes—for example,
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in the course of employment. A driver is eligible for a modification of a suspension or a
restrictive license without participation in the Ignition Interlock System Program—which
we describe below—only if an alcohol concentration test indicates an alcohol concentration
of at least 0.08 but less than 0.15, and, during the past 5 years, the driver’s license has not
been suspended under TR § 16-205.1 and the driver has not been convicted under TR § 21-
902 (Driving While Under the Influence or Impairment of Alcohol or Drugs Prohibited).
See TR § 16-205.1(n)(1). TR § 16-205.1(n)(2) describes additional criteria for a
modification of a suspension or a restrictive license without participation in the Ignition
Interlock System Program as follows:
The [MVA] may modify a suspension under [TR § 16-205.1] or issue a
restrictive license if the [MVA] finds that:
(i) The licensee is required to drive a motor vehicle in the
course of employment;
(ii) The license is required for the purpose of attending an
alcohol prevention or treatment program;
(iii) The licensee has no alternative means of transportation
available to or from the licensee’s place of employment and, without
the license, the licensee’s ability to earn a living would be severely
impaired;
(iv) The license is required for the purpose of obtaining health
care treatment, including a prescription, that is necessary for the
licensee or a member of the licensee’s immediate family and the
licensee and the licensee’s immediate family have no alternative
means of transportation available to obtain the health care treatment;
or
(v) The license is required for the purpose of attending a
noncollegiate educational institution . . . or a regular program at an
institution of postsecondary education.
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As explained above, however, under TR § 16-205.1(f)(4)(ii)(1), the MVA must
“disqualify” a holder of a Maryland commercial driver’s license from driving a commercial
motor vehicle for at least 1 year if he or she refuses to take an alcohol concentration test.
Under that circumstance, the holder of the Maryland commercial driver’s license is
ineligible for a modification of the disqualification or a restrictive commercial driver’s
license. See TR § 16-205.1(f)(8)(vii) (“A disqualification of . . . a commercial driver’s
license is not subject to any modifications, nor may a restricted . . . commercial driver’s
license be issued in lieu of a disqualification.”). In other words, if a holder of a Maryland
commercial driver’s license refuses to take an alcohol concentration test, then he or she
will be disqualified from driving a commercial motor vehicle for at least 1 year, and he or
she will be ineligible for a modification of the disqualification or a restrictive commercial
driver’s license—even if the holder of the Maryland commercial driver’s license
participates in the Ignition Interlock System Program.
Similarly, if a holder of a Maryland commercial driver’s license fails an alcohol
concentration test, then he or she is ineligible for a restrictive commercial driver’s
license—even if the holder of the Maryland commercial driver’s license participates in the
Ignition Interlock System Program. COMAR 11.11.12.07A provides that “the [MVA]
may not issue any type of temporary, conditional, or work[-]restricted license permitting
an individual to drive a commercial motor vehicle during any period in which the
individual’s driving privilege is disqualified, refused, cancelled, suspended, or revoked in
this or any other state in accordance with [TR] §[ ]16-808[ (Persons Ineligible to Drive
Commercial Motor Vehicles)] and 49 CFR §[ ]384.210 [(Limitation on Licensing)].” Also,
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TR § 16-808(a)(5) provides that “[a] person may not drive a commercial motor vehicle on
any highway . . . [w]hile the person’s driver’s license . . . is suspended in this State[.]”
In short, under TR § 16-205.1(f)(8)(vii) and COMAR 11.11.12.07A, there is no such
thing as a “restrictive commercial driver’s license.” A holder of a commercial driver’s
license may participate in the Ignition Interlock System Program, but doing so will not
result in a restrictive commercial driver’s license; instead, participation in the Ignition
Interlock System Program may result only in a modification of a suspension, under which
the driver will be allowed to drive only non-commercial motor vehicles. See, e.g., Hill,
415 Md. at 239, 999 A.2d at 1023 (An administrative law judge modified a suspension of
a commercial driver’s license so that the driver could drive non-commercial motor vehicles
while participating in the Ignition Interlock System Program.).
Ignition Interlock System Program
It is possible for the MVA to issue a modification of a suspension or a restrictive
license even if a driver refused to take an alcohol concentration test; an alcohol
concentration test indicated an alcohol concentration of at least 0.15; or an alcohol
concentration test indicated an alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 but less than 0.15, but
the driver does not otherwise satisfy TR § 16-205.1(n)’s criteria. See TR § 16-205.1(o)(1).
Under these circumstances, the MVA may issue a modification of a suspension or a
restrictive license if and only if the driver participates in the Ignition Interlock System
Program for 1 year. See TR § 16-205.1(o)(2). “A participant is considered to begin
participation in the [Ignition Interlock System] Program when the participant provides
evidence of the installation of an ignition interlock system by an approved service provider
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in a manner required by the [MVA].” TR § 16-404.1(h). An ignition interlock system is
“[a] device [that is] installed in a motor vehicle to determine the driver’s [breath] alcohol
[concentration] before the vehicle can be started and to prevent [the motor vehicle’s] being
started if the [breath] alcohol [concentration] registers as being above the acceptable limit.”
Ignition-Interlock Device, Black’s Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014).
Advisements and Other Actions that TR § 16-205.1(b) Requires
TR § 16-205.1(b) requires a law enforcement officer to advise a detained driver of
certain provisions of TR § 16-205.1. The advisements that pertain to all holders of
Maryland driver’s licenses are as follows:
[T]he detaining officer shall advise the person that, on receipt of a sworn
statement from the officer that the person was so charged and refused to take
a test, or was tested and the result indicated an alcohol concentration of 0.08
or more, the [MVA] shall:
(i) In the case of a person licensed under this title:
1. Except as provided in items 2, 3, and 4 of this item, for a test
result indicating an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more at the time
of testing:
A. For a first offense, suspend the driver’s license for
45 days; or
B. For a second or subsequent offense, suspend the
driver’s license for 90 days;
2. Except as provided in item 4 of this item, for a test result
indicating an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more at the time of
testing:
A. For a first offense, suspend the person’s driving
privilege for 90 days; or
B. For a second or subsequent offense, suspend the
person’s driving privilege for 180 days;
3. Except as provided in item 4 of this item, for a test result
indicating an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more at the time of
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testing, if the person was involved in a motor vehicle accident that
resulted in the death of another person:
A. For a first offense, suspend the person’s driving
privilege for 6 months; or
B. For a second or subsequent offense, suspend the
person’s driving privilege for 1 year;
4. For a test result indicating an alcohol concentration of 0.15
or more at the time of testing, if the person was involved in a motor
vehicle accident that resulted in the death of another person:
A. For a first offense, suspend the person’s driving
privilege for 1 year; or
B. For a second or subsequent offense, revoke the
person’s driving privilege; or
5. For a test refusal:
A. For a first offense, suspend the driver’s license for
120 days; or
B. For a second or subsequent offense, suspend the
driver’s license for 1 year[.]
TR § 16-205.1(b)(1)(i).
TR § 16-205.1(b)(1)(iii) requires that detaining officers advise holders of Maryland
commercial driver’s licenses as follows:
[T]he detaining officer shall advise the person that, on receipt of a sworn
statement from the officer that the person was so charged and refused to take
a test, or was tested and the result indicated an alcohol concentration of 0.08
or more, the [MVA] shall . . . [, i]n addition to any applicable driver’s license
suspensions authorized under [TR § 16-205.1], in the case of a person
operating a commercial motor vehicle or who holds . . . a commercial driver’s
license who refuses to take a test:
1. Disqualify the person’s . . . commercial driver’s license for
a period of 1 year for a first offense, 3 years for a first offense which
occurs while transporting hazardous materials [that are] required to be
placarded, and disqualify for life if the person’s . . . commercial
driver’s license has been previously disqualified for at least 1 year
under:
A. [TR] § 16-812(a) or (b) [];
B. A federal law; or
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C. Any other [S]tate’s law[.]
TR § 16-205.1(b)(1)(iii). TR § 16-205.1(b)(1)(iii) does not require that a detaining officer
advise the holder of a commercial driver’s license that a restrictive commercial driver’s
license is not available to the holder of the commercial driver’s license.
Before a driver either consents or refuses to take an alcohol concentration test, TR
§ 16-205.1(b)(2) requires additional advisements and other actions by a law enforcement
officer as follows:
Except as provided in [TR § 16-205.1](c) [], if a police officer stops or
detains any person who the police officer has reasonable grounds to believe
is or has been driving or attempting to drive a motor vehicle while under the
influence of alcohol, while impaired by alcohol, while so far impaired by any
drug, any combination of drugs, or a combination of one or more drugs and
alcohol that the person could not drive a vehicle safely, while impaired by a
controlled dangerous substance, in violation of an alcohol restriction, or in
violation of [TR] § 16-813 [], and who is not unconscious or otherwise
incapable of refusing to take a test, the police officer shall:
(i) Detain the person;
(ii) Request that the person permit a test to be taken;
(iii) Advise the person of the administrative sanctions that shall
be imposed for test results indicating an alcohol concentration of at
least 0.08 but less than 0.15 at the time of testing;
(iv) Advise the person of the administrative sanctions,
including ineligibility for modification of a suspension or issuance of
a restrictive license unless the person participates in the Ignition
Interlock System Program under [TR] § 16-404.1 [], that shall be
imposed for refusal to take the test and for test results indicating an
alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more at the time of testing; and
(v) Advise the person of the additional criminal penalties that
may be imposed under [TR] § 27-101(x) [] on conviction of a
violation of [TR] § 21-902 [] if the person knowingly refused to take
a test arising out of the same circumstances as the violation.
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If a driver either refuses to take an alcohol concentration test or takes an alcohol
concentration test that indicates an alcohol concentration of at least 0.08, TR § 16-
205.1(b)(3) requires additional advisements and other actions by a law enforcement officer;
among other things, the law enforcement officer must:
(i) Confiscate the person’s driver’s license issued by this State;
(ii) Acting on behalf of the [MVA], personally serve an order of
suspension on the person;
(iii) Issue a temporary license to drive;
(iv) Inform the person that the temporary license allows the person to
continue driving for 45 days if the person is licensed under this title;
(v) Inform the person that:
1. The person has a right to request, at that time or within 10
days, a hearing to show cause why the driver’s license should not be
suspended concerning the refusal to take the test or for test results
indicating an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more at the time of
testing, and the hearing will be scheduled within 45 days; and
2. If a hearing request is not made at that time or within 10
days, but within 30 days the person requests a hearing, a hearing to
show cause why the driver’s license should not be suspended
concerning the refusal to take the test or for test results indicating an
alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more at the time of testing will be
scheduled, but a request made after 10 days does not extend a
temporary license issued by the police officer that allows the person
to continue driving for 45 days;
(vi) Advise the person of the administrative sanctions that shall be
imposed in the event of failure to request a hearing, failure to attend a
requested hearing, or upon an adverse finding by the hearing officer;
(vii) Inform the person that, if the person refuses a test or takes a test
that indicates an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more at the time of testing,
the person may participate in the Ignition Interlock System Program under
- 23 -
[TR] § 16-404.1 [] instead of requesting a hearing under this paragraph, if
the following conditions are met:
1. The person’s driver’s license is not currently suspended,
revoked, canceled, or refused;
2. The person was not charged with a moving violation arising
out of the same circumstances as an administrative offense under [TR
§ 16-205.1] that involved a death of, or serious physical injury to,
another person; and
3. Within the same time limits set forth in item (v) of this
paragraph, the person:
A. Surrenders a valid Maryland driver’s license or signs
a statement certifying that the driver’s license is no longer in
the person’s possession; and
B. Elects in writing to participate in the Ignition
Interlock System Program for 1 year[.]
To assist law enforcement officers with making the advisements that TR § 16-
205.1(b) requires, the MVA drafted, and has periodically updated, the Advice of Rights
form—which, as its name suggests, advises detained drivers of certain consequences of
either failing or refusing to take an alcohol concentration test. See Hill, 415 Md. at 236-
37, 999 A.2d at 1022 (“[The Advice of Rights form] was designed by the MVA to explain
to persons detained under [TR §] 16-205.1 that they have the right to refuse an alcohol
concentration test, as well as to explain the potential sanctions that could arise from either
taking and ‘failing’ the test (i.e., showing a systemic alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent
or greater) or refusing to take the test at all.”).
Due Process
“No State shall . . . deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due
process of law[.]” U.S. Const. amend. XIV § 1; see also Md. Decl. of Rts. Art. 24 (“[N]o
- 24 -
[person] ought to be . . . deprived of his [or her] life, liberty[,] or property, but . . . by the
Law of the land.”).
This is not the first case in which this Court has addressed the issue of whether an
Advice of Rights form violated a driver’s right to due process. The first such case was
Hare, 326 Md. at 306, 604 A.2d at 918-19, in which this Court held that the then-current
Advice of Rights form did not violate a driver’s right to due process. A law enforcement
officer arrested the driver for driving while impaired, and read to the driver from the Advice
of Rights form. See id. at 298, 604 A.2d at 914-15. The law enforcement officer requested
that the driver consent to take an alcohol concentration test, which the driver refused to
take; accordingly, the MVA suspended his driver’s license for 120 days. See id. at 298-
99, 604 A.2d at 915. The driver requested an administrative hearing, at which he testified
that he had not known that he would be ineligible for a modification of a suspension or a
restrictive license if he refused to take an alcohol concentration test;11 the driver testified
that, had he known as much, he probably would have consented to take an alcohol
concentration test. See id. at 297-99, 604 A.2d at 914-15. An administrative law judge
imposed the same sanction that the MVA did. See id. at 299, 604 A.2d at 915.
In this Court, the driver contended that the Advice of Rights form violated his right
11
As noted above, today, the MVA may issue a modification of a suspension or a
restrictive license to a driver who refused to take an alcohol concentration test, if and only
if the driver participates in the Ignition Interlock System Program for 1 year. See TR § 16-
205.1(o). This was not yet the case at the time of Hare, 326 Md. 296, 604 A.2d 914, which
this Court issued in 1992; the General Assembly did not enact TR § 16-404.1, which
authorized the MVA to establish the Ignition Interlock System Program, until 1996. See
1996 Md. Laws 3676, 3679 (Vol. VI, Ch. 648, H.B. 1149).
- 25 -
to due process because it did not fully advise him of administrative sanctions. See id. at
301, 604 A.2d at 916. This Court explained the right to due process as follows:
The continued possession of a driver’s license may become essential to
earning a livelihood; as such, it is an entitlement [that] cannot be taken
without the due process [that is] mandated by the Fourteenth Amendment. .
. . What process a [person] is due is, of course, dependent upon the facts and
circumstances of the case. To make that determination, we have to examine
the importance of the life, liberty, or property interest at stake and the extent
to which the questioned procedure might produce the possibility of
uninformed decision-making. Against the individual’s interest, we must
weigh the State’s legitimate competing interest, which necessarily includes
the avoidance of the increased administrative or fiscal burdens resulting from
the requested procedure.
As we have seen, [the driver]’s interest in his driver’s license is an important
one. Juxtaposed against that interest is the State’s interest in protecting its
citizens from drunk drivers[,] and, as a means of doing so, encouraging
suspected drunk drivers to take the [alcohol concentration] test, thus
facilitating their prosecution. The final factor to be considered is whether the
procedure chosen enhances informed decision-making.
Id. at 301, 303, 604 A.2d at 916, 917 (brackets, citations, ellipsis, and internal quotation
marks omitted).
This Court rejected the driver’s contention that the Advice of Rights form violated
his right to due process, stating:
A driver need not be told of every conceivable incentive for taking a[n
alcohol concentration test] or, for that matter, even one additional incentive
[that is] not required by [TR § 16-205.1]. This conclusion is, we think,
buttressed both by Maryland law and [by] common sense. As to the latter,
when it is once determined that a driver must be apprised of additional
incentives, there is no rational basis for determining which of those
additional incentives must be covered and which are not of sufficient value
to merit inclusion in the advice given the arrestee. . . . [D]ue process does not
always require the State affirmatively to inform a [person] of the availability
of options that might influence decision-making. It requires no more than
that the State not mislead the [person] or construct road[]blocks, thus unduly
burdening that decision-making. . . .
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Having provided the advice [that was] mandated by [TR § 16-205.1], the
[law enforcement] officer was not required to anticipate, or guess at, what
incentive would have caused the driver to take the [alcohol concentration]
test. Nor was he, as a matter of due process, required to provide any advice
other than that [which TR § 16-205.1] prescribed. Indeed, had he undertaken
to provide additional information[,] and it turned out to be misleading or
inaccurate, that, in itself, may have been a denial of due process. Due process
does not require the officer to weigh the relative merits, for encouragement
value, of particular consequences flowing from the decision whether to take
or refuse a[n alcohol concentration] test.
Id. at 304, 306, 604 A.2d at 918-19 (citations and paragraph break omitted).
In Motor Vehicle Admin. v. Chamberlain, 326 Md. 306, 319-20, 604 A.2d 919, 925
(1992), this Court commented on a driver’s right to due process in the form of being
advised of administrative sanctions. In Chamberlain, id. at 309, 604 A.2d at 920, a law
enforcement officer arrested the driver for driving while impaired, and read to the driver
from the then-current Advice of Rights form. The law enforcement officer requested that
the driver consent to take an alcohol concentration test, which the driver refused to take;
accordingly, the MVA suspended his driver’s license for 120 days. See id. at 310-11, 604
A.2d at 920-21. The driver requested an administrative hearing, at which he asserted that
he had not been adequately advised of the administrative sanctions for failing or refusing
to take an alcohol concentration test. See id. at 311, 604 A.2d at 921. An administrative
law judge imposed the same sanction that the MVA did. See id. at 311, 312, 604 A.2d at
921.
The driver petitioned for judicial review, and a trial court reversed the administrative
law judge’s decision, concluding that the driver had not been fully advised of
administrative sanctions because he had not been informed that a failure of an alcohol
- 27 -
concentration test could result in a modification of a suspension or a restrictive license.
See id. at 312, 604 A.2d at 922. Although the trial court concluded that the omission of
the advisement was a violation of the driver’s right to due process, see id. at 312, 604 A.2d
at 922, this Court expressly declined to address the issue as to due process because the
driver did not pursue the issue in this Court, see id. at 308 n.2, 604 A.2d at 920 n.2 (“In his
brief, not only does [the driver] refrain from making any constitutional arguments . . . , but
[also,] he conceded at oral argument that he did not raise the constitutional issues in the
first instance, the trial court having done so on its own, and, further, that his research did
not support the [trial] court’s determinations. Thus, we conclude that the [driver] no longer
wishes to pursue the constitutional issues. We will not, therefore, further consider them.”).
In this Court, the driver contended that TR § 16-205.1 required a law enforcement
officer to inform drivers that, unlike a refusal to take an alcohol concentration test, a failure
of an alcohol concentration test could result in a modification of a suspension or a
restrictive license. See id. at 314, 604 A.2d at 922. This Court rejected the driver’s
contention, and concluded that TR § 16-205.1 does not require a law enforcement officer
to give any advisements that are not already expressly listed in TR § 16-205.1(b). See id.
at 317, 604 A.2d at 924 (“The [General Assembly] . . . explicitly set out in [TR] § 16-
205.1(b)(1) what a driver must be told upon detention.”). This Court also noted that “the
possible eligibility for” a modification of a suspension or a restrictive license was a
“reward” or “incentive” that was not a “sanction” of which a law enforcement needed to
- 28 -
inform a driver. See id. at 318, 604 A.2d at 924 (emphasis in original).12
As noted above, this Court expressly declined to address whether the omission of
the advisement about modifications of suspensions and restrictive licenses was a violation
of the driver’s right to due process, see Chamberlain, 326 Md. at 308 n.2, 604 A.2d at 920
n.2; however, in the context of explaining why a modification of a suspension or a
restrictive license was a mere possibility rather than a certainty, this Court stated:
[I]t is not certain that, upon failure of the [alcohol concentration] test, the
driver’s suspension will be modified or a restrictive license issued. Thus,
any advice that fails to make clear that a reference to modification of
suspension or a restrictive license relates to eligibility only is likely to lead
to confusion. In point of fact, telling someone who may or may not meet the
statutory prerequisites, as encouragement to take the [alcohol concentration]
test, that he or she “may be entitled to a modified suspension or restrictive
license,” may be not simply inaccurate, and affirmatively misleading, it may
not be an incentive at all. This is especially likely to be the case when the
police officer, not having checked the driving record, tells a person who does
not meet any of the statutory prerequisites that he or she may qualify for a
modification of suspension or restrictive license if he or she takes the
[alcohol concentration] test. And it is also egregious when, though eligible,
the person is not absolutely entitled to the relief which is the subject of the
advice. Thus, it would be impossible to advise a driver without checking the
driving record and, if checked, guessing not only as to the driver’s eligibility,
but also the likelihood that he or she would be favorably considered. For this
reason as well[,] “sanctions” can only refer to an outcome that is certain to
happen. The suspension of the driver’s license must occur whenever the
statutory prerequisites have been met, whether the driver refuses the [alcohol
12
In 1993, the General Assembly superseded this Court’s holding in Hare, 326 Md.
at 304, 306, 604 A.2d at 918-19, and Chamberlain, 326 Md. at 314, 317, 604 A.2d at 922,
924, that TR § 16-205.1 did not require a law enforcement officer to inform drivers that,
unlike a refusal to take an alcohol concentration test, a failure of an alcohol concentration
test could result in a modification of a suspension or a restrictive license. Specifically, the
General Assembly amended TR § 16-205.1(b) to require a law enforcement officer to
advise a detained driver that a refusal to take an alcohol concentration test would result in
“ineligibility for modification of a suspension or issuance of a restrictive license[.]” 1993
Md. Laws 2247, 2248-49 (Vol. IV, Ch. 407, S.B. 18). This language remains in TR § 16-
205.1(b). See TR § 16-205.1(b)(2)(iv).
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concentration] test or fails the [alcohol concentration] test after taking it.
Id. at 319-20, 604 A.2d at 925-26 (italics in original) (citations and footnote omitted). In
a footnote that immediately followed the words “affirmatively misleading” (as quoted
above), this Court observed: “It may be that affirmatively to mislead the driver is to violate
the driver’s right to due process.” Id. at 319 n.9, 604 A.2d at 925 n.9 (citing Hare, 326 Md.
at 306, 604 A.2d at 919).
In Hill, 415 Md. at 248, 999 A.2d at 1028-29, this Court held that the then-current
Advice of Rights form did not violate a driver’s right to due process. In Hill, id. at 236,
999 A.2d at 1022, the driver, a holder of a commercial driver’s license, was driving a non-
commercial motor vehicle. A law enforcement officer arrested the driver for driving while
impaired, and read to the driver the entirety of the Advice of Rights form. See id. at 236,
999 A.2d at 1022. The law enforcement officer requested that the driver consent to take
an alcohol concentration test, which the driver refused to take; accordingly, the MVA
suspended his commercial driver’s license for 120 days and disqualified him from driving
a commercial motor vehicle for 1 year. See id. at 238-39, 999 A.2d at 1023. In other
words, the driver would be unable to drive any vehicle for 120 days, after which the driver
would be able to drive only non-commercial motor vehicles until 1 year had passed since
the disqualification began. The driver requested an administrative hearing, at which the
driver argued that the Advice of Rights form misled him by failing to state that, if he refused
to take an alcohol concentration test, the MVA would necessarily disqualify him from
driving a commercial motor vehicle for 1 year, regardless of whether the driver participated
in the Ignition Interlock System Program. See id. at 238, 999 A.2d at 1023. An
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administrative law judge rejected the driver’s contention, modified the suspension so that
the driver could drive non-commercial motor vehicles while participating in the Ignition
Interlock System Program for 1 year, and otherwise imposed the same sanction that the
MVA did. See id. at 238-39, 999 A.2d at 1023.
In this Court, the driver asserted that the Advice of Rights form prejudiced him
because he would have consented to taking an alcohol concentration test in the hopes that
his alcohol concentration was less than 0.08 had the Advice of Rights form stated that, if
the driver refused to take an alcohol concentration test, the MVA would disqualify him
from driving a commercial motor vehicle for 1 year, regardless of whether the driver
participated in the Ignition Interlock System Program. See id. at 242, 999 A.2d at 1025.
The driver contended that the Advice of Rights form misled holders of commercial driver’s
licenses to believe that they could refuse alcohol concentration tests and avoid being
disqualified from driving commercial vehicles by participating in the Ignition Interlock
System Program. See id. at 245, 999 A.2d at 1027.
This Court rejected the driver’s contention, stating:
[T]he [Advice of Rights] form properly advised [the driver] of the penalties
[that] he faced, and did not obstruct [the driver]’s decision-making process.
The text of the [Advice of Rights] form is plain. The following language is
included under the heading “Suspension of Your Maryland Driver’s License
or Driving Privilege:”
If you refuse to submit to a test: The suspension will be 120
days for a first offense and one year for a second or subsequent
offense. An additional criminal penalty of not more than $500
or imprisonment for not more than 2 months, or both, may be
imposed under [TR] § 27-101(x) [] if you are convicted of a
drunk or drugged driving offense under [TR] § 21-902, and the
judge or jury finds beyond a reasonable doubt that you
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knowingly refused to take a test arising out of the same
circumstances. If you hold a commercial driver’s license []
at the time you refuse to submit to a test, your [commercial
driver’s license] or privilege will be disqualified for 1 year.
(Emphasis added.) This language straightforwardly informs a suspected
drunk driver that [commercial driver’s license] driving privileges will be
suspended for a full year in the event that the driver refuses to submit to an
alcohol concentration test. This provision is one of only two references to a
[commercial driver’s license] on the whole of the [Advice of Rights] form;
the second addresses offenses occurring while actually driving a commercial
[motor] vehicle. The language reproduced above is unequivocal—it does not
offer any suggestion of mitigation or an alternative, nor should it, as no such
mitigation or alternative is possible under [TR § 16-205.1].
The heading immediately below this language, entitled “Modification of the
Suspension or Issuance of a Restrictive License,” is the first place at which
the [Advice of Rights] form mentions the possibility of modifying
suspensions through the issuance of a restrict[ive] license or participation in
the [Ignition] Interlock [System] Program. There are two significant points
of interest here. First, as the MVA discusses in its brief, this section
explicitly refers to suspensions, and not disqualifications. At no point under
this heading does the language of [the Advice of Rights form] discuss
disqualified licenses, or use a disjunctive phrase such as “suspension or
disqualification” in referring to the [Ignition] Interlock [System] Program.
Second, and more significantly, at no point does the language under this
heading mention a [commercial driver’s license] or commercial driving
privileges. Again, there are but two mentions of a [commercial driver’s
license] on the [Advice of Rights] form, and neither is incorporated into a
section addressing mitigation of, or alternatives to, [commercial driver’s
license] disqualification. On the whole, these passages are clear and
unambiguous, and neither create roadblocks to inhibit a driver’s decision-
making process nor incompletely advise a driver of the applicable sanctions
under [TR § 16-205.1].
Id. at 245-46, 999 A.2d at 1027-28 (brackets and footnotes omitted).
This Court summarized its holding as follows: “[The driver]’s due process rights
were not violated during his traffic stop because the information [that was] conveyed to
him in the [Advice of Rights] form was not misleading, and did not obstruct his ability to
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make an informed decision about whether to refuse an alcohol concentration test.” Id. at
248, 999 A.2d at 1028.13
As-Applied Challenges and Facial Challenges
Here, as a preliminary matter, we observe that it is unclear from the proceedings
before the ALJ whether Seenath raised an as-applied or a facial constitutional challenge to
the Advice of Rights form. An as-applied challenge is “a claim that a statute[14] is
unconstitutional on the facts of a particular case or in its application to a particular party.”
As-Applied Challenge, Black’s Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014). By contrast, a facial
challenge is “[a] claim that a statute is unconstitutional on its face — that is, that it always
operates unconstitutionally.” Facial Challenge, Black’s Law Dictionary (10th ed. 2014).
In other words, to be successful, a facial challenge “must establish that there is no set of
circumstances under which the [statute] would be constitutional[.]” Harrison-Solomon v.
State, 442 Md. 254, 287, 112 A.3d 408, 428 (2015) (citation omitted).
A party always has standing to raise an as-applied challenge, but a party has standing
13
In addition to rejecting the driver’s contention that the Advice of Rights form was
misleading, this Court rejected the driver’s contention that the Advice of Rights form was
inconsistent with TR § 16-205.1’s legislative history, which, according to the driver,
indicated that the General Assembly had intended to require a law enforcement officer to
inform a driver that, if the driver refused to take an alcohol concentration test, the MVA
would disqualify the driver from driving a commercial motor vehicle for 1 year, regardless
of whether the driver participated in the Ignition Interlock System Program. See Hill, 415
Md. at 246-47, 999 A.2d at 1028.
14
Here, the subject of the constitutional challenge is not a statute, but instead a
practice—namely, the advisement of rights and consequences in the Advice of Rights form.
We note, however, that the Advice of Rights form is derived from TR § 16-205.1. In any
event, the framework for the analysis as to as-applied and facial challenges remains the
same.
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to raise a facial challenge only if the statute or practice that is the subject of the facial
challenge may violate a fundamental constitutional right. See Galloway v. State, 365 Md.
599, 616-17, 781 A.2d 851, 861 (2001) (“If the challenged statute . . . encroaches upon
fundamental constitutional rights, particularly First Amendment guarantees of free speech
and assembly, then the statute should be scrutinized for vagueness on its face. . . .
[P]ermitting a defendant to challenge a statute on its face for vagueness becomes a rule of
standing which allows a defendant to challenge the validity of a statute even though the
statute as applied to the defendant is constitutional.” (Citations, footnotes, and internal
quotation marks omitted)).
Typically, a facial challenge in which a party contends that a statute is void-for-
vagueness arises out of a right under the First Amendment to the United States
Constitution. See id. at 616 n.11, 781 A.2d at 861 n.11 (“We have not applied [the void-
for-vagueness] standard to a facial challenge other than one implicating First Amendment
rights.” (Citation omitted)). Other types of facial challenges, however, have arisen out of
fundamental constitutional rights other than those that the First Amendment protects. See,
e.g., King v. State, 425 Md. 550, 593, 601, 42 A.3d 549, 575, 580 (2012), rev’d, ___ U.S.
___, 133 S. Ct. 1958 (2013) (This Court considered a facial challenge to a DNA collection
statute that arose out of the rights under the Search-and-Seizure Clause of the Fourth
Amendment to the United States Constitution.); Tyler v. City of Coll. Park, 415 Md. 475,
502, 494, 3 A.3d 421, 436, 431-32 (2010) (This Court considered a facial challenge to a
rent control statute that arose out of the rights to due process and equal protection under
Article 24 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights.); Griffin v. Bierman, 403 Md. 186, 195-
- 34 -
96, 941 A.2d 475, 480-81 (2008) (This Court considered “a facial challenge to the
Maryland foreclosure notice scheme” that arose out of the rights under the Due Process
Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article 24 of
the Maryland Declaration of Rights. (Footnote omitted)); Chapman v. State, 331 Md. 448,
467, 450, 628 A.2d 676, 686, 677 (1993) (This Court considered a facial challenge to a
statute that created an exception to the rule against hearsay “permitting the State to
introduce an affidavit of a bank to establish dishonor of a check or the status of an account
without requiring any of the bank’s employees to testify” where the facial challenge arose
out of the rights under the Confrontation Clauses of the Sixth Amendment to the United
States Constitution and Article 21 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights.).
In this case, the right at issue is not a “right to drive,” as there is no such right. See
State v. Sullivan, 407 Md. 493, 501, 966 A.2d 919, 923 (2009) (“Driving on the roads of
this State is [] not a right, but a privilege.” (Citation and internal quotation marks omitted)).
Instead, in this case, the right at issue is the right to due process where the State imposes a
sanction on a driver’s license. See Hill, 415 Md. at 242, 999 A.2d at 1025 (“[T]he
continued possession of a driver’s license may become essential to earning a livelihood; it
is, therefore, an entitlement that may not be taken away without the due process mandated
by the Fourteenth Amendment.” (Citation and internal quotation marks omitted)); Hare,
326 Md. at 301, 604 A.2d at 916 (same). As did the parties who raised facial challenges
that arose out of the right to due process in Tyler, 415 Md. at 502, 494, 3 A.3d at 436, 431-
32, and Griffin, 403 Md. at 195-96, 941 A.2d at 480-81, here, Seenath has standing to raise
a facial challenge that arises out of the right to due process.
- 35 -
As stated above, it is unclear whether Seenath raised an as-applied challenge or a
facial challenge to the Advice of Rights form. At the administrative hearing, Seenath’s
counsel contended that the Advice of Rights form is “incorrect as it applies to” Seenath.
By contrast, in his brief, Seenath argues that the Advice of Rights form gives “erroneous
advice [] to [commercial driver’s license] holders[.]” And, at oral argument, in response
to a question about whether the alleged violation of due process occurred as to Seenath in
particular or holders of commercial driver’s licenses in general, Seenath’s counsel
responded: “Both.”
In the petition for a writ of certiorari, however, the MVA presented an issue that
encompasses both an as-applied and a facial challenge: “Does the standard Advice of
Rights form (DR-15) provide the necessary information to a driver who holds a commercial
driver’s license of the consequences of submitting to a test of blood alcohol content if the
driver’s results are 0.08 or more?” Given that the MVA has framed the issue broadly to
include both the as-applied and facial validity of the Advice of Rights form—and, in doing
so, undoubtedly seeks guidance from this Court as to the propriety of the Advice of Rights
form’s future use—we address both the as-applied issue and the facial issue. We address
the as-applied issue first. See King, 425 Md. at 593, 42 A.3d at 575 (“It is generally
preferable for a court to analyze whether a statute is constitutional under the more narrow
as-applied standard first, as a matter of judicial efficiency[,] rather than analyzing the
broader facial challenge first.” (Citation omitted)).
As-Applied Challenge
We have no difficulty in concluding that the Advice of Rights form does not violate
- 36 -
the Due Process Clause as applied in this case, as the record contains no indication
whatsoever that Seenath was misled by the Advice of Rights form. At the administrative
hearing, Seenath did not testify about any matter pertaining to the Advice of Rights form.
In other words, Seenath did not testify that he was misled by the Advice of Rights form
into consenting to take an alcohol concentration test; that he might have chosen to refuse
to take an alcohol concentration test had the Advice of Rights form provided additional
information; or that the Advice of Rights form caused him to incorrectly believe that, if he
failed an alcohol concentration test, he would be eligible for a restrictive license. Cf. Hare,
326 Md. at 297-99, 604 A.2d at 914-15 (At an administrative hearing, a driver testified that
he probably would have consented to take an alcohol concentration test had he known that
he would be ineligible for a modification of a suspension or a restrictive license if he
refused to take an alcohol concentration test.). Additionally, nothing in the Officer’s
Certification and Order of Suspension or the Advice of Rights form that Seenath signed
indicates that Seenath expressed any confusion about the Advice of Rights form, or asked
any questions about the consequences of failing or refusing to take an alcohol concentration
test. In short, Seenath has failed to establish any link between his decision to consent to
take an alcohol concentration test and any alleged omission or misleading information in
the Advice of Rights form.
As the MVA points out, another factor to be considered in determining whether the
Advice of Rights violated Seenath’s right to due process is whether Seenath was prejudiced
in any way by his decision to consent to take an alcohol concentration test. In this case,
Seenath incurred no negative consequences as result of the decision to take—rather than
- 37 -
refuse to take—an alcohol concentration test. Seenath was a first-time offender; the
alcohol concentration test indicated an alcohol concentration of 0.15; and, in accordance
with TR § 16-205.1(f)(8)(v)(2), the ALJ suspended Seenath’s commercial driver’s license
for 90 days. If Seenath had refused to take an alcohol concentration test, then the ALJ
would have been required to not only suspend Seenath’s commercial driver’s license for
120 days, see TR § 16-205.1(f)(8)(v)(5), but also to disqualify Seenath from driving
commercial motor vehicles for 1 year, see TR § 16-205.1(f)(4)(ii)(1). In other words,
because he decided to take the alcohol concentration test, Seenath was subject to a
mandatory suspension that was 30 days shorter than it would have been had he refused to
take the alcohol concentration test, and Seenath avoided being disqualified from driving
commercial motor vehicles for 1 year. As explained above, TR § 16-205.1(f)(8)(vii) and
COMAR 11.11.12.07A do not provide for a “restrictive commercial driver’s license”; thus,
Seenath was ineligible for a restrictive commercial driver’s license, regardless of whether
he failed or refused to take the alcohol concentration test.
Seenath suffered no prejudice as a result of his decision to consent to take an alcohol
concentration test. Cf. Hill, 415 Md. at 242, 999 A.2d at 1025 (A driver asserted that the
Advice of Rights form prejudiced him because he would have consented to taking an
alcohol concentration test in the hopes that his alcohol concentration was less than 0.08
had the Advice of Rights form stated that, if the driver refused to take an alcohol
concentration test, the MVA would disqualify him from driving a commercial motor
vehicle for 1 year, regardless of whether the driver participated in the Ignition Interlock
System Program.). In sum, Seenath has not alleged that he was misled in any way by the
- 38 -
Advice of Rights form, and he was not prejudiced by his decision to take the alcohol
concentration test. We discern no constitutional violation with respect to use of the Advice
of Rights form as applied to Seenath.
Facial Challenge
Having addressed the as-applied challenge, we turn to the facial issue. We must
decide whether the Advice of Rights form comports with due process in general.
Specifically, the question in this case is whether the Advice of Rights form is misleading
as to a commercial driver’s license holder’s eligibility for a restrictive license where the
commercial driver’s license holder drives a non-commercial motor vehicle and fails an
alcohol concentration test.15 See Hill, 415 Md. at 248, 999 A.2d at 1028 (“[The driver]’s
due process rights were not violated during his traffic stop because the information
conveyed to him in the [Advice of Rights] form was not misleading, and did not obstruct
his ability to make an informed decision about whether to refuse an alcohol concentration
test.”).
In reaching our decision, we must weigh the detained driver’s interests—which
include making informed decisions about whether to consent to take alcohol concentration
15
The Supreme Court has stated that facial challenges are rarely successful. See,
e.g., Shelby Cnty., Ala. v. Holder, ___ U.S. ___, 133 S. Ct. 2612, 2645 (2013) (“A facial
challenge to a [statute] . . . is, of course, the most difficult challenge to mount successfully,
since the challenger must establish that no set of circumstances exists under which the
[statute] would be valid.” (Citation and internal quotation marks omitted)); Nat’l
Endowment for the Arts v. Finley, 524 U.S. 569, 580 (1998) (“Facial invalidation is,
manifestly, strong medicine that has been employed by the Court sparingly and only as a
last resort.” (Citations and internal quotation marks omitted)); FW/PBS, Inc. v. City of
Dallas, 493 U.S. 215, 223 (1990) (“[F]acial challenges to [statutes] are generally
disfavored[.]”).
- 39 -
tests and being able to earn a living by driving—against the State’s interests, which include
protecting the public, deterring drunk and/or drugged driving, and encouraging detained
drivers to consent to take alcohol concentration tests. See id. at 242, 999 A.2d at 1025
(“[T]he continued possession of a driver’s license may become essential to earning a
livelihood . . . . Accused drunk drivers have a significant interest at stake in deciding
whether to submit to a State-administered chemical sobriety test . . . . This interest is
balanced against the State’s compelling interest in protecting its citizens from drunk
drivers, including an interest in encouraging suspects to submit to alcohol concentration
tests[.]” (Brackets, citations, and internal quotation marks omitted)); Hare, 326 Md. at 303,
604 A.2d at 917 (“[W]e have to examine . . . the extent to which the questioned procedure
might produce the possibility of uninformed decision-making.” (Citation and internal
quotation marks omitted)).
Applying these principles to the issue in this case leads to the conclusion that the
Advice of Rights form is not misleading as to a commercial driver’s license holder’s
eligibility for a restrictive commercial driver’s license where the driver fails an alcohol
concentration test while driving a non-commercial motor vehicle. The Advice of Rights
form advises detained drivers regarding the mandatory suspensions for failing or refusing
to take an alcohol concentration test as follows:
If your test result is an alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 but less than
0.15: The suspension will be 45 days for a first offense and 90 days for a
second or subsequent offense. If your test result is an alcohol concentration
of 0.15 or more: The suspension will be 90 days for a first offense and 180
days for a second or subsequent offense. If you refuse to submit to a test:
The suspension will be 120 days for a first offense and one (1) year for a
second or subsequent offense.
- 40 -
(Bolding and paragraph breaks omitted). All of the above information regarding
mandatory suspensions is accurate and applies to holders of commercial driver’s licenses
and non-commercial driver’s licenses alike. See TR § 16-205.1(f)(4)(i), (f)(8)(v).
We find no merit in Seenath’s contention that the Advice of Rights form indicates
that the mandatory suspensions apply only to a commercial driver’s license holder’s ability
to drive non-commercial vehicles. In no uncertain terms, the Advice of Rights form
advises detained drivers that these mandatory suspensions “shall be imposed against your
license[.]” In no way does the Advice of Rights form imply that these mandatory
suspensions apply only to the ability to drive a non-commercial motor vehicle, or that these
mandatory suspensions do not apply to commercial driver’s licenses and/or the ability to
drive a commercial motor vehicle. Indeed, it would be an absurd result, not consistent with
protecting the public from drunk or drugged drivers, if a holder of a commercial driver’s
license failed or refused to take an alcohol concentration test and either received no
suspension at all, or were prohibited only from driving non-commercial motor vehicles and
remained able to drive commercial motor vehicles. Simply put, Seenath is incorrect in
contending that the Advice of Rights form indicates that it would be possible for no
suspension of a commercial driver’s license to result from a failure of an alcohol
concentration test.
Seenath’s contention that the Advice of Rights form indicates that it would be
possible for a restrictive license to result where a holder of a commercial driver’s license
fails an alcohol concentration test is also incorrect. Under the heading “Modification of
- 41 -
the Suspension or Issuance of a Restrictive License,” the Advice of Rights form states, in
pertinent part:
If your test result is an alcohol concentration of 0.08 but less than 0.15: The
suspension may be modified or a restrictive license issued at a hearing in
certain circumstances[.] If you refuse a test, or take a test with a result of
0.15 or more: You will be ineligible for modification of the suspension or
issuance of a restrictive license, unless you participate in the Ignition
Interlock System Program under [TR] § 16-404.1 [].
(Paragraph break and some bolding omitted) (some bolding added). To begin, the language
describing the issuance of a restrictive license in the Advice of Rights form does not
reference holders of commercial driver’s licenses; i.e., the language in no way affirmatively
indicates that a restrictive license is available to holders of commercial driver’s licenses.
Seenath appears to rely on the circumstance that, because the language does not distinguish
between holders of commercial driver’s licenses and holders of non-commercial driver’s
licenses, the language regarding the issuance of a restrictive license must apply to both
holders of commercial and non-commercial driver’s licenses. In doing so, Seenath ignores
the circumstance that the advisement does not guarantee that any driver will be eligible for
a restrictive license. By using the terms “may” and “in certain circumstances” as qualifiers,
the Advice of Rights form makes clear that a detained driver—a holder of a commercial
driver’s license or a holder of a non-commercial driver’s license—will not necessarily be
eligible for a restrictive license if the driver takes an alcohol concentration test that
indicates an alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 but less than 0.15. For example, a driver
with a non-commercial driver’s license is ineligible for a restrictive license without
participating in the Ignition Interlock System Program if, during the past 5 years, the
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driver’s license has been suspended under TR § 16-205.1. See TR § 16-205.1(n)(1)(ii).
Similarly, a holder of a commercial driver’s license is ineligible for a restrictive license.
See TR § 16-205.1(f)(8)(vii) (“A disqualification of . . . a commercial driver’s license is
not subject to any modifications, nor may a restricted . . . commercial driver’s license be
issued in lieu of a disqualification.”); COMAR 11.11.12.07A (“The [MVA] may not issue
any type of temporary, conditional, or work[-]restricted license permitting an individual to
drive a commercial motor vehicle during any period in which the individual’s driving
privilege is . . . suspended[.]”). In short, the Advice of Rights form does not in any way
indicate that a driver will with certainty be eligible for a restrictive license if the driver
takes an alcohol concentration test that indicates an alcohol concentration of at least 0.08
but less than 0.15. To the contrary, the plain import of the language is that, under certain
circumstances, drivers with either a commercial or non-commercial driver’s license may
or may not be eligible for a restrictive license.
Nor does the Advice of Rights form in any way indicate that a driver will definitely
be eligible for a restrictive license if the driver takes an alcohol concentration test that
indicates an alcohol concentration of at least 0.15. The Advice of Rights form states that,
under that circumstance, “[y]ou will be ineligible for modification of the suspension or
issuance of a restrictive license, unless you participate in the Ignition Interlock System
Program[.]” (Emphasis added). By using the word “unless,” the Advice of Rights form
makes clear that, if the driver takes an alcohol concentration test that indicates an alcohol
concentration of at least 0.15, then participation in the Ignition Interlock System Program
is necessary for eligibility for a restrictive license. But participation in the Ignition
- 43 -
Interlock System Program alone is not sufficient for eligibility for a restrictive license. The
plain language of the Advice of Rights form notifies a driver that “[a] suspension may be
modified or a restrictive license issued at a hearing in certain circumstances.” In other
words, after taking an alcohol concentration test with a result of 0.15 or higher,
participation in the Ignition Interlock System Program is a prerequisite, but not the only
prerequisite, for eligibility for a restrictive license. The other prerequisites are the “certain
circumstances” that are mentioned in the sentence directly preceding the advisement about
the Ignition Interlock System Program in the Advice of Rights form and that are applicable
where the test result is at least 0.08 but less than 0.15. And, as noted above, one such
prerequisite for eligibility for a restrictive license is that the driver holds a non-commercial
driver’s license. See TR § 16-205.1(f)(8)(vii); COMAR 11.11.12.07A. It would be
illogical, indeed, that a driver would fail an alcohol concentration test with a result of 0.15
or higher and not be subject to the same prerequisites as prescribed for drivers who attain
a test result of 0.08 to less than 0.15. Thus, contrary to Seenath’s position, the Advice of
Rights form does not indicate that a holder of a commercial driver’s license who failed an
alcohol concentration test may obtain a restrictive commercial driver’s license merely by
participating in the Ignition Interlock System Program.
Our holding is supported by this Court’s precedent, which confirms that the Advice
of Rights form need not inform a detained driver of every possible enticement for taking
an alcohol concentration test and by analogy of every single possible permutation of the
consequences of either failing or refusing to take an alcohol concentration test. See Hare,
326 Md. at 304, 604 A.2d at 918 (“A driver need not be told of every conceivable incentive
- 44 -
for taking” an alcohol concentration test.). Indeed, it is doubtful that the Advice of Rights
form even could do so. The Advice of Rights form’s purpose is to assist law enforcement
officers with making the advisements that TR § 16-205.1(b) requires—specifically,
advisements about certain consequences of either failing or refusing to take an alcohol
concentration test. See Hill, 415 Md. at 236-37, 999 A.2d at 1022 (“[The Advice of Rights
form] was designed by the MVA to explain to persons detained under [TR §] 16-205.1 that
they have the right to refuse an alcohol concentration test, as well as to explain the potential
sanctions that could arise from either taking and ‘failing’ the [alcohol concentration] test
(i.e., showing a systemic alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or greater) or refusing to
take the [alcohol concentration] test at all.”). TR § 16-205.1(b) requires several
advisements, so the Advice of Rights form is several paragraphs long. At a certain point,
adding advisements to the Advice of Rights form would diminish the Advice of Rights
form’s effectiveness and increase the risk of confusion by inundating detained drivers with
information that may or may not be applicable to a particular detained driver. Moreover,
the availability of access to a restrictive license is an incentive to consent to take an alcohol
concentration test, rather than a sanction or negative consequence. TR § 16-205.1(b) does
not require that a driver be advised of the availability of incentives to consent to take an
alcohol concentration test. By contrast, TR § 16-205.1(b) does require under certain
circumstances that a driver be advised of his or her ineligibility for incentives. See TR §
16-205.1(b)(2)(iv) (“[I]f a police officer stops or detains any person who the police officer
has reasonable grounds to believe is or has been driving or attempting to drive a motor
vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, . . . and who is not unconscious or otherwise
- 45 -
incapable of refusing to take a test, the police officer shall: . . . Advise the person of the
administrative sanctions, including ineligibility for modification of a suspension or
issuance of a restrictive license unless the person participates in the Ignition Interlock
System Program . . . that shall be imposed for refusal to take the test and for test results
indicating an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more at the time of testing[.]”); TR § 16-
205.1(b)(3)(viii)(3) (“If the person refuses to take the test or takes a test which results in
an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more at the time of testing, the police officer shall: . .
Within 72 hours after issuance of the order of suspension, send . . . a sworn statement to
the [MVA] that states: . . . The person was fully advised of the administrative sanctions
that shall be imposed, including the fact that a person who refuses to take the test or takes
a test that indicates an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more at the time of testing is
ineligible for modification of a suspension or issuance of a restrictive license under [TR §
16-205.1](n)[.]”). TR § 16-205.1(b) does not require that drivers be explicitly advised that
a restrictive license is not available to holders of commercial driver’s licenses who fail an
alcohol concentration test with a result of at least 0.15.
Our holding furthers TR § 16-205.1’s purpose, which “is not to provide procedural
protections to drivers who are suspected to be impaired by alcohol, drugs, or both; instead,
TR § 16-205.1’s purpose is to protect the public by deterring drunk and/or drugged
driving.” Gonce, 446 Md. at 127, 130 A.3d at 452-53 (citations omitted). To that end, TR
§ 16-205.1 is designed to strongly encourage a driver to consent to take an alcohol
concentration test. See Hill, 415 Md. at 242, 999 A.2d at 1025 (“[T]he State’s compelling
interest in protecting its citizens from drunk drivers[] include[es] an interest in encouraging
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suspects to submit to alcohol concentration tests so as to improve administrative
efficiency.” (Citing Hare, 326 Md. at 303, 604 A.2d at 917)); Hare, 326 Md. at 303, 604
A.2d at 917 (This Court referred to “the State’s interest in protecting its citizens from drunk
drivers and, as a means of doing so, encouraging suspected drunk drivers to take the
[alcohol concentration] test, thus facilitating their prosecution.” (Citations omitted)).
Conclusion
In sum, there is no merit in either an as-applied or a facial challenge to the Advice
of Rights form. The Advice of Rights form does not violate due process as applied to this
case, as the record contains no indication that Seenath was misled by the Advice of Rights
form, and Seenath was not at all prejudiced as a result of his decision to consent to take an
alcohol concentration test. The Advice of Rights form is not misleading concerning a
commercial driver’s license holder’s eligibility for a restrictive license where the
commercial driver’s license holder drives a non-commercial motor vehicle and fails an
alcohol concentration test; stated otherwise, the Advice of Rights form comports with due
process.
JUDGMENT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR
MONTGOMERY COUNTY REVERSED. CASE
REMANDED TO THAT COURT WITH
INSTRUCTIONS TO AFFIRM THE DECISION
OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE.
RESPONDENT TO PAY COSTS.
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Circuit Court for Montgomery County
Case No. 405656V
Argued: April 5, 2016
IN THE COURT OF APPEALS
OF MARYLAND
No. 82
September Term, 2015
______________________________________
MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION
v.
SUNDAR SEENATH
______________________________________
Barbera, C.J.,
*Battaglia,
Greene,
Adkins,
McDonald,
Watts,
Hotten,
JJ.
______________________________________
Dissenting Opinion by Hotten, J.
______________________________________
Filed: May 23, 2016
*Battaglia, J., now retired, participated in the
hearing and conference of this case while an
active member of this Court; after bring recalled
pursuant to the Constitution, Article IV, Section
3A, she also participated in the decision and
adoption of the majority opinion.
I respectfully dissent from the majority opinion. I believe that the Advice of Rights
form failed to provide notice to the driver of a non-commercial vehicle that his or her
commercial driver’s license would be suspended for registering an alcohol concentration
of 0.08 or higher.
As outlined in the majority opinion, the mandatory sanctions triggered by an alcohol
concentration of at least 0.08 but less than 0.15, and the mandatory sanctions triggered by
an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher, “apply to commercial driver’s licenses and non-
commercial driver’s licenses alike.” Maj. Slip Op. at 16. Accordingly, due process
required that the Advice Rights form include notice of these sanctions, and that any
information provided not be “misleading or inaccurate.” See Md. Code (1977, Repl. Vol.
2012, 2015 Supp.), § 16-205.1(b)(2)(iii) and (b)(2)(iv) of the Transportation Article (“TR”)
(noting that “the police officer shall… [a]dvise the person of the administrative sanctions
that shall be imposed for test results indicating an alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 but
less than 0.15 at the time of testing[,]” along with “the administrative sanctions… for test
results indicating an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more[.]”); see also Hill v. Motor
Vehicle Admin., 415 Md. 231, 244, 999 A.2d 1019, 1026 (2010) (“[A]ny consideration of
whether Hill’s due process rights were violated will hinge solely on an analysis of whether
the [Advice of Rights] form… correctly advised Hill of the proper sanctions applicable
under the statute without being misleading.”).
In the case at bar, the Advice of Rights form failed to provide notice of the
mandatory sanctions affecting a commercial driver’s license, or, at a minimum, was
misleading concerning those sanctions. Under the heading “Suspension of Your Maryland
Driver’s License or Driving Privilege”, the Advice of Rights form provided:
The following periods of suspension shall be imposed against your license
or privilege to drive in Maryland:
If your test result is an alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 but less
than 0.15: The suspension will be 45 days for a first offense and 90 days for
a second or subsequent offense.
If your test result is an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more: The
suspension will be 90 days for a first offense and 180 days for a second or
subsequent offense.
If you refuse to submit to a test: The suspension will be 120 days for
a first offense and one (1) year for a second or subsequent offense. An
additional criminal penalty of not more than $500 or imprisonment for not
more than 2 months[,] or both, may be imposed under [TR] § 27-101(x) [] if
you are convicted of a drunk or drugged driving offense under [TR] § 21-
902, and the judge or jury finds beyond a reasonable doubt that you
knowingly refused to take a test arising out of the same circumstances[.] If
you hold a commercial driver’s license [] and were driving a non-
commercial motor vehicle when you were stopped, and refuse to submit to a
test, your [commercial driver’s license] or privilege will be disqualified for
one (1) year for a first offense[,] or for life if your [commercial driver’s
license] or privilege has been previously disqualified for at least one (1) year
under [TR] § 16-812(a) or (b) [], a federal law, or any other [S]tate’s law[.]
If you were driving a commercial motor vehicle and refuse the test, your
[commercial driver’s license] or privilege will be disqualified as set forth
below[.]
(emphasis omitted) (emphasis added). The phrase, “[t]he following periods of suspension
shall be imposed against your license …[,]” could be perceived as encompassing only non-
commercial driving privileges. (emphasis added). This is because the Advice of Rights
form, when describing the sanction for refusal to take an alcohol concentration test, lists
the suspension that shall be imposed on a driver’s license, and also references a one-year
“disqualification” of a “commercial driver’s license” or “CDL.” The inclusion of the terms
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“CDL” and “disqualification”, as distinguished from “license” and “suspension” elsewhere
in the form, gives the impression that a “suspension” of the driver’s “license” is not as all-
encompassing as the majority would suggest. Thus, the description of the sanctions for
taking and failing an alcohol concentration test, which only pertain to the driver’s “license”,
did not provide notice of the mandatory sanctions affecting the driver’s commercial license.
This Court’s opinion in Hill, where we held that the Advice of Rights form did not
mislead a driver that the disqualification of his CDL could be modified through
participation in the ignition interlock program, is instructive. 415 Md. at 248, 999 A.2d at
1028. In that case, we noted, inter alia, that the section of the form under the heading
“Modification of the Suspension or Issuance of a Restrictive License” did not “mention a
CDL or commercial driving privileges[,]” so the Advice of Rights form did not mislead
Mr. Hill or “incompletely advise [him] of the applicable sanctions[.]” Id. at 246, 999 A.2d
at 1027-28. Our reasoning in Hill—indicating that commercial driving privileges are only
at issue where the form makes specific mention of a commercial driver’s license—should
apply to all sections of the Advice of Rights form. Therefore, if the section of the form
concerning modifications did not pertain to commercial driving privileges because the term
“CDL” was missing in Hill, then the section of the form discussing suspensions, which
also omits the term “CDL,” should be interpreted similarly in the case at bar.
I agree with the majority that it would be inconsistent with the protection of the
public, “if a holder of a commercial driver’s license failed … an alcohol concentration test
and … remained able to drive commercial vehicles.” Maj. Slip Op. at 41. However, we
are not tasked with interpreting the Advice of Rights form in a way that will best serve the
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public good, and we should not expect a driver detained on suspicion of drunk or drugged
driving to contemplate the meaning of the form in such a public-spirited manner. The plain
language of the Advice of Rights form leads a driver to believe that his or her commercial
driving privileges would be unaffected by the failure of an alcohol concentration test. I
would therefore affirm the decision of the circuit court.
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