Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles v. Daniel N. Newlin

FILED
Apr 11 2017, 6:36 am

CLERK
Indiana Supreme Court
Court of Appeals
and Tax Court

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANTS
Curtis T. Hill, Jr.
Attorney General of Indiana
Aaron T. Craft
Matthew R. Elliott
Deputy Attorneys General
Indianapolis, Indiana

IN THE
COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA

Indiana Bureau of Motor April 11, 2017
Vehicles, et al., Court of Appeals Case No.
Appellants-Respondents, 45A03-1611-MI-2457
Appeal from the Lake Circuit
v. Court
The Honorable George C. Paras,
Daniel N. Newlin, Judge
Appellee-Petitioner. The Honorable Alice A. Kuzemka,
Magistrate
Trial Court Cause No.
45C01-1606-MI-198

Bradford, Judge.

Case Summary

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 45A03-1611-MI-2457 | April 11, 2017 Page 1 of 6
[1] On January 25, 2016, as the result of a case out of Kosciusko County, Daniel

Newlin’s driving privileges were suspended by Appellant-Respondent the

Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (“BMV”) for two years due to his refusal to

submit to a chemical test. On June 24, 2016, Newlin filed a verified petition for

specialized driving privileges in Lake County. The trial court granted his

motion. The BMV filed a motion to correct error arguing that Newlin was

ineligible for specialized driving privileges pursuant to Indiana Code subsection

9-30-16-1(a)(2). The trial court denied the BMV’s motion.

[2] The BMV argues that the trial court’s grant of specialized driving privileges to

Newlin with respect to this two-year suspension for refusing to submit to a

chemical test was not supported by sufficient evidence and was contrary to law.

We agree that the grant of specialize driving privileges to Newlin was contrary

to law and not supported by the evidence. Consequently, we reverse and

remand with instructions.

Facts and Procedural History
[3] Shortly after midnight on December 24, 2015, Newlin was stopped for traveling

seventy-nine miles per hour in a sixty mile-per-hour zone in Kosciusko County

and for failing to merge for an emergency vehicle. The officer who stopped

Newlin observed that Newlin was unsteady, was slurring his speech, and had

blood-shot eyes. The officer advised Newlin of Indiana’s implied consent law,

but Newlin refused to submit to a chemical test.

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[4] On January 25, 2016, the BMV suspended Newlin’s driving privileges for

refusing to submit to a chemical test after the BMV received the probable cause

affidavit. The suspension was a two-year suspension that was to run through

January 25, 2018.

[5] On April 14, 2016, the Kosciusko Superior Court convicted Newlin of

operating while intoxicated, with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 or

above for the offense committed on December 24, 2015. The trial court

subsequently suspended Newlin’s driving privileges for one year. The

suspension has never been stayed by the Kosciusko trial court, nor did that

court grant specialized driving privileges to Newlin.

[6] Newlin’s driving privileges were suspended by the BMV again for his failure to

file insurance. That suspension was only to run through August 2016. On June

21, 2016, Newlin completed a court-approved alcohol program in Kosciusko

County. Newlin also obtained insurance.

[7] On June 24, 2016, Newlin filed a verified petition for specialized driving

privileges in the Lake Circuit Court. In his petition, Newlin only stated that his

license had been suspended “for failure to file insurance.” App. p. 8. Newlin

further stated that he was “not ineligible by any of the exceptions set under Ind.

Code. section 9-30-16-1 or 9-30-16-5.” App. p. 8. At the hearing, Newlin

admitted that his privileges had been suspended for refusing to take a chemical

test.

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[8] On July 12, 2016, after the hearing, the trial court in Lake County issued an

order granting Newlin’s petition for specialized driving privileges. The Lake

County court also found that Newlin was not ineligible for specialized driving

privileges, but that he had three administrative suspensions: a suspension from

May 30, 2016 to August 28, 2016, for failure to file insurance; a suspension

from January 25, 2016 to January 25, 2018, for refusing a chemical test; and a

suspension from January 26, 2018, to January 26, 2019, for operating while

intoxicated. The court, however, stayed all three suspensions. The only

condition it imposed upon Newlin was that he use an interlock device for 180

days. In other words, the Lake County trial court lifted the two-year

suspension for his refusal to submit to a chemical test despite being statutorily

ineligible.

[9] On August 10, 2016, the BMV filed a motion to correct error along with three

exhibits. The BMV argued that Newlin was ineligible for specialized driving

privileges because one of his suspensions was imposed for his failure to submit

to a chemical test pursuant to Indiana Code section 9-30-16-1(a)(2). After a

hearing, the Lake County trial court denied the motion to correct error.

Discussion and Decision
[10] Newlin did not file an appellee brief. We will not develop an argument for the

appellee in such cases and we apply a less stringent standard of review. See

Wharton v. State, 42 N.E.23d 539, 541 (Ind. Ct. App. 2015). “We may reverse if

the appellant is able to establish prima facie error, which is error at first sight,

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 on first appearance, or on the face of it.” Id. However, “[t]he appellee’s failure

to provide argument does not relieve us of our obligation to correctly apply the

law to the facts in the record in order to determine whether reversal is

required.” Id.

[11] The BMV is appealing the denial of its motion to correct error filed with the

Lake County trial court. Specifically, the BMV argues that the trial court’s

finding that Newlin was eligible for specialized driving privileges was not

supported by the evidence and is contrary to law. Pursuant to Indiana Code

subsection 9-30-16-1(a)(2), a person is ineligible for specialized driving

privileges if the suspension is “based on the person’s refusal to submit to a

chemical test offered under IC 9-30-6 or IC 9-30-7.”

[12] This court reviews a trial court’s decision to deny a motion to correct error for

an abuse of discretion. Ind. and Ind. Bureau of Motor Vehicles v. Hargrave, 51

N.E.3d 255, 259 (Ind. Ct .App. 2016). “A trial court abuses its discretion when

its decision is contrary to law.” Id. Here, as previously mentioned, Newlin’s

driving privileges were suspended, in part, due to his refusal to submit to a

chemical test. Therefore, it was contrary to law to award Newlin specialized

driving privileges and the BMV’s motion to correct error should have been

granted.

[13] We reverse and remand with instructions to the trial court to lift the stay of

Newlin’s two-year suspension for his refusal to submit to a chemical test and to

revoke his specialized driving privileges.

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Najam, J, and Riley, J., concur.

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