Alvarado v. N.D. Dept. of Transportation

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DOT1:G 1'  >ˆ@ 7KHSHQDOW\RIUHYRFDWLRQRIDQRSHUDWRU¶VGULYLQJSULYLOHJHVIRUUHIXVLQJWR VXEPLWWRDFKHPLFDOWHVWLVLPSRVHGE\1'&&†,WSURYLGHVWKDWWKH SHQDOW\RIUHYRFDWLRQLVLPSRVHG³>L@IDSHUVRQUHIXVHVWRVXEPLWWRWHVWLQJXQGHU VHFWLRQ´DQGUHYRFDWLRQLVLPSRVHGZKHQLWKDVEHHQGHWHUPLQHG³WKHSHUVRQ KDGUHIXVHGWRVXEPLWWRWKHWHVWRUWHVWVXQGHUVHFWLRQ´7KHXQDPELJXRXV ODQJXDJH RI  1'&& †  UHTXLUHV D UHTXHVW IRU D WHVW EH PDGH XQGHU 1'&& †   $GGLWLRQDOO\ WKH VWDWXWRU\ JXLGDQFH IRU FRQGXFWLQJ WKH DGPLQLVWUDWLYHKHDULQJVSHFLILFDOO\SURYLGHV³>W@KHVFRSHRIDKHDULQJIRUUHIXVLQJWR VXEPLWWRDWHVWXQGHUVHFWLRQ´1'&&† >ˆ@ 2XUSULRUGHFLVLRQVLQThrolsonBauerDQGScottVXSSRUWWKHFRQFOXVLRQWKDW DQRSHUDWRU¶VUHIXVDOLVSUHGLFDWHGXSRQDYDOLGUHTXHVWWRVXEPLWWRWHVWLQJSXUVXDQW WR 1'&& †   7KH ODQJXDJH RI 1'&& †  UHODWLQJ WR WKH LPSRVLWLRQRIUHYRFDWLRQDVDSHQDOW\DQG1'&&†UHODWLQJWRKRZWKH DGPLQLVWUDWLYHKHDULQJLVFRQGXFWHGERWKUHTXLUHDUHTXHVWIRUWHVWLQJEHPDGHXQGHU 1'&&†:HFRQFOXGHWKDWDSUHUHTXLVLWHWRDGHWHUPLQDWLRQWKDWDQ RSHUDWRUKDVUHIXVHGDUHTXHVWIRUWHVWLQJLVILQGLQJWKDWWKHUHTXHVWIRUWHVWLQJZDV PDGHXQGHU1'&&†  >ˆ@ 7KLV &RXUW UHYLHZV DGPLQLVWUDWLYH DJHQF\ GHFLVLRQV WR VXVSHQG GULYLQJ SULYLOHJHVXQGHU1'&&FKDQG DFFRUGV JUHDWGHIHUHQFHWRWKHDJHQF\¶V GHFLVLRQGuthmiller, v. N.D. Dep’t of Transp1'ˆ1:G7KLV &RXUWPXVWDIILUPDQDJHQF\¶VGHFLVLRQXQOHVV 7KHRUGHULVQRWLQDFFRUGDQFHZLWKWKHODZ  7KHFRQFOXVLRQVRIODZDQGRUGHURIWKHDJHQF\DUHQRW VXSSRUWHGE\LWVILQGLQJVRIIDFW  Id >ˆ@ 7KHDGPLQLVWUDWLYHKHDULQJRIILFHUIRXQGWKDW$OYDUDGRZDV³UHDGDSDUWLDO LPSOLHGFRQVHQWDGYLVRU\´ZKLFK³GLGQRWLQIRUP0U$OYDUDGRWKDWUHIXVDORIWKH FKHPLFDOEUHDWKWHVWZDVDFULPHSXQLVKDEOHLQWKHVDPHPDQQHUDVD'8,´7KH DGPLQLVWUDWLYHKHDULQJRIILFHUWKHUHDIWHUFRQFOXGHG$OYDUDGRUHIXVHGWRVXEPLWWR WHVWLQJ >ˆ@ :HKDYHFRQFOXGHGWKHOHJLVODWXUHXQDPELJXRXVO\UHTXLUHGDUHTXHVWIRUD UHIXVDOEHSUHFHGHGE\DUHTXHVWIRUWHVWLQJPDGHLQFRPSOLDQFHZLWK1'&&† :KLOHWKLV&RXUWKDVDOORZHGODZHQIRUFHPHQWWRGHYLDWHIURPDYHUEDWLP UHDGLQJRIWKHVWDWXWRU\ODQJXDJHRI1'&&†  D ZHGRUHTXLUHWKDW WKHDGYLVRU\FRPPXQLFDWHDOOVXEVWDQWLYHLQIRUPDWLRQRIWKHVWDWXWHSeeState v. Vigen1'ˆ1:Gsee also Korb v. N.D. 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Vigen1'ˆ 1:G,QDGGLWLRQWRLQIRUPLQJLQGLYLGXDOVWKDW1RUWK'DNRWDODZUHTXLUHVWKHP WR WDNH D FKHPLFDO WHVW WKH VWDWXWH PDQGDWHV WKDW ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW RIILFHUV ³VKDOO LQIRUPWKHLQGLYLGXDOUHIXVDOWRWDNHDEUHDWKRUXULQHWHVWLVDFULPHSXQLVKDEOHLQWKH VDPHPDQQHUDVGULYLQJXQGHUWKHLQIOXHQFH´1'&&†  D %HIRUHD FKHPLFDOWHVWPD\EHDGPLQLVWHUHGODZHQIRUFHPHQWPXVWUHDGWKH³FRPSOHWHLPSOLHG FRQVHQWDGYLVRU\´State v. O’Connor1'ˆ1:G)RUDQ DGYLVRU\WREHFRQVLGHUHG³FRPSOHWH´DOOVXEVWDQWLYHLQIRUPDWLRQLQWKHVWDWXWHPXVW EHFRPPXQLFDWHGWRWKHLQGLYLGXDOVigenDWˆ³,WLVD[LRPDWLFWKDWEHIRUHWKHUHFDQ EH D µUHIXVDO¶ WR VXEPLW WR WHVWLQJ XQGHU 6HFWLRQ  WKHUH PXVW EH D YDOLG UHTXHVWIRUWHVWLQJXQGHUWKHVWDWXWH´Gardner v. N.D. Dep’t of Transp.1' ˆ1:G quoting Throlson v. Backes1:G 1'  see alsoState v. Bauer1'ˆ1:G >ˆ@ :KLOHWKLV&RXUWKDVDOORZHGODZHQIRUFHPHQWWRGHYLDWHIURPDYHUEDWLP UHDGLQJRIWKHVWDWXWRU\ODQJXDJHRI1'&&†  D ZHGRUHTXLUHWKDWWKH  DGYLVRU\FRPPXQLFDWHDOOVXEVWDQWLYHLQIRUPDWLRQRIWKHVWDWXWHSee Vigen1' ˆ1:Gsee also Korb v. N.D. 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