No. 85-115
I N THE SUPREME COURT O F THE STATE O F MONTANA
1985
S T A T E O F MONTANA,
P l a i n t i f f and R e s p o n d e n t ,
-vs-
R I C K RAY CHRISTOPHERSON,
D e f e n d a n t and A p p e l l a n t .
A P P E A L PROM: D i s t r i c t C o u r t of t h e E i g h t e e n t h J u d i c i a l D i s t r i c t ,
I n and f o r t h e C o u n t y of G a l l a t i n ,
T h e H o n o r a b l e Joseph B. G a r y , Judge p r e s i d i n q .
COUNSEL O F RECORD:
For A p p e l l a n t :
C o k & Wheat; E u l a C o m p t o n , Bozeman, Montana
For R e s p o n d e n t :
Mike Greely, Attorney General, Helena, Montana
A. M i c h a e l S a l v a g n i , C o u n t y A t t o r n e y , B o z e m a n ,
Montana
S u b m i t t e d on B r i e f s : June 28, 1 9 8 5
Decided: A u g u s t 30, 1 9 3 5
Filed:
AI 3 - 7gq::
Clerk
Mr. Justice Frank B. Morrison, Jr., delivered the Opinion of
the Court.
Christopherson appealed the Department of Motor Vehi-
cle's suspension of his driver's license to the Eighteenth
Judicial District Court in Gallatin County on the basis that
the license should not have been suspended under
S 61-8-402(3), MCA, since he did not refuse to submit to a
chemical test of blood alcohol content. This is an appeal
from the District Court's order denying his petition for
reinstatement of his driver's license.
Rick Christopherson is a 24-year-old Cut Bank rancher
and part-time student at Montana State University. He was
arrested, on December 21, 1984, for driving while under the
influence of alcohol. Christopherson was taken to the
Bozeman Detention Center. He was informed of the Montana
Consent Law in a reading, by the arresting officer, of a
Consent Law form used by the City of Bozeman. Christopherson
asked that a blood test be given. He was informed that he
did not have a choice and that a blood test would be given
only if he first submitted to a breath test. Christopherson
again asked and offered to pay for a blood test; he refused
to take the breath test. His refusal was recorded as a
refusal to submit to any test. His license was taken by the
arresting officer and subsequently suspended, for ninety (90)
days, by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Christopherson
appeals the District Court's refusal to reinstate his driv-
er's license presenting the following issue:
Did the appellant's statement following his arrest for
driving under the influence of alcohol that he would not
submit to the designated breath test, but that he instead
wanted a blood test, constitute a refusal under S 61-8-402,
NCA?
M o n t a n a ' s i m p l i e d c o n s e n t s t a t u t e S 6 1 - 8 - 4 0 2 ( 1 ) ( 3 ) , MCA,
s t a t e s a s follows:
61-8-402. Chemical b l o o d , b r e a t h , o r u r i n e t e s t s .
(1) Any p e r s o n who o p e r a t e s a motor v e h i c l e upon
ways o f t h i s s t a t e open t o t h e p u b l i c s h a l l be
deemed t o h a v e g i v e n c o n s e n t , s u b j e c t t o t h e p r o v i -
s i o n s o f 61-8-401, t o a c h e m i c a l t e s t o f h i s b l o o d ,
b r e a t h , o r u r i n e f o r t h e purpose of determining t h e
a l c o h o l i c c o n t e n t o f h i s b l o o d i f a r r e s t e d by a
peace o f f i c e r f o r d r i v i n g o r i n a c t u a l physical.
c o n t r o l o f a motor v e h i c l e w h i l e under t h e i n f l u -
ence of alcohol. The t e s t s h a l l b e a d m i n i s t e r e d a t
t h e d i r e c t i o n of a peace o f f i c e r having reasonable
g r o u n d s t o b e l i e v e t h e p e r s o n t o h a v e been d r i v i n g
o r i n a c t u a l p h y s i c a l c o n t r o l o f a motor v e h i c l e
upon ways o f t h i s s t a t e open to t h e p u b l i c w h i l e
u n d e r t h e i n f l u e n c e o f a-lcohol . he a r r e s t i n g
o f f i c e r mav d e s i a n a t e which one o f t h e a f o r e s a i d
t e s t s -- b e a d m i n i s t e r e d .
shall
( 3 ) I f a r e s i d e n t d r i v e r u n d e r a r r e s t r e f u s e s upon
t h e r e q u e s t o f a peace o f f i c e r t o submit t o a
chemica 1 t e s t d e s i g n a t e d & t h e a r r e s t i n g o f f i c e r
a s p r o v i d e d i n s u b s e c t i o n (1) of t h i s s e c t i o n , none
s h a l l be g i v e n , b u t t h e o f f i c e r s h a l l , on b e h a l f of
t h e d i v i s i o n , i m m e d i a t e l y s e i z e h i s d r i v e r ' s li-
cense. The p e a c e o f f i c e r s h a l l f o r w a r d t h e l i c e n s e
t o t h e d i v i s i o n , a l o n g w i t h a sworn r e p o r t t h a t h e
had r e a s o n a b l e g r o u n d s t o b e l i e v e t h e a r r e s t e d
p e r s o n had been d r i v i n g o r was i n a c t u a l p h y s i c a l
c o n t r o l o f a motor v e h i c l e upon ways o f t h i s s t a t e
open t o t h e p u b l i c , w h i l e u n d e r t h e i n f l u e n c e o f
a l c o h o l and t h a t t h e p e r s o n had r e f u s e d t o s u b m i t
t o t h e t e s t upon t h e r e q u e s t o f t h e p e a c e o f f i c e r .
Upon r e c e i p t o f t h e r e p o r t , t h e d i v i s i o n s h a l l
suspend t h e l i c e n s e f o r t h e p e r i o d provided i n
subsection (5) . [Emphasis added. 1
Law e n f o r c e m e n t o f f i c i a l s h a v e i n t e r p r e t e d t h i s s t a t u t e
t o require police determination of t h e type of t e s t t o be
given, either blood, breath, or urine. When the officer
d e s i g n a t e s a t e s t and t h e d r i v e r r e f u s e s t h a t t e s t b u t a s k s
f o r another type of test, the o f f i c e r takes t h a t a s a refusal
t o s u b m i t t o a c h e m i c a l t e s t and s e i z e s t h e d r i v e r ' s l i c e n s e
p u r s u a n t t o S 61-8-402(3), MCA. W e agree.
The p u r p o s e o f S 61-8-402, MCA, i s t o encourage a person
a r r e s t e d f o r D U I t o submit t o a chemical t e s t . The s t a t u t e
provides that the arresting officer i s t o d e s i g n a t e which
type of chemical test will be administered. The a r r e s t e d
p e r s o n may t a k e t h e d e s i g n a t e d t e s t o r r e f u s e i t , b u t i f he
w i l l n o t t a k e t h e t e s t d e s i g n a t e d by t h e o f f i c e r , h i s d r i v -
e r ' s license s h a l l be suspended. The l a n g u a g e o f t h e s t a t u t e
makes it c l e a r t h a t it i s t h e r e f u s a l t o t a k e t h e t e s t d e s i g -
nated 9 t h e a r r e s t i n g o f f i c e r t h a t t r i g g e r s t h e suspension,
n o t t h e r e f u s a l t o t a k e any t e s t w h a t s o e v e r . If the arrested
person chooses t o t a k e a chemical t e s t o t h e r than t h e test
designated by the a r r e s t i n g o f f i c e r and w i l l not take the
d e s i g n a t e d t e s t , i t i s s t i l l a r e f u s a l f o r which h i s d r i v e r ' s
l i c e n s e w i l l be suspended.
The a p p e l l a n t ' s d r i v e r ' s l i c e n s e was p r o p e r l y suspended
and t h e D i s t r i c t Court i s affirmed.
W e concur: