HOUSE BILL No. 4334

 

March 12, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Van Regenmorter, Nofs, Moolenaar and Gaffney and referred to the Committee on Criminal Justice.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan vehicle code,"                                                    

                                                                                

    by amending section 625a (MCL 257.625a), as amended by 1998                 

                                                                                

    PA 351.                                                                     

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 625a.  (1) A peace officer may arrest a person without                 

                                                                                

2   a warrant under either of the following circumstances:                      

                                                                                

3       (a) The peace officer has reasonable cause to believe the                   

                                                                                

4   person was, at the time of an accident in this state, the                   

                                                                                

5   operator of a vehicle involved in the accident and was operating            

                                                                                

6   the vehicle in violation of section 625 or a local ordinance                

                                                                                

7   substantially corresponding to section 625.                                 

                                                                                

8       (b) The person is found in the driver's seat of a vehicle                   

                                                                                

9   parked or stopped on a highway or street within this state if any           

                                                                                

10  part of the vehicle intrudes into the roadway and the peace                 

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   officer has reasonable cause to believe the person was operating            

                                                                                

2   the vehicle in violation of section 625 or a local ordinance                

                                                                                

3   substantially corresponding to section 625.                                 

                                                                                

4       (2) A peace officer who has reasonable cause to believe that                

                                                                                

5   a person was operating a vehicle upon a public highway or other             

                                                                                

6   place open to the public or generally accessible to motor                   

                                                                                

7   vehicles, including an area designated for the parking of                   

                                                                                

8   vehicles, within this state and that the person by the                      

                                                                                

9   consumption of intoxicating liquor may have affected his or her             

                                                                                

10  ability to operate a vehicle, or reasonable cause to believe that           

                                                                                

11  a person was operating a commercial motor vehicle within the                

                                                                                

12  state while the person's blood, breath, or urine contained any              

                                                                                

13  measurable amount of alcohol or while the person had any                    

                                                                                

14  detectable presence of intoxicating liquor, or reasonable cause             

                                                                                

15  to believe that a person who is less than 21 years of age was               

                                                                                

16  operating a vehicle upon a public highway or other place open to            

                                                                                

17  the public or generally accessible to motor vehicles, including             

                                                                                

18  an area designated for the parking of vehicles, within this state           

                                                                                

19  while the person had any bodily alcohol content as that term is             

                                                                                

20  defined in section 625(6), may require the person to submit to a            

                                                                                

21  preliminary chemical breath analysis.  The following provisions             

                                                                                

22  apply with respect to a preliminary chemical breath analysis                

                                                                                

23  administered under this subsection:                                         

                                                                                

24      (a) A peace officer may arrest a person based in whole or in                

                                                                                

25  part upon the results of a preliminary chemical breath analysis.            

                                                                                

26      (b) The results of a preliminary chemical breath analysis are               

                                                                                

27  admissible in a criminal prosecution for a crime enumerated in              


                                                                                

1   section 625c(1) or in an administrative hearing for 1 or more of            

                                                                                

2   the following purposes:                                                     

                                                                                

3                                                                                (i) To assist the court or hearing officer in determining a                         

                                                                                

4   challenge to the validity of an arrest.  This subparagraph does             

                                                                                

5   not limit the introduction of other  competent  admissible                  

                                                                                

6   evidence offered to establish the validity of an arrest.                    

                                                                                

7       (ii) As evidence of the defendant's breath alcohol content                   

                                                                                

8   ,  if offered by  the defendant to rebut testimony elicited on             

                                                                                

9   cross-examination of a defense witness that the defendant's                 

                                                                                

10  breath alcohol content was higher  either party to rebut                    

                                                                                

11  testimony or argument that the defendant's breath alcohol content           

                                                                                

12  was different at the time of the charged offense than when a                

                                                                                

13  chemical test was administered under subsection (6).                        

                                                                                

14      (iii) As evidence of the defendant's breath alcohol content,                 

                                                                                

15  if offered by the prosecution to rebut testimony elicited on                

                                                                                

16  cross-examination of a prosecution witness that the defendant's             

                                                                                

17  breath alcohol content was lower at the time of the charged                 

                                                                                

18  offense than when a chemical test was administered under                    

                                                                                

19  subsection (6).                                                             

                                                                                

20      (c) A person who submits to a preliminary chemical breath                   

                                                                                

21  analysis remains subject to the requirements of sections 625c,              

                                                                                

22  625d, 625e, and 625f for purposes of chemical tests described in            

                                                                                

23  those sections.                                                             

                                                                                

24      (d) Except as provided in subsection (5), a person who                      

                                                                                

25  refuses to submit to a preliminary chemical breath analysis upon            

                                                                                

26  a lawful request by a peace officer is responsible for a civil              

                                                                                

27  infraction.                                                                 


                                                                                

1       (3) A peace officer shall use the results of a preliminary                  

                                                                                

2   chemical breath analysis conducted pursuant to this section to              

                                                                                

3   determine whether to order a person out-of-service under                    

                                                                                

4   section 319d.  A peace officer shall order out-of-service as                

                                                                                

5   required under section 319d a person who was operating a                    

                                                                                

6   commercial motor vehicle and who refuses to submit to a                     

                                                                                

7   preliminary chemical breath analysis as provided in this                    

                                                                                

8   section.  This section does not limit use of other competent                

                                                                                

9   evidence by the peace officer to determine whether to order a               

                                                                                

10  person out-of-service under section 319d.                                   

                                                                                

11      (4) A person who was operating a commercial motor vehicle and               

                                                                                

12  who is requested to submit to a preliminary chemical breath                 

                                                                                

13  analysis under this section shall be advised that refusing a                

                                                                                

14  peace officer's request to take a test described in this section            

                                                                                

15  is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93            

                                                                                

16  days or a fine of not more than $100.00, or both, and will result           

                                                                                

17  in the issuance of a 24-hour out-of-service order.                          

                                                                                

18      (5) A person who was operating a commercial motor vehicle and               

                                                                                

19  who refuses to submit to a preliminary chemical breath analysis             

                                                                                

20  upon a peace officer's lawful request is guilty of a misdemeanor            

                                                                                

21  punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of           

                                                                                

22  not more than $100.00, or both.                                             

                                                                                

23      (6) The following provisions apply with respect to chemical                 

                                                                                

24  tests and analysis of a person's blood, urine, or breath, other             

                                                                                

25  than preliminary chemical breath analysis:                                  

                                                                                

26      (a) The amount of alcohol or presence of a controlled                       

                                                                                

27  substance or both in a driver's blood or urine or the amount of             


                                                                                

1   alcohol in a person's breath at the time alleged as shown by                

                                                                                

2   chemical analysis of the person's blood, urine, or breath is                

                                                                                

3   admissible into evidence in any civil or criminal proceeding.               

                                                                                

4       (b) A person arrested for a crime described in                              

                                                                                

5   section 625c(1) shall be advised of all of the following:                   

                                                                                

6                                                                                (i) If he or she takes a chemical test of his or her blood,                         

                                                                                

7   urine, or breath administered at the request of a peace officer,            

                                                                                

8   he or she has the right to demand that a person of his or her own           

                                                                                

9   choosing administer 1 of the chemical tests.                                

                                                                                

10      (ii) The results of the test are admissible in a judicial                    

                                                                                

11  proceeding as provided under this act and will be considered with           

                                                                                

12  other admissible evidence in determining the defendant's                    

                                                                                

13  innocence or guilt.                                                         

                                                                                

14      (iii) He or she is responsible for obtaining a chemical                      

                                                                                

15  analysis of a test sample obtained pursuant to his or her own               

                                                                                

16  request.                                                                    

                                                                                

17      (iv) If he or she refuses the request of a peace officer to                  

                                                                                

18  take a test described in subparagraph (i), a test shall not be              

                                                                                

19  given without a court order, but the peace officer may seek to              

                                                                                

20  obtain a court order.                                                       

                                                                                

21      (v) Refusing a peace officer's request to take a test                       

                                                                                

22  described in subparagraph (i) will result in the suspension of              

                                                                                

23  his or her operator's or chauffeur's license and vehicle group              

                                                                                

24  designation or operating privilege and in the addition of 6                 

                                                                                

25  points to his or her driver record.                                         

                                                                                

26      (c) A sample or specimen of urine or breath shall be taken                  

                                                                                

27  and collected in a reasonable manner.  Only a licensed physician,           


                                                                                

1   or an individual operating under the delegation of a licensed               

                                                                                

2   physician under section 16215 of the public health code, 1978               

                                                                                

3   PA 368, MCL 333.16215, qualified to withdraw blood and acting in            

                                                                                

4   a medical environment, may withdraw blood at a peace officer's              

                                                                                

5   request to determine the amount of alcohol or presence of a                 

                                                                                

6   controlled substance or both in the person's blood, as provided             

                                                                                

7   in this subsection.  Liability for a crime or civil damages                 

                                                                                

8   predicated on the act of withdrawing or analyzing blood and                 

                                                                                

9   related procedures does not attach to a licensed physician or               

                                                                                

10  individual operating under the delegation of a licensed physician           

                                                                                

11  who withdraws or analyzes blood or assists in the withdrawal or             

                                                                                

12  analysis in accordance with this act unless the withdrawal or               

                                                                                

13  analysis is performed in a negligent manner.                                

                                                                                

14      (d) A chemical test described in this subsection shall be                   

                                                                                

15  administered at the request of a peace officer having reasonable            

                                                                                

16  grounds to believe the person has committed a crime described in            

                                                                                

17  section 625c(1).  A person who takes a chemical test administered           

                                                                                

18  at a peace officer's request as provided in this section shall be           

                                                                                

19  given a reasonable opportunity to have a person of his or her own           

                                                                                

20  choosing administer 1 of the chemical tests described in this               

                                                                                

21  subsection within a reasonable time after his or her detention.             

                                                                                

22  The test results are admissible and shall be considered with                

                                                                                

23  other admissible evidence in determining the defendant's                    

                                                                                

24  innocence or guilt.  If the person charged is administered a                

                                                                                

25  chemical test by a person of his or her own choosing, the person            

                                                                                

26  charged is responsible for obtaining a chemical analysis of the             

                                                                                

27  test sample.                                                                


                                                                                

1       (e) If, after an accident, the driver of a vehicle involved                 

                                                                                

2   in the accident is transported to a medical facility and a sample           

                                                                                

3   of the driver's blood is withdrawn at that time for medical                 

                                                                                

4   treatment, the results of a chemical analysis of that sample are            

                                                                                

5   admissible in any civil or criminal proceeding to show the amount           

                                                                                

6   of alcohol or presence of a controlled substance or both in the             

                                                                                

7   person's blood at the time alleged, regardless of whether the               

                                                                                

8   person had been offered or had refused a chemical test.  The                

                                                                                

9   medical facility or person performing the chemical analysis shall           

                                                                                

10  disclose the results of the analysis to a prosecuting attorney              

                                                                                

11  who requests the results for use in a criminal prosecution as               

                                                                                

12  provided in this subdivision.  A medical facility or person                 

                                                                                

13  disclosing information in compliance with this subsection is not            

                                                                                

14  civilly or criminally liable for making the disclosure.                     

                                                                                

15      (f) If, after an accident, the driver of a vehicle involved                 

                                                                                

16  in the accident is deceased, a sample of the decedent's blood               

                                                                                

17  shall be withdrawn in a manner directed by the medical examiner             

                                                                                

18  to determine the amount of alcohol or the presence of a                     

                                                                                

19  controlled substance, or both, in the decedent's blood.  The                

                                                                                

20  medical examiner shall give the results of the chemical analysis            

                                                                                

21  of the sample to the law enforcement agency investigating the               

                                                                                

22  accident and that agency shall forward the results to the                   

                                                                                

23  department of state police.                                                 

                                                                                

24      (g) The department of state police shall promulgate uniform                 

                                                                                

25  rules in compliance with the administrative procedures act of               

                                                                                

26  1969, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.201 to 24.328, for the administration             

                                                                                

27  of chemical tests for the purposes of this section.  An                     


                                                                                

1   instrument used for a preliminary chemical breath analysis may be           

                                                                                

2   used for a chemical test described in this subsection if approved           

                                                                                

3   under rules promulgated by the department of state police.                  

                                                                                

4       (7) The provisions of subsection (6) relating to chemical                   

                                                                                

5   testing do not limit the introduction of any other admissible               

                                                                                

6   evidence bearing upon the question of whether a person was                  

                                                                                

7   impaired by, or under the influence of, intoxicating liquor or a            

                                                                                

8   controlled substance, or a combination of intoxicating liquor and           

                                                                                

9   a controlled substance, or whether the person had an alcohol                

                                                                                

10  content of 0.10 grams or more per 100 milliliters of blood, per             

                                                                                

11  210 liters of breath, or per 67 milliliters of urine, or if the             

                                                                                

12  person is less than 21 years of age, whether the person had any             

                                                                                

13  bodily alcohol content within his or her body.  As used in this             

                                                                                

14  section, "any bodily alcohol content" means  either of the                  

                                                                                

15  following:  that term as defined in section 625(6).                         

                                                                                

16      (a) An alcohol content of not less than 0.02 grams or more                  

                                                                                

17  than 0.07 grams per 100 milliliters of blood, per 210 liters of             

                                                                                

18  breath, or per 67 milliliters of urine.                                     

                                                                                

19      (b) Any presence of alcohol within a person's body resulting                

                                                                                

20  from the consumption of intoxicating liquor, other than                     

                                                                                

21  consumption of intoxicating liquor as a part of a generally                 

                                                                                

22  recognized religious service or ceremony.                                   

                                                                                

23      (8) If a chemical test described in subsection (6) is                       

                                                                                

24  administered, the test results shall be made available to the               

                                                                                

25  person charged or the person's attorney upon written request to             

                                                                                

26  the prosecution, with a copy of the request filed with the                  

                                                                                

27  court.  The prosecution shall furnish the results at least 2 days           


                                                                                

1   before the day of the trial.  The prosecution shall offer the               

                                                                                

2   test results as evidence in that trial.  Failure to fully comply            

                                                                                

3   with the request bars the admission of the results into evidence            

                                                                                

4   by the prosecution.                                                         

                                                                                

5       (9) Except in a prosecution relating solely to a violation of               

                                                                                

6   section 625(1)(b) or (6), the amount of alcohol in the driver's             

                                                                                

7   blood, breath, or urine at the time alleged as shown by chemical            

                                                                                

8   analysis of the person's blood, breath, or urine gives rise to              

                                                                                

9   the following presumptions:                                                 

                                                                                

10      (a) If there were at the time 0.07 grams or less of alcohol                 

                                                                                

11  per 100 milliliters of the defendant's blood, per 210 liters of             

                                                                                

12  the defendant's breath, or per 67 milliliters of the defendant's            

                                                                                

13  urine, it is presumed that the defendant's ability to operate a             

                                                                                

14  motor vehicle was not impaired due to the consumption of                    

                                                                                

15  intoxicating liquor and that the defendant was not under the                

                                                                                

16  influence of intoxicating liquor.                                           

                                                                                

17      (b) If there were at the time more than 0.07 grams but less                 

                                                                                

18  than 0.10 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of the defendant's           

                                                                                

19  blood, per 210 liters of the defendant's breath, or per 67                  

                                                                                

20  milliliters of the defendant's urine, it is presumed that the               

                                                                                

21  defendant's ability to operate a vehicle was impaired  within the           

                                                                                

22  provisions  in violation of section 625(3) due to the consumption           

                                                                                

23  of intoxicating liquor.                                                     

                                                                                

24      (c) If there were at the time 0.10 grams or more of alcohol                 

                                                                                

25  per 100 milliliters of the defendant's blood, per 210 liters of             

                                                                                

26  the breath, or per 67 milliliters of the defendant's urine, it is           

                                                                                

27  presumed that the defendant was under the influence of                      


                                                                                

1   intoxicating liquor.                                                        

                                                                                

2       (10) A person's refusal to submit to a chemical test as                     

                                                                                

3   provided in subsection (6) is admissible in a criminal                      

                                                                                

4   prosecution for a crime described in section 625c(1) only to show           

                                                                                

5   that a test was offered to the defendant, but not as evidence in            

                                                                                

6   determining the defendant's innocence or guilt.  The jury shall             

                                                                                

7   be instructed accordingly.