Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

508 So. 2d 361

508 So.2d 361

12 Fla.L.Weekly 307

State v. Barrett

District Court of Appeal of Florida

Decided January 22, 1987

District Court of Appeal of Florida · decided 1987-01-22

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently July 2004

3 state decisions

Key passage — most relied on by later courts

“`[T]he legislature has specifically declared that breath tests must be incident to a lawful arrest, and has made pre-arrest breath tests inadmissible.'”

quoted by 2 later decisions, including 875 So. 2d 815 - State v. Serrago, 846 So. 2d 1163 - STATE, DEPT. OF HWY. SAF. AND MOTOR VEHICLES v. Whitley

“if he is lawfully arrested for any offense allegedly committed while the person was driving or was in actual physical control of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcoholic beverages.... The chemical or physical breath test shall be incidental to a lawful arrest ....”

quoted by 1 later decision, including State v. Rivas-Marmol

Relies on State v. Williams

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1987-01-22

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

ORFINGER, Judge.

¶1We affirm the order of the trial court suppressing the results of a pre-arrest breath test on the ground that the results of a chemical test of a driver’s breath to determine the alcohol content of his blodd are admissible in evidence only where the test is incidental to a lawful arrest. § 316.1932(1)(a), Fla.Stat. (1985). The results of a pre-arrest breath test are not admissible into evidence in any civil or criminal proceeding. § 316.1932(1)(b)1, Fla.Stat. (1985). The State suggests that because an officer may compel a driver to submit to a blood test where the officer has probable cause to believe that the driver was operating the motor vehicle while under the influence of alcoholic beverages and has caused death or serious injury, (section 316.1933(1)) which test need not be incident to arrest, that when death or serious injury has occurred the driver can consent to the administration of a less intrusive breath test which should thus be admissible as would be a non-consensual blood test. While this argument is enticing, the legislature has specifically declared that breath tests must be incident to a lawful arrest, and has made pre-arrest breath tests inadmissible. Cf. State v. Williams, 417 So.2d 755 (Fla. 5th DCA 1982). There is nothing in this record to suggest that the defendant consented to a breath test in lieu of a blood test.

¶2AFFIRMED.

COBB and COWART, JJ., concur.
/508/so2d/361 · .json · Public domain