Alvarado v. N.D. Dept. of Transportation

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The North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) appealed a district court judgment reversing an administrative hearing officer's decision to revoke Ewer Alvarado's driving privileges for 180 days. NDDOT argued the district court erred in finding that a partial reading of the implied consent advisory rendered Alvarado's refusal to submit to a chemical test invalid. The North Dakota Supreme Court concluded North Dakota law required an operator to refuse a request "to submit to a test under section 39-20-01." A request for testing preceded by an incomplete or inaccurate advisory was not a request "to submit to a test under section 39-20-01." Therefore, the Supreme Court affirmed the district court and reinstated Alvarado's driving privileges.

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Vigen 1' 1 : G ,Q DGGLWLRQ WR LQIRUPLQJ LQGLYLGXDOV WKDW 1RUWK 'DNRWD ODZ UHTXLUHV WKHP WR WDNH D FKHPLFDO WHVW WKH VWDWXWH PDQGDWHV WKDW ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW RIILFHUV ³VKDOO LQIRUP WKH LQGLYLGXDO UHIXVDO WR WDNH D EUHDWK RU XULQH WHVW LV D FULPH SXQLVKDEOH LQ WKH VDPH PDQQHU DV GULYLQJ XQGHU WKH LQIOXHQFH ´ 1 ' & & D %HIRUH D FKHPLFDO WHVW PD\ EH DGPLQLVWHUHG ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW PXVW UHDG WKH ³FRPSOHWH LPSOLHG FRQVHQW DGYLVRU\ ´ State v. O’Connor 1' 1 : G )RU DQ DGYLVRU\ WR EH FRQVLGHUHG ³FRPSOHWH ´ DOO VXEVWDQWLYH LQIRUPDWLRQ LQ WKH VWDWXWH PXVW EH FRPPXQLFDWHG WR WKH LQGLYLGXDO Vigen DW ³,W LV D[LRPDWLF WKDW EHIRUH WKHUH FDQ EH D µUHIXVDO¶ WR VXEPLW WR WHVWLQJ XQGHU 6HFWLRQ WKHUH PXVW EH D YDOLG UHTXHVW IRU WHVWLQJ XQGHU WKH VWDWXWH ´ Gardner v. N.D. Dep’t of Transp. 1' 1 : G quoting Throlson v. Backes 1 : G 1 ' see also State v. Bauer 1' 1 : G > @ :KLOH WKLV &RXUW KDV DOORZHG ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW WR GHYLDWH IURP D YHUEDWLP UHDGLQJ RI WKH VWDWXWRU\ ODQJXDJH RI 1 ' & & D ZH GR UHTXLUH WKDW WKH DGYLVRU\ FRPPXQLFDWH DOO VXEVWDQWLYH LQIRUPDWLRQ RI WKH VWDWXWH See Vigen 1' 1 : G see also Korb v. N.D. 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