Minnesota v. Hester
Annotate this CaseThe issue for the Supreme Court to resolve in this case stems from the arrest of Appellant Brian Hester. Appellant was arrested by a Lower Sioux Indian Community Police officer on DWI charges. The temperature was between 10 and 15 degrees below zero at the time the Lower Sioux officer stopped Appellant. Appellant was transferred to a local jail for further tests to determine the level of Appellant’s impairment. After completing the field sobriety tests at the jail, the officer placed Appellant under arrest. Appellant was advised that refusing to submit to further testing would constitute a crime. Appellant refused and was charged with first-degree driving while impaired, and first-degree test refusal. A jury found Appellant guilty of only the test-refusal charge. Appellant sought to vacate the judgment, claiming that the arresting officer was not a “peace officer” as defined by state law. Appellate courts found that the officer was indeed a police officer, and had the authority to require Appellant to take the subsequent tests. On further review, the Supreme Court found that the Lower Sioux were not in compliance with state law requiring them to carry the correct liability insurance limits at the time Appellant was arrested. The lack of liability insurance undermined the officer’s authority to request that Appellant take the subsequent chemical tests. Accordingly, the Supreme Court vacated Appellant’s conviction for criminal test refusal.
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