State v. Wojtowicz
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On May 7, 2021, a citizen reported seeing a man, later identified as Thomas Wojtowicz, stumbling and crawling to his vehicle in a parking lot. Officer Haydon responded and found Thomas in the driver’s seat of a green Ford Escape, smelling of alcohol and slurring his speech. Thomas admitted to drinking but claimed he was waiting for his girlfriend to pick him up. Thomas failed non-standardized field sobriety tests and refused a breathalyzer. He was arrested for DUI, and a blood test later showed a high blood alcohol content.
The Eighteenth Judicial District Court, Gallatin County, denied Thomas’s motion to suppress evidence and admitted the blood toxicology results over his objection. Thomas was found guilty of DUI by a jury. He appealed, arguing the blood evidence was improperly admitted, his motion to suppress should have been granted, and there was insufficient evidence to prove he was in actual physical control of the vehicle.
The Supreme Court of the State of Montana reviewed the case. It held that the blood toxicology evidence was properly admitted, as the procedural safeguards were met and any issues with the blood collection kit’s documentation went to the weight of the evidence, not its admissibility. The court also found no unlawful search or seizure occurred, as the officer’s actions were justified by particularized suspicion. Finally, the court determined there was sufficient evidence for a rational jury to find Thomas in actual physical control of his vehicle. The court affirmed the lower court’s decisions and the jury’s verdict.
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