JOHN DAVID ROBERTS, APPELLANT,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA, APPELLEE

Fla. | 1976-03-17
No. 47345
OVERTON, C. J., and ROBERTS, ADKINS, ENGLAND and HATCHETT, JJ., concur., SUNDBERG, J., concurs in result only.
329 So. 2d 296 Florida Supreme Court (1976) Caution
Cited by 12 cases

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Synopsis

John David Roberts was charged with operating a motor vehicle with an unlawful blood alcohol level of 0.10% or above in violation of Florida Statute 316.028(3). On direct appeal, Roberts challenged the statute's constitutionality on grounds that it was not reasonably related to the state's police power and that it was unconstitutionally vague. The Florida Supreme Court upheld the statute as a reasonable exercise of police power and, while finding a minor vagueness issue, interpreted the statute in pari materia with another statute to clarify that the alcohol percentage standard is measured by weight.


Holding

The Florida Supreme Court held that Section 316.028(3) is a reasonable exercise of the state's police power to prohibit intoxicated drivers from Florida highways. The Court further held that while the statute had a minor vagueness defect in failing to specify whether the alcohol percentage was measured by weight or volume, this defect was cured by interpreting the statute in pari materia with Section 322.262(2)(c), which clarifies that the standard is measured by weight.


Headnotes

[1] A statute prohibiting driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.10 percent or above is a reasonable exercise of the state's police power.

[2] A statute prohibiting driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.10 percent or above is not unconstitutionally vague as applied to persons of ordinary intelligence.

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Key Quotes

“We can see no reason why a person of ordinary intelligence would have any difficulty in understanding that if he has drunk anything containing alcohol, and particularly any substantial amount thereof, he should not attempt to drive or take control of a motor vehicle.”

The Court adopted this language from Greaves v. State to reject Roberts's argument that the statute was unconstitutionally vague because ordinary consumers could not determine safe alcohol consumption levels before driving.

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Facts & Procedural History

John David Roberts was charged with operating a motor vehicle while having a blood alcohol level of 0.10% or above, in violation of Florida Statute 31…

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Opinion of the Court
BOYD, Justice.

BOYD, Justice.

This cause is before us on direct appeal from the County Court of Manatee County where Appellant was charged by complaint with having operated a motor vehicle while having an unlawful blood alcohol level in violation of Section 316.028(3), Florida Statutes Annotated. Appellant filed a Motion to Dismiss with the trial court attack ing the constitutional validity of the statute. The trial court denied the Motion, thus passing on the statute’s constitutionality. We have appellate jurisdiction under Article V, Section 3(b)(1), Florida Constitution.1

Section 316.028(3), Florida Statutes Annotated, provides:

“It is unlawful . . . for any person with a blood alcohol level of 0.10 percent, or above, to drive or be in actual physical control of any vehicle within this state.”

The constitutionality of the statute is attacked on two grounds: (1) that it is not reasonably related to the police power of the State of Florida, and (2) that it is vague and indefinite.

Appellant concedes that the prohibition of intoxicated drivers from Florida highways is an inherent police power. However, he argues that the challenged statute is not a reasonable means of achieving that end. Suffice it to say that we reject Appellant’s argument because we consider the method of prohibition of intoxicated drivers contained in Section 316.-028(3), Florida Statutes Annotated, to be a reasonable one.

Appellant alleges that the statute is vague and indefinite and so violative of due process in two ways. First, Appellant claims that consumers of alcoholic beverages are unable to determine how much alcohol they may consume before their alcohol blood level will make it unlawful for them to drive. An identical argument was made against a Utah statute, substantially similar to the challenged statute, in Greaves v. State, 528 P. 2d 805 (Utah 1974). The Utah Supreme Court stated:

“We can see no reason why a person of ordinary intelligence would have any difficulty in understanding that if he has drunk anything containing alcohol, and particularly any substantial amount thereof, he should not attempt to drive or take control of a motor vehicle.” (Id. at 808.)

The above language is the view of this Court and accordingly we reject Appellant’s first argument of “vagueness.” 1

Appellant’s second “vagueness” argument is meritorious but the statute’s defect is easily cured. Appellant correctly points out that the statute fails to state whether the prohibited percentage of alcohol in the driver’s bloodstream is by weight or by volume. We recognize the scientific difference. To determine the legislative intent we turn our attention to Section 322.262(2) (c), Florida Statutes Annotated, which provides as follows:

“If there was at that time 0.10 percent or more by weight of alcohol in the person’s blood, it shall be prima facie evidence that the person was under the influence of alcoholic beverages to the extent that his normal faculties were impaired. Moreover, such person who has a blood alcohol level of 0.10 percent or above shall be guilty of driving, or being in actual physical control of, a motor vehicle, with an unlawful blood alcohol level.” (Emphasis supplied)

Because the above statute and the challenged statute are in pari materia we construe them together and hold that the legislative intent is that the standard of weight be applied in the enforcement of the challenged statute.

Section 316.028(3), Florida Statutes Annotated, withstands each of Appellant’s constitutional attacks. Accordingly, Appel lant’s conviction and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

It is so ordered.

OVERTON, C. J., and ROBERTS, ADKINS, ENGLAND and HATCHETT, JJ., concur. SUNDBERG, J., concurs in result only.

. Appellant was adjudged guilty of violating Section 316.028(3), Florida Statutes Annotated. He was sentenced to 90 days in the county jail; placed on probation for 2 years ; and ordered to pay $152 into the Fine and Forfeiture Fund. His driver’s license was suspended for 3 months.


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Citator

Cited By

  • State v. Carlton Rolle, 560 So. 2d 1154 (Fla. 1990)
    …distinction should be made. Accordingly, I believe that the instruction on the alternative impairment theory of driving under the influence violated Rolle’s due process rights. KOGAN, J., concurs. . The majority’s reliance upon Roberts v. State, 329 So. 2d 296 (Fla.1976), is misplaced. Roberts upheld the DUBAL statute against a challenge that the statute was vague and indefinite. However, Roberts did not consider whether the statute impermissibly shifted the burden of persuasion to the defendant. . Evide…
    1 / 2
  • Tyner v. State, 805 So. 2d 862 (Fla. 2d DCA 2001)
    …upp.1974) with § 316.028(3)-(4), Fla. Stat. (Supp.1974). Under this statutory scheme, if the state could not prove impairment the defendant could still be convicted of DUBAL. This Court upheld DUBAL against constitutional attack in Roberts v. State, 329 So. 2d 296 (Fla.1976). However, in 1982 the statutory landscape changed dramatically. The legislature substantially reworded the statute, consolidating DUI and DUBAL and providing identical penalties for conviction. Ch. 82-155, § 2, Laws of Fla. (codified at…
  • State v. Carhartt, 335 So. 2d 554 (Fla. 1976)
    …the trial court granted a motion to dismiss on the ground that this statute was unconstitutionally vague and arbitrary and constituted a denial of due process of law. On March 17, 1976, this Court filed its opinion in the case of Roberts v. State, 329 So. 2d 296. The Court upheld the constitutionality of Section 316.028(3), Florida Statutes, against a challenge identical to the argument advanced by the appellee in the instant case, holding, inter alia, that the statute is a reasonable exercise by the Legisl…

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