No. 19-622

Thomas S. Bell v. Pennsylvania

Lower Court: Pennsylvania
Docketed: 2019-11-15
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived Experienced Counsel
Tags: blood-test criminal-procedure driving-under-influence driving-under-the-influence due-process evidence evidence-of-guilt fourth-amendment implied-consent search-and-seizure warrantless-search
Key Terms:
FourthAmendment Privacy
Latest Conference: 2020-01-17
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a motorist's assertion of his Fourth Amendment right to refuse consent to a warrantless blood test may be used as evidence of guilt for the offense of driving under the influence?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED The petitioner, a Pennsylvania motorist, refused to submit to a warrantless blood test. Petitioner was charged with driving under the influence, and his refusal was used at trial as evidence of guilt. A divided Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that statutory implied consent permits a State to use Petitioner’s exercise of his Fourth Amendment right against him, despite this Court’s holding in Birchfield v. North Dakota, 136 8. Ct. 2160 (2016), recognizing a constitutional right to refuse to consent to a warrantless blood test. The question presented is: Whether a motorist’s assertion of his Fourth Amendment right to refuse consent to a warrantless blood test may be used as evidence of guilt for the offense of driving under the influence? ey)

Docket Entries

2020-01-21
Petition DENIED.
2019-12-30
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/17/2020.
2019-12-18
Waiver of right of respondent Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to respond filed.
2019-11-14
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due December 16, 2019)
2019-09-23
Application (19A328) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file until November 14, 2019.
2019-09-20
Application (19A328) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from October 15, 2019 to December 13, 2019, submitted to Justice Alito.

Attorneys

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Kenneth A. OsokowOffice of the Lycoming County District Attorney, Respondent
Kenneth A. OsokowOffice of the Lycoming County District Attorney, Respondent
Thomas S. Bell
Ilana Hope EisensteinDLA Piper LLP (US), Petitioner
Ilana Hope EisensteinDLA Piper LLP (US), Petitioner