Casiano v. State ex rel. Wyo. Dep't of Transp.

• Decision Date: 01 February 2019
• Docket Number: S-18-0158
• Citation: 434 P.3d 116
• Parties: Ariel CASIANO, Appellant (Petitioner), v. STATE of Wyoming, EX REL., WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, Appellee (Respondent).
• Court: Wyoming Supreme Court

434 P.3d 116

Ariel CASIANO, Appellant (Petitioner),

v.STATE of Wyoming, EX REL., WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, Appellee (Respondent).

S-18-0158

Supreme Court of Wyoming.

February 1, 2019

Representing Appellant: R. Michael Vang, R. Michael Vang P.C., Laramie, Wyoming.

Representing Appellee: Peter K. Michael, Attorney General; Misha Westby, Deputy Attorney General; Michael T. Kahler, Senior Assistant Attorney General; Amy A. Pauli, Senior Assistant Attorney General.

Before DAVIS, C.J., and FOX, KAUTZ, BOOMGAARDEN, and GRAY, JJ.

GRAY, Justice.

[¶1] Appellant Ariel Casiano challenges the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) decision to uphold the suspension of his driver’s license. In the companion criminal case, the prosecution asserted that a gap in the chain of custody of Mr. Casiano’s blood samples rendered blood alcohol content (BAC) test results inadmissible. The municipal court dismissed the criminal charges without prejudice and without reference to the chain of custody issue. The question presented here is whether collateral estoppel bars the OAH from considering Mr. Casiano’s BAC test results in the license suspension proceeding. We conclude that collateral estoppel does not apply and affirm.

ISSUE

[¶2] Mr. Casiano asserts one issue which we rephrase:

Does the prosecutor’s assertion in the criminal driving while under the influence (DWUI) case, that Mr. Casiano’s BAC test results were inadmissible, collaterally estop the OAH from considering those same test results in the license suspension proceeding?

FACTS

[¶3] The facts in this case are undisputed. On September 29, 2016, Cheyenne Police Officer Hall arrested Mr. Casiano for driving while under the influence of alcohol. Officer Hall obtained a search warrant for a blood draw pursuant to Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 31-6-102(d) (LexisNexis 2017). Shortly after midnight, blood was drawn, but it was not delivered to the public health testing lab until eighteen days later on October 17, 2016. Subsequent testing indicated Mr. Casiano’s BAC was 0.10%.

[¶4] Criminal charges were filed in municipal court for DWUI in violation of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 31-5-233(b) (LexisNexis 2017). On January 4, 2017, the city prosecutor moved to dismiss the criminal case. The prosecutor contended "there is insufficient evidence to establish a proper chain of custody for the time the blood samples were drawn on September 30th, 2016, to the time the blood samples were hand delivered to the Wyoming Department of Health’s Chemical Testing Program (WCTP), on October 17th, 2016." According to the prosecutor, "[t]he [e]ighteen (18) day gap in the chain of custody of the Defendant’s blood draw is unacceptable and renders the blood draw results inadmissible evidence ...." The municipal court dismissed the DWUI charge without prejudice and without reference to the chain of custody.

[¶5] Following the municipal court’s dismissal, the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT or Department) held an administrative license suspension proceeding mandated by Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 31-6-102(f). WYDOT suspended Mr. Casiano’s driver’s license for 90 days. Mr. Casiano sought administrative review. Mr. Casiano relied on the prosecutor’s pleading in municipal court. He maintained that collateral estoppel barred use of the BAC test results in the WYDOT suspension proceeding and that those results were inadmissible because the break in the chain of custody violated the Department of Health’s testing standards. The OAH upheld the suspension, reasoning that there "is no privity between the Cheyenne Municipal prosecutor and the Department" and that "no evidence was provided to establish the 18-day gap [in delivery of the blood sample to the Department of Health] resulted in a chain of custody issue." Mr. Casiano appealed the ruling to the district court. The district court affirmed the suspension. Mr. Casiano timely appeals.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

[¶6] "When we consider an appeal from a district court’s review of an administrative agency’s decision, we are not bound by the conclusions of the district court." Lietz v. State ex rel. Dept. of Family Services , 2018 WY 127, ¶ 10, 430 P.3d 310, 313 (Wyo. 2018) (citing Reynolds v. West Park Hospital District , 2010 WY 69, ¶ 6, 231 P.3d 1275, 1277 (Wyo. 2010) ; Guier v. Teton Cty. Hosp. Dist. , 2011 WY 31, ¶¶ 12-13, 248 P.3d 623, 629-30 (Wyo. 2011) ). We consider appeals from a district court’s review of an administrative action as if the case had come directly from the administrative agency. Guier , ¶ 12, 248 P.3d at 629 ; Bowen v. State , 2011 WY 1, ¶ 7, 245 P.3d 827, 829 (Wyo. 2011) ; State ex rel. Wyoming Workers’ Comp. Div. v. Brewbaker , 972 P.2d 962, 964 (Wyo. 1999).

[¶7] The Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act sets forth the scope of review for administrative decisions:

(c) To the extent necessary to make a decision and when presented, the reviewing court shall decide all relevant questions of law, interpret constitutional and statutory provisions, and determine the meaning or applicability of the terms of an agency action. In making the following determinations, the court shall review the whole record or those parts of it cited by a party and due account shall be taken of the rule of prejudicial error. The reviewing court shall:

(i) Compel agency action unlawfully withheld or unreasonably delayed; and

(ii) Hold unlawful and set aside agency action, findings and conclusions found to be:

(A) Arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion or otherwise not in accordance with law;

(B) Contrary to constitutional right, power, privilege or immunity;

(C) In excess of statutory jurisdiction, authority or limitations or lacking statutory right;

(D) Without observance of procedure required by law; or

(E) Unsupported by substantial evidence in a case reviewed on the record of an agency hearing provided by statute.

Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-3-114(c) (LexisNexis 2017).

[¶8] This appeal involves only questions of law. Our standard of review of an agency’s conclusions of law is de novo . "[W]e will affirm an agency’s legal conclusion only if it is in accordance with the law." Lietz , ¶ 11, 430 P.3d at 314 (quoting Guier , ¶ 13, 248 P.3d at 630 ). "We do not afford any deference to the agency’s determination, and we will correct any error made by the agency in either interpreting or applying the law." Bowen , ¶ 7, 245 P.3d at 829 (quoting Jacobs v. State ex rel. Wyo. Workers’ Safety & Comp. Div. , 2009 WY 118, ¶ 11, 216 P.3d 1128, 1132 (Wyo. 2009) ).

DISCUSSION

Does the prosecutor’s assertion in the criminal DWUI case, that Mr. Casiano’s BAC test results were inadmissible, collaterally estop the OAH from considering those same test results in the license suspension proceeding?

[¶9] Mr. Casiano seeks review of the OAH’s decision to uphold the suspension of his driver’s license. Mr. Casiano contends that the OAH was collaterally estopped from considering BAC test results, because the companion criminal case was dismissed, and the pleadings supporting the dismissal were based on an 18-day gap in the chain of custody of the blood sample. The district court determined that collateral estoppel did not apply in the administrative proceeding because the municipal court did not decide the merits of admissibility of the BAC test results, there was no privity between the city prosecutor and WYDOT, and WYDOT did not have a full and fair opportunity to litigate the issue in municipal court. Although we give no deference to the district court’s decision, we will affirm the OAH decision for essentially the same reasons.

[¶10] Like res judicata, which bars relitigating claims, collateral estoppel bars relitigating issues.¹ Whaley v. Flitner Ltd. P’ship , 2017 WY 59, ¶ 27, 395 P.3d 653, 662 (Wyo. 2017) ; Rathbun v. State , 2011 WY 116, ¶¶ 9-10, 257 P.3d 29, 33 (Wyo. 2011). Four elements must be present for collateral estoppel to apply: (1) the issue decided in the prior proceeding must be identical to the issue presented in the present action; (2) the prior proceeding must have resulted in a judgment on the merits; (3) the party against whom collateral estoppel is asserted must have been a party to or in privity with a party to the prior adjudication; and (4) the party against whom collateral estoppel is asserted must have had a "full and fair opportunity to litigate the issue in the prior proceeding." Robert L. Kroenlein Trust v. Kirchhefer , 2015 WY 127, ¶ 40, 357 P.3d 1118, 1134 (Wyo. 2015) ; see also Bowen , ¶ 10, 245 P.3d at 830.

[¶11] Mr. Casiano argues all four conditions are met and collateral estoppel applies. The first element requires the issue decided in the first proceeding be identical to the issue in the current proceeding. The State concedes that the issue, the admissibility of the BAC test, is identical in both the criminal and the administrative proceedings. However, the State contends the issue was not decided in the criminal proceeding. The State further maintains that the other three collateral estoppel requirements have not been met.

[¶12] The first element of collateral estoppel requires "the issue decided in the prior adjudication [be] identical [to] the issue presented in the present action." Bowen , ¶ 10, 245 P.3d at 830 ; see also Kroenlein Trust , ¶ 40, 357 P.3d at 1134 ; R.C.R., Inc. v. Deline , 2008 WY 96, ¶ 17, 190 P.3d 140, 153 (Wyo. 2008). We agree that the issue, admissibility of the BAC test result, is identical in both the criminal and administrative cases.

[¶13] Next, the issue must have been "actually litigated" in the prior adjudication for collateral estoppel to apply. 46 Am. Jur. 2d Judgments § 472, Westlaw (database updated January 2019). An issue is actually litigated, "if it is properly raised in the pleadings or otherwise submitted for determination and [is] in fact determined." Id. § 473. In Bowen v. State , we considered whether a defendant was collaterally estopped from litigating the admissibility of his breath test results in his license suspension proceeding after the...