THE LUCK OF THE DRAw: INCONSISTENCIES OF BLOOD DRAWS IN DWI INVESTIGATIONS, AND THE SMALL ODDS MISSOURI V. MCNEELYRESOLVED THE CONFLICT I. II. III.
INTRODUCTION ..................................... ...... 423 MISSOURI V. MCNEELY AND THE LIMITED APPLICATION OF ITS 425 HOLDING ................................................. INCONSISTENT APPLICATION UNDER THE TEXAS IMPLIED CONSENT PROVISION...................................... 427
A. B. IV.
Differing Standardsof What Constitutes a "Qualified Technician" and a "SanitaryPlace" Depending on Whether Blood is Drawn Pursuantto a Warrant.... ..... 429 The Court is not Likely to Suppress Wrongfully Obtained Evidence Taken Pursuantto Section 724.012(b)(3) (B) .......... 433
INCONSISTENT REQUIREMENTS FOR A PROPER WARRANT IN TEXAS...................................................
436 Telephonic Warrants:No CorporealPresence Requirement ............................. ..... 437 B. The Oath, Signature, or Lack ThereofRequirement............... 439 C. Specificity ofFacts that Support a ProbableCause Determination .................................... 439 D. PersonalFamiliarityBetween the Affiant and the Magistrate ....................................... 441 E. The JurisdictionalRequirement: Different Geographic Sizes and Availability ofManpower ............ ...... 443 A.
V. VI. VII.
CONSTITUTIONAL IMPLICATIONS BEYOND THE FOURTH AMENDMENT ............................................. 444 RECOMMENDATION FOR MORE CONSISTENT APPLICATION..........446 CONCLUSION ............................................. 449 I.INTRODUCTION
Drunk driving is undoubtedly one of the biggest problems in our nation. The number of those injured, or even killed, in accidents involving drunk drivers remains staggering each year.' For this reason many states began using blood evidence to bolster conviction rates, but at the cost of whittling away many individuals' constitutional rights.
I. In the United States, there are around 10,000 fatalities involving drunk driving each year. See Nat'1 Highway Traffic Safety Admin., Traffic Safety Facts: Alcohol-Impaired Driving, U.S. DEP'T TRANSP. 1-2 (Dec. 2013), http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811870.pdf.
423