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Boating While Impaired

Labor Day marks the unofficial end of summer around these parts, and I thought I’d mark the occasion with a post related to boating (a favorite summer pastime) and crime (since this is, after all, the criminal law blog).  Specifically, this post discusses the crime of boating while impaired.

G.S. 75A-10(b1) prohibits the operation of any vessel while underway on the waters of this State: (1) while under the influence of an impairing substance; or (2) after having consumed sufficient alcohol that the person has, at any relevant time after the boating, an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more.  In addition, G.S. 75A-10(b) bars a person from “manipulat[ing] any water skis, surfboard, nonmotorized vessel, or similar device on the waters of this State while under the influence of an impairing substance.”  Violation of either provision is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Practitioners of motor vehicle law will readily recognize similarities between G.S. 75A-10 and G.S. 20-138.1, the statute prohibiting driving while impaired.  Indeed, G.S. 75A-10(b2) provides that relevant definitions contained in G.S. 20-4.01 apply to its provisions criminalizing impaired boating, skiing and surfing. Thus, the Chapter 20 definitions for “under the influence of an impairing substance,” “alcohol,” and “alcohol concentration,” as well as the “relevant time after” portion of the “relevant time after driving” definition apply to the determination of whether a boater, skier or surfer was impaired. Other terms such as “vessel,” “underway” and “waters of this State” are separately defined in G.S. 75A-2, along with the term “operate,” which means to “navigate or otherwise use or occupy any motorboat or vessel that is afloat.” (As an aside, I’m not sure what it means to “occupy” a boat. Does a passenger in a vessel satisfy this definition?)

Despite sharing common definitions with impairing driving laws, boating while impaired and surfing or skiing while impaired are not implied consent offenses.  See G.S. 20-16.2(a1). This means that boaters, skiers and surfers—unlike drivers—are not deemed to consent to testing to a chemical analysis if charged with impaired operation and that a refusal to be tested does not give rise to a civil driver’s license revocation. Thus, any consideration of whether a boater, skier or surfer may be compelled to submit breath or blood for analysis is strictly a Fourth Amendment, rather than a statutory, inquiry.

Because subjecting a person to a chemical analysis of his or her breath is a Fourth Amendment search, see Skinner v. Railway Labor Executives’ Ass’n,  489 U.S. 602, 617 (1989), a warrant is required, absent consent or exigent circumstances, to obtain the person’s breath for analysis.  Of course, a defendant’s consent to a search obviates the need for a warrant.

My understanding is that in practice, upon arresting a suspect for impaired boating, wildlife officers (who are charged with enforcement of Chapter 75A) typically ask the suspect to submit to a chemical analysis of his or her breath.  If the person’s consent is given freely and voluntarily, without coercion, the subsequent analysis is not rendered inadmissible for lack of a warrant.

In practice, the person’s consent is prefaced by the reading of a notice of rights form, promulgated by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, which states:

You have been charged with boating, skiing or surfing on the waters of this state while under the influence of an impairing substance. In my presence the law enforcement officer will request you to submit to a chemical analysis to determine the alcohol concentration of your body. It is first required that you be informed both orally and given a notice in writing of your rights, which are as follows:

1. The test results, or the fact of your refusal, will be admissible in evidence at trial.

2. After you are released, you may seek your own test in addition to this test.

3. You may call an attorney for advice and select a witness to view the testing procedures remaining after the witness arrives, but the testing may not be delayed for these purposes longer than 30 minutes from the time you are notified of these rights. You must take the test at the end of 30 minutes even if you have not contacted an attorney or your witness has not arrived.

See DHHS T463.

For the most part, these rights afford a defendant rights additional to those secured by the Fourth Amendment or required by statute.  I’m curious, however, about the impact of informing the defendant that evidence of a refusal is admissible at trial. Not only is this statement contrary to law, see State v. Jennings, 333 N.C. 579, 605 (1993) (recognizing that it is constitutional error to admit testimony as evidence of guilt that a defendant exercised his constitutional rights and refused to consent to a warrantless search), but such a warning arguably is coercive, thus calling into question the voluntariness of a defendant’s consent.

If a suspect refuses a breath test, or an officer suspects that the person is impaired by a substance other than alcohol, the officer may seek to obtain a search warrant for withdrawal of the defendant’s blood, based upon an affidavit alleging facts that establish probable cause that the defendant boated while impaired and that evidence of impairing substances are present in the defendant’s blood.  And, in certain emergency circumstances in which the delay necessary to obtain a warrant threatens the dissipation of alcohol in the defendant’s blood (cf. State v. Fletcher, ___ N.C. App. ___ (Jan. 19, 2010), discussed here), an officer may be able to obtain blood for analysis without a search warrant pursuant to the exigency exception to the warrant requirement of the Fourth Amendment.

As I mentioned earlier, the foundational requirements in Chapter 20 for admission of a chemical analysis do not apply to chemical analyses performed in connection with charges of impaired boating, surfing and skiing.  In theory, this could portend a heightened foundational showing for the admission of such evidence at a defendant’s trial for a violation of G.S. 75A-10, requiring the State to demonstrate the reliability of the testing method.  I’m curious, though, about how this plays out in practice, given that the State utilizes virtually the same procedures for obtaining a chemical analysis in a boating while impaired and a driving while impaired case. Does the routine admission of such analyses in implied consent cases facilitate their admission in other cases?

Readers, please share your thoughts about the questions raised in this post and any other noteworthy aspects of impaired boating, skiing and surfing cases.

6 thoughts on “Boating While Impaired”

  1. Unfortunately in NC GS 75A-10 has no bite.

    If an individual is under age 21 there isn’t a provision for this (less than .08) on the waterway when discovered alcohol is involved aside from resorting to NCGS 18B.

    There is an occasion when an individual is suspended for a DWI offense and later charged with BWI or OWI (a term used by Wildlife officers) will lose his/her driver’s license longer. This occurs when the individual goes to a DMV hearing to have the privileges restored. The hearing officer runs a criminal check and discovers the new violation. The defendant will lose his/her license for six more months.

    Depending where you stand in this state will impact how the charge of BWI/OWI is accepted.

    NASBLA has incorporated NHTSA’s SFST battery in with the national training for officers tasked with patrolling the waterways of this state. The tests the defendant completes on the boat involve HGN, finger tests, hand pat tests, reciting numbers, etc. Once onshore, the complete SFST battery is given.

    The officers who primarily do boat patrol be it on lakes or on the ICW are frustrated, nonetheless, but this needs to made stronger.

    Reply
  2. Shea and John, Could y’all please adress the differences in getting stopped by Coast Guard ( Federal) and NC Wildlife Officers. I was recently stopped by the Coast Guard after leaving a bar in Swansboro. They told me under Federal law, I had to submit to a Sobriety test, and Intoxicator test. I refused and after about thirty minutes of coercion on their parts, I told them to either get off my F-ing boat or arrest me. They got off my boat. Incidentally, I had only had two beers in two hours, on a full meal.

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  3. Would navigating a life vest, air raft, or inner tube (all of which could be construed as being vessels.) while under the influence of an impairing substance be a violation of the regulations authorized by the statutes too?

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  4. On July 7th, I was randomly stopped by Wildlife..on ICW, out of literally hundreds of other boats. A (very young) coastguardman on their vessel conducted the stop. The result of “the test” was a .09. Once on land, another test was given (twice) by Bunswick County Sheriff deputies. Results: .07.
    Coast Guard is still trying to fine me $1000. Should I fight this?

    Reply
  5. In reference to John Rackham’s comment “Unfortunately in NC GS 75A-10 has no bite,” I believe he is mistaken. It is a class 2 misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and carries a minimum $250 fine on top of nearly $200 in court costs. That is a bite. It is a criminal offense which will often keep good, productive citizens from getting jobs they would otherwise have gotten. It is a victimless crime statute meant to punish people for increasing the risk of doing harm to someone else, not a statute for punishing people who have actually harmed someone else. The bite in this statute is plenty painful. I know that bite would hurt and leave a mark on me if I had to endure it.

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  6. so maybe someone can help me understand this better or I should say at all!! In N.C. DUI and BUI are different. This I understand, where I’m confused is per the law, I can refuse a B.A. breath test and there is not suppose to be any further punishment for refusing this test and they cant force me to take one. Is how understand it to be written because its diff from DUI where you loose your liscence for 6 moths if refusing to blow on DUI.. IF this law is correct and I cant be punished any further for refusal of breath on BUI why are people being charged 600 to 750 dollars + bond costs after being arrested for BUI?? I know even if someone refuses they can and prob will be arrested for suspicion of BUI, its then up to that person to prove their innocents in a court of law, SO where is this new fine coming from all of a sudden that people are being told if they refuse they will have to pay the 600-750 that day before they can post bail to be released???? is this a legit fine and does anyone know the statue which it is written in the law? If its not is there a way to fight the Fish and Game dept or PD which ever is charging suspected BUI offenders to get that money back if its not Legit? Also per the article above how is it Legal for the dept to write a lie on a federal form that is know to be false information and be able to pressure citizens with out law degrees to sign it with in 30 min of time of arrest? how is that legal at all to force someone to sign a document that is a LIE in order to try and trick someone into admitting or denying something they haven’t trained to understand? Wouldn’t the Wording the Fish and Game dept recites to detained person actually be considered entrapment?? forcing a decision to be made without any knowledge of what they are signing is legal or not? Last thing, if someone is drivin a boat and there is an accident where someone gets hurt can they legally take blood sample from driver without consent by the driver? or does blowing into hand tester count as consent to draw blood and can they keep the results of the test secret or does the test results have to be shared with the person being charged once tests completed??? any help with these questions would be greatly appreciated as there isn’t much info regarding this online that I can find

    Reply

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