State v. Batty, 577 S.E.2d 98 (Ga. Ct. App. 2003). · Go Syfert
State v. Batty, 577 S.E.2d 98 (Ga. Ct. App. 2003). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
“as a result of the lack of driving manifestations and the lack of personal manifestations, the officer did not have probable cause to believe that the defendant was under the influence to the extent that she was a less safe driver”
42 citation events (42 in the last 25 years) across 2 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: State v. Encinas (gactapp, 2010-02-12)
Treatment trajectory · 2003 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
2003 2014 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 12 distinct citers.
examined Cited as authority (quoted) State v. Encinas (2×) also: Cited as authority (rule)
Ga. Ct. App. · 2010 · quote attribution · 1 verbatim quote · confidence low
as a result of the lack of driving manifestations and the lack of personal manifestations, the officer did not have probable cause to believe that the defendant was under the influence to the extent that she was a less safe driver
cited Cited as authority (rule) Yeong Sik Oh v. State
Ga. Ct. App. · 2018 · confidence medium
In Batty, the officer initiated a traffic stop after noticing the defendant making an illegal turn and then following a vehicle too closely. 259 Ga. App. at 431.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) State v. Preston
Ga. Ct. App. · 2008 · confidence medium
Compare State v. Ellison, 271 Ga. App. 898, 904 (6) ( 611 SE2d 129 ) (2005) (trial court rejected officer’s testimony regarding cause of driver’s bloodshot eyes); State v. Batty, 259 Ga. App. 431, 432 ( 577 SE2d 98 ) (2003) (trial court “explicitly found [officer’s] credibility to be lacking”). 9 Frederick v. State, 270 Ga. App. 397, 398 ( 606 SE2d 615 ) (2004) (citation omitted). 10 See Batty, supra at 431-432 . 11 See State v. Tousley, 271 Ga. App. 874, 880 (1) (b) (ii) ( 611 SE2d 139 ) (2005).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Slayton v. State
Ga. Ct. App. · 2006 · confidence medium
E.g., State v. Gray, 267 Ga. App. 753, 755 (2) ( 600 SE2d 626 ) (2004); State v. Batty, 259 Ga. App. 431, 432 ( 577 SE2d 98 ) (2003).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) State v. Bass
Ga. Ct. App. · 2005 · confidence medium
See State v. Gray, 267 Ga. App. 753, 755 (2) ( 600 SE2d 626 ) (2004) (presence of alcohol in driver’s body, by itself, does not support inference that driver was impaired); State v. Batty, 259 Ga. App. 431, 432 ( 577 SE2d 98 ) (2003) (no probable cause where only evidence was odor of alcohol on driver’s breath, and driver’s errant right turn and alleged following too close).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Alewine v. State
Ga. Ct. App. · 2005 · confidence medium
Walker, Assistant Solicitors-General, for appellee. 1 In State v. Batty, 259 Ga. App. 431, 432 ( 577 SE2d 98 ) (2003), the only evidence presented and deemed credible by the trial court was that the defendant had an odor of alcoholic beverage on her breath and made an illegal right-hand turn.
discussed Cited as authority (rule) State v. Ellison
Ga. Ct. App. · 2005 · confidence medium
See also Jones v. Smith, 83 Ga. App. 798, 800 (1) ( 65 SE2d 188 ) (1951). 12 See Hester, supra. 13 Lewis v. State, 214 Ga. App. 830, 832 (1) ( 449 SE2d 535 ) (1994). 14 See Zhou v. LaGrange Academy, 266 Ga. App. 445, 450 (1) ( 597 SE2d 522 ) (2004) (trier of fact not required to believe opinion evidence whether expert or lay); State v. Mixon, 251 Ga. App. 168 , 170 ( 554 SE2d 196 ) (2001); Suggested Pattern Jury Instruction 1.31.30 (February 2003) (“You are not required to accept the opinion testimony of any witness, expert or otherwise.”). 15 State v. Corley, 201 Ga. App. 320, 322 ( 411 S…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) State v. Gray
Ga. Ct. App. · 2004 · confidence medium
Motion for reconsideration is hereby denied. 1 Vansant v. State, 264 Ga. 319, 320 (1) ( 443 SE2d 474 ) (1994). 2 Tate v. State, 264 Ga. 53 ( 440 SE2d 646 ) (1994). 3 Malone v. State, 261 Ga. App. 420, 421 ( 582 SE2d 561 ) (2003). 4 State v. Batty, 259 Ga. App. 431, 432 ( 577 SE2d 98 ) (2003). 5 State v. Burke, 230 Ga. App. 392, 393-394 ( 496 SE2d 755 ) (1998). 6 Baird v. State, 260 Ga. App. 661, 663 (1) ( 580 SE2d 650 ) (2003). 7 Boyd v. State, 259 Ga. App. 864, 865-866 (1) ( 578 SE2d 472 ) (2003). 8 Temples v. State, 228 Ga. App. 228, 231 ( 491 SE2d 444 ) (1997). 9 Singleterry v. State, 227 G…
discussed Cited "see" State v. Goode (2×)
Ga. Ct. App. · 2009 · signal: see · confidence high
See State v. Batty, 259 Ga. App. 431, 431-432 ( 577 SE2d 98 ) (2003) (affirming grant of motion to suppress where the suspect smelled of alcohol, admitted to having consumed alcohol, and was “a little bit unsteady” but voluntarily performed and passed all of the field sobriety tests administered by the officer).
discussed Cited "see" State v. Sledge (2×)
Ga. Ct. App. · 2003 · signal: see · confidence high
See State v. Batty, 259 Ga. App. 431, 432 ( 577 SE2d 98 ) (2003) (“the trial court explicitly found [the officer’s] credibility to be lacking” as to reasonable grounds to believe defendant was impaired); State v. Baxton, 205 Ga. App. 36, 38 ( 421 SE2d 129 ) (1992) (trial court did not err in rejecting officer’s testimony that defendant appeared intoxicated where evidence supported conclusion that arrest was a pretext for an unlawful search). 5 Malone, supra at 421 . 6 Id. 7 Cann-Hanson v. State, 223 Ga. App. 690, 691 (1) ( 478 SE2d 460 ) (1996). 8 See id.
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Perry v. State
Ga. Ct. App. · 2005 · signal: compare · confidence medium
Dale, supra, 267 Ga. App. at 899 (affirming denial of motion to suppress when officer had reason to stop motorist for avoiding roadblock); compare Batty, supra, 259 Ga. App. at 432 (affirming grant of motion to suppress when trial court found that officer’s testimony was not credible on subject of defendant’s following too closely).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." State v. Goolsby (2×)
Ga. Ct. App. · 2003 · signal: see, e.g. · confidence medium
Johnson, P. J., and Mikell, J., concur. 1 OCGA § 40-5-55 (a). 2 Id. 3 Davis v. State, 187 Ga. App. 517, 518-519 (1) ( 370 SE2d 779 ) (1988); accord Parsons v. State, 190 Ga. App. 803 -804 ( 380 SE2d 87 ) (1989). 4 OCGA § 40-5-55 (a). 5 OCGA § 17-4-20 (a); Ow v. State, 255 Ga. App. 98, 102 ( 564 SE2d 512 ) (2002) (officer has probable cause to arrest for a traffic violation committed in his presence); accord Baker v. State, 202 Ga. App. 73 ( 413 SE2d 251 ) (1991); Brock v. State, 196 Ga. App. 605, 606 (1) ( 396 SE2d 785 ) (1990). 6 OCGA § 17-6-17; see, e.g., Chiasson v. State, 250 Ga. App. …
The State
v.
Batty
A02A2321.
Court of Appeals of Georgia.
Feb 4, 2003.
577 S.E.2d 98
Barry E. Morgan, Solicitor-General, William R. Pardue, Assistant Solicitor-General, for appellant., Slater & King, Scott R. King, for appellee.
Blackburn, Johnson, Miller.
Cited by 18 opinions  |  Published
1 passage pin-cited by 1 case
Pinpoint authority: bottom 87%
Citer courts: Court of Appeals of Georgia (1)
Blackburn, Presiding Judge.

Following the grant of Laurel Christine Batty’s motion to suppress evidence of her intoxication in this DUI case, [1] [2] the State appeals, contending that the trial court erred by finding that the arresting officer lacked probable cause. For the reasons set forth below, we affirm.

When reviewing a trial court’s ruling on a motion to suppress, we construe the evidence most favorably to upholding the findings and judgment of the trial court; the trial court’s findings on disputed facts and credibility are adopted unless they are clearly erroneous and will not be disturbed if there is any evidence to support them. State v. Bute?

Viewed in this light, the record shows that, at about 4:00 a.m., while on routine patrol, Officer Chris Flowers witnessed Batty make an illegal right turn while exiting the parking lot of a local bar. Flowers immediately began to follow Batty’s car and testified that Batty was following the vehicle directly ahead of her too closely.

Flowers initiated a routine traffic stop, and, as he approached Batty’s car, he smelled the odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle. Flowers asked Batty if she had been drinking, and she admitted consuming “a couple of beers.” Flowers then asked Batty to step out of her vehicle. As Batty did so, Flowers noticed, “[s]he was a little bit unsteady — not anything major. I mean she got out and walked to the back of her car without a problem.”

Although an alco-sensor test produced a positive result for the presence of alcohol, Flowers passed several field sobriety tests, including the walk and turn test and the one-leg stand. Flowers noted only two clues of impairment out of a possible eight on the walk and turn test and one out of four on the one-leg stand. Flowers then placed Batty under arrest for less safe to drive. While in custody, Batty submitted to a State-administered Intoxilyzer test. [3]

At the motion hearing, Batty denied following the vehicle ahead of her too closely but admitted turning right at a traffic light, although she did not concede that the light had been red in her direction of travel. Batty gave no testimony about the alco-sensor, exiting the car, or any of the specifics of the field sobriety testing.

[*432] Decided February 4, 2003. Barry E. Morgan, Solicitor-General, William R. Pardue, Assistant Solicitor-General, for appellant. Slater & King, Scott R. King, for appellee.

In granting the motion to suppress, the trial court entered these findings:

The evidence shows that Defendant voluntarily performed and passed all of the field sobriety tests administered by the arresting officer. There is no evidence that Defendant exhibited any signs of impairment such as loss of balance, slurred speech, or watery, bloodshot, or glassy eyes. The only evidence testified to was the presence of the odor of an alcoholic beverage on the breath of the Defendant, her errant right turn on red at 4:00 a.m., and allegedly following too close.

(Footnote omitted.) After noting that the arresting officer did not observe Batty’s vehicle speeding, weaving, or driving slower than the speed limit, the trial court concluded: “[a]s a result of the lack of driving manifestations and the lack of personal manifestations, the officer did not have probable cause to believe that the Defendant was under the influence to the extent that she was a less safe driver.” The trial court also explicitly found that the arresting officer lacked credibility with regard to his claim that Batty had been following another car too closely. The court granted Batty’s motion to suppress, and the State filed this appeal.

The State contends that the trial court erred in concluding that the officer lacked probable cause for the arrest. We cannot agree.

As found by the trial court, the State failed to introduce any evidence of Batty’s impairment which would indicate that she was less safe to drive. Although Flowers did note in his arrest report that Batty’s eyes were bloodshot, this evidence was never placed before the trial court for its consideration. And, we note that the trial court explicitly found Flowers’ credibility to be lacking. In this circumstance, we must defer to the trial court’s findings of fact and credibility, and, as such, we must affirm its ruling on Batty’s motion to suppress.

Judgment affirmed;

Johnson, P. J., and Miller, J., concur.
1

Batty was also charged with a red light violation and following too closely.

2

State V. Bute, 250 Ga. App. 479 (552 SE2d 465) (2001).

3

Although Batty’s chemical testing resulted in readings of 0.143 and 0.158 grams, those results are not relevant to the issue of the propriety of her arrest.