Tuesday, October 8, 2024
The Latest DUI News and Information From DUI Defense Attorneys Across the Country

Do Police Have to Get a Search Warrant to Obtain the Blood of an Unconscious Driver?

Mitchell v Wisconsin

Have you ever wondered whether a police officer needs to request a search warrant when attempting to obtain a blood sample from an unconscious suspected drunk driver?  The United States Supreme Court recently answered that question.  The Court agreed that there is no question that our Fourth Amendment constitutional right against unreasonable searches and seizures applies when blood is taken from the body of a person suspected of driving under the influence (DUI, DWI, or OUI). However, the Court was quick to recognize that certain exceptions apply to that constitutional right. One of those exceptions applies when exigent circumstances exists that makes it difficult or impossible for an officer to obtain a warrant.

On June 27, 2019, the United States Supreme Court issued an opinion ruling that the exigent–circumstances exception to our Fourth Amendment right applies when a suspected drunk driver is unconscious. This case, Mitchell v. Wisconsin, specifically held that,

“When a breath test is impossible, enforcement of the drunk-driving laws depends upon the administration of a blood test. And when a police officer encounters an unconscious driver, it is very likely that the driver would be taken to an emergency room and that his blood would be drawn for diagnostic purposes even if the police were not seeking BAC information. In addition, police officers most frequently come upon unconscious drivers when they report to the scene of an accident, and under those circumstances, the officers’ many responsibilities—such as attending to other injured drivers or passengers and preventing further accidents—may be incompatible with the procedures that would be required to obtain a warrant. Thus, when a driver is unconscious, the general rule is that a warrant is not needed.” (Emphasis added)

Of course, some states, such as Tennessee, have constitutions or legislation providing greater personal protections than those provided by the federal constitution.  Under current Tennessee law, for instance, Tennessee Code Annotated Section 55–10–406(i) requires a search warrant or a recognized exigent circumstance exception to apply before obtaining a blood sample from an unconscious driver without a search warrant.

About the Author: Steven Oberman has been licensed in Tennessee since 1980, and successfully defended over 2,500 DUI defendants.  Among the many honors bestowed upon him, Steve served as Dean of the National College for DUI Defense, Inc. (NCDD) and currently serves as chair of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers DUI Committee.  Steve was the first lawyer in Tennessee to be Board Certified as a DUI Defense Specialist by the NCDD.

He is the author of DUI: The Crime & Consequences in Tennessee, updated annually since 1991 (Thomson-West), and co-author with Lawrence Taylor of the national treatise, Drunk Driving Defense, 8th edition (Wolters Kluwer/Aspen).  Steve has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee Law School since 1993 and has received a number of prestigious awards for his faculty contributions.  He is a popular international speaker, having spoken at legal seminars in 30 states, the District of Columbia and three foreign countries.  After being named a Fulbright Scholar, Steve was honored to teach as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Latvia Law School in the capital city of Riga, Latvia during the Spring Semester of 2019.

If you would like to contact the author, please visit his website.

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Steve Oberman

Since graduating from the University of Tennessee Law School in 1980, Mr. Oberman has become established as a national authority on the intricacies of DUI defense law. Steve is a former Dean of the National College for DUI Defense, co-author of a national treatise ("Drunk Driving Defense" published by Aspen/Wolters-Kluwer), and author of "DUI: The Crime and Consequences in Tennessee" (published by Thomson-Reuters/West). He has taught thousands of lawyers, judges, and members of the general public about the intricacies of this crime. Steve was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to teach American Criminal Law and American Trial Advocacy at the University of Latvia School of Law in 2019; in 2023 taught for a semester as a visiting professor at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) Faculty of Law in Budapest, Hungary; and as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Law in 2024. Steve has also presented at a number of judicial conferences in the United States and Canada as well as for law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Czech Republic Police Academy. As a Tennessee DUI attorney, Mr. Oberman has successfully defended over two thousand clients charged with Driving Under the Influence of alcohol and/or drugs. In 2006, Mr. Oberman became the first DUI lawyer in Tennessee to be recognized by the National College for DUI Defense as a Board Certified Specialist in the area of DUI Defense law.

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