Deivis Patino Ortega v. State of Florida

2024-2681Fladistctapp4

Full text

D ISTRICT C OURT OF A PPEAL O F T HE STATE OF F LORIDA
FOURTH DISTRICT
DEIVIS PATINO ORTEGA,
Appellant,
v.
STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.
No. 4D2024-2681
[February 18, 2026]
Appeal from the County Court for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit,
Broward 	County; 	Phoebee 	Rebecca 	Francois, 	Judge; 	L.T. 	Case 	No.
23000615MU10A.
Joseph Andrew DiRuzzo, III, and Daniel Lader of Margulis Gelfand
DiRuzzo & Lambson, Ft. Lauderdale, for appellant.
James 	Uthmeier, 	Attorney 	General, 	Tallahassee, 	and 	Sorraya 	M.
Solages-Jones, Senior Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, for
appellee.
PER CURIAM .
Affirmed. 	See South Dakota v. Neville, 459 U.S. 553, 564 (1983)
(holding that that “a refusal to take a blood-alcohol test, after a police
officer has lawfully requested it, is not an act coerced by the officer, and
thus is not protected by the privilege against self-incrimination”); State v.
Busciglio, 976 So. 2d 15, 18, 21–22 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008) (holding that
“whether analyzed under article I, section 9, of the Florida Constitution or
the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution,” “neither [a]
yes/no 	question 	nor 	its 	answer” 	to 	an 	officer’s 	“postarrest 	statutory
explanation of [a motorist]’s obligation to take a breath test” and “the
criminalization of a refusal to take a breath test” pursuant to section
316.1939, 	Florida 	Statutes, 	“constituted 	a 	testimonial 	interrogation
implicating [the motorist]’s right to counsel”); State v. Sowers, 442 So. 2d
239, 239–40 (Fla. 5th DCA 1983) (holding that admitting evidence of the
defendant’s 	“refus[al] 	to 	submit 	to 	a 	chemical 	test 	for 	intoxication”
pursuant 	to 	section 	316.1932(1)(a), 	Florida 	Statutes, 	is 	not
unconstitutional and does not violate the Fifth Amendment to the U.S.
2
Constitution and Article I, section 9 of the Florida Constitution); Evans v.
Hamilton, 885 So. 2d 950, 951 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004) (holding that “[b]ecause
a refusal to take a blood-alcohol test is not compelled, and admission of
such refusal does not violate the Fifth Amendment, the trial court did not
err in finding that section 316.066 does not prevent the admission into
evidence of [the motorist]’s refusal to submit to a blood-alcohol test”).
KUNTZ , C.J., G ROSS and GERBER , JJ., concur.
* 	* 	*
Not final until disposition of timely-filed motion for rehearing.

OCR transcription; preserved printed pages are authoritative

DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA
FOURTH DISTRICT

DEIVIS PATINO ORTEGA,
Appellant,

Vv.

STATE OF FLORIDA,
Appellee.

No. 4D2024-2681
[February 18, 2026]

Appeal from the County Court for the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit,
Broward County; Phoebee Rebecca Francois, Judge; L.T. Case No.
23000615MU10A.

Joseph Andrew DiRuzzo, IH, and Daniel Lader of Margulis Gelfand
DiRuzzo & Lambson, Ft. Lauderdale, for appellant.

James Uthmeier, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Sorraya M.
Solages-Jones, Senior Assistant Attorney General, West Palm Beach, for
appellee.

PER CURIAM.

Affirmed. See South Dakota v. Neville, 459 U.S. 553, 564 (1983)
(holding that that “a refusal to take a blood-alcohol test, after a police
officer has lawfully requested it, is not an act coerced by the officer, and
thus is not protected by the privilege against self-incrimination”); State v.
Busciglio, 976 So. 2d 15, 18, 21-22 (Fla. 2d DCA 2008) (holding that
“whether analyzed under article I, section 9, of the Florida Constitution or
the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution,” “neither [a]
yes/no question nor its answer” to an officer’s “postarrest statutory
explanation of [a motorist]’s obligation to take a breath test” and “the
criminalization of a refusal to take a breath test” pursuant to section
316.1939, Florida Statutes, “constituted a testimonial interrogation
implicating [the motorist]’s right to counsel”); State v. Sowers, 442 So. 2d
239, 239-40 (Fla. Sth DCA 1983) (holding that admitting evidence of the
defendant’s “refus[al] to submit to a chemical test for intoxication”
pursuant to section 316.1932(1)(a), Florida Statutes, is not
unconstitutional and does not violate the Fifth Amendment to the U.S.

Constitution and Article I, section 9 of the Florida Constitution); Evans v.
Hamilton, 885 So. 2d 950, 951 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004) (holding that “[b]ecause
a refusal to take a blood-alcohol test is not compelled, and admission of
such refusal does not violate the Fifth Amendment, the trial court did not
err in finding that section 316.066 does not prevent the admission into
evidence of [the motorist]’s refusal to submit to a blood-alcohol test”).

KUNTZ, C.J., GROSS and GERBER, JJ., concur.

* * *

Not final until disposition of timely-filed motion for rehearing.

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