Massachusetts OUI Defense and RMV Administrative Hearing Package

MASSACHUSETTS OUI DEFENSE AND RMV ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PACKAGE

PART I — INTAKE AND CASE SNAPSHOT

Client (Defendant): [_______________________________]
DOB: [__/__/____] MA DL No.: [_______________________________]
Address: [_______________________________]
Phone: [___-___-____] Email: [_______________________________]

Arrest Date / Time: [__/__/____] at [__:__ __M]
Arresting Agency: [_______________________________]
Officer Name / Badge: [_______________________________]
Location of Stop: [_______________________________]
Court: ☐ District Court ☐ Boston Municipal Court — [_______________________________]
Docket No.: [_______________________________]
Arraignment Date: [__/__/____]
RMV Refusal Hearing Deadline (if refusal): [__/__/____] (15 days from arrest)

Charge Summary

Test Status: ☐ Breath (Draeger 9510) ☐ Blood ☐ Refusal ☐ No test
RMV Action at Arrest: ☐ 30-day fail suspension ☐ 180-day refusal (0 priors) ☐ 3-yr refusal (1 prior) ☐ 5-yr refusal (2 priors) ☐ Lifetime refusal (3+ priors) ☐ Under-21 zero-tolerance (.02)

PART II — IMPLIED CONSENT SUMMARY (M.G.L. c. 90, § 24(1)(f))

Key Points to Convey to Client:

• Massachusetts is an implied-consent state: operating on Mass. roads is deemed consent to a chemical test.
• The driver has a right to refuse the test; refusal is not a criminal offense and cannot be used as evidence at the criminal trial. Opinion of the Justices, 412 Mass. 1201 (1992).
• Refusal triggers automatic RMV administrative suspension of license and 12-hour impoundment of vehicle:
• No priors: 180 days
• One prior OUI: 3 years
• Two priors: 5 years
• Three or more: Lifetime
• Under 21 (no priors): 3 years plus 180-day Youth Alcohol Program (YAP) suspension
• CDL holder, 1st refusal: 1 year; 2nd: lifetime
• Failure (BAC ≥ 0.08 for 21+, ≥ 0.02 for under 21): 30-day RMV suspension (or until criminal case disposed, whichever first).
• The breath operator must be certified; breath test must comply with 501 CMR 2.00.
• The driver has the right to an independent medical examination (c. 263, § 5A); failure to facilitate this can lead to dismissal of OUI evidence.
• Blood draws require a warrant absent valid consent or exigency (Birchfield v. North Dakota, 579 U.S. 438 (2016)).

☐ Client read Implied Consent Summary ☐ Client signed acknowledgment Date: [__/__/____]

PART III — PENALTY MATRIX (c. 90, § 24 — including Melanie's Law)

First Offense

Second Offense (lifetime lookback)

Third Offense — Felony

Fourth Offense — Felony

Fifth Offense — Felony

Melanie's Law (St. 2005, c. 122) mandates an Ignition Interlock Device for any driver with two or more OUI offenses upon receipt of a hardship license or full reinstatement, plus creates aggravated offenses including OUI with child under 14 in vehicle (§ 24V) and felony charge for operating with required IID while suspended.

PART IV — RMV REFUSAL HEARING REQUEST (M.G.L. c. 90, § 24(1)(g))

MASSACHUSETTS REGISTRY OF MOTOR VEHICLES
Boston (Haymarket) RMV Service Center
136 Blackstone Street, Boston, MA 02109

RE: Request for Hearing — Chemical Test Refusal Suspension
Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 90, § 24(1)(g)

Driver: [_______________________________] DOB: [__/__/____]
MA DL No.: [_______________________________]
Date of Refusal / Arrest: [__/__/____]
Arresting Agency / Officer: [_______________________________]
Police Department Case No.: [_______________________________]

The undersigned driver, within 15 days of the chemical test refusal, requests a formal hearing before a Hearings Officer at the Haymarket RMV Service Center to contest the administrative suspension imposed under M.G.L. c. 90, § 24(1)(f)(1).

Three Issues for Hearing (M.G.L. c. 90, § 24(1)(g)):

1. ☐ The arresting officer did NOT have reasonable grounds to believe the driver was operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor.
2. ☐ The driver was NOT placed under arrest.
3. ☐ The driver did NOT refuse the breathalyzer test (e.g., physical inability to provide a sample; equivocal response; verbal assent given).

Supporting Evidence:
☐ Booking video and breath room video subpoenaed
☐ Cruiser dashcam and BWC footage
☐ Witness testimony: [_______________________________]
☐ Medical records establishing inability to perform breath maneuver
☐ Other: [_______________________________]

Fee: $50 hearing fee paid at presentation.

Counsel: [______________________________________________________] BBO No. [_______]

Date: [__/__/____] Driver Signature: __________________________

PART V — DISCOVERY DEMAND (Mass. R. Crim. P. 14)

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
[COUNTY] DIVISION, [DISTRICT/BOSTON MUNICIPAL] COURT DEPARTMENT

COMMONWEALTH v. [DEFENDANT NAME] — Docket No. [____________________]

DEFENDANT'S MOTION FOR DISCOVERY

Pursuant to Mass. R. Crim. P. 14, Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963), and Commonwealth v. Carney, 458 Mass. 418 (2010), Defendant moves the Court to order the Commonwealth to produce:

Mandatory Discovery (Rule 14(a)(1)(A))
☐ Defendant's statements (written, oral, recorded)
☐ Defendant's prior record (BOP and driving history)
☐ Grand jury minutes (if applicable)
☐ Names, addresses, and statements of all witnesses
☐ Identification procedure records
☐ All police reports, supplements, and officer notes
☐ Promises, rewards, or inducements to witnesses

Audio / Video
☐ Cruiser dashcam (every responding cruiser)
☐ Body-worn camera footage
☐ Booking video including full breath test sequence
☐ Cell-block / holding-cell video
☐ Dispatch and radio communications

Field Sobriety
☐ Officer SFST training certifications and refreshers
☐ HGN, WAT, OLS scoring sheets and notes
☐ DRE certification, refreshers, and 12-step protocol notes (if drug OUI)

Breath Test (Draeger 9510 / Alcotest 9510)
☐ Subject Test Report (both samples)
☐ Periodic / annual certification records for the instrument
☐ Office of Alcohol Testing (OAT) calibration logs and maintenance records
☐ Defendant-specific Calibration Worksheet
☐ All records governed by 501 CMR 2.00
☐ Breath operator's most current Operator Certification card
☐ OAT internal investigation and audit records (post-Ananias)
☐ Discovery materials produced in Commonwealth v. Ananias

Blood
☐ Search warrant application and affidavit (if any)
☐ Chain of custody from phlebotomy to lab
☐ Vacutainer lot, anticoagulant/preservative
☐ Phlebotomist credentials
☐ Toxicology bench notes, chromatograms, calibrators
☐ Lab accreditation records

Brady / Giglio
☐ All exculpatory evidence
☐ Personnel files of testifying officers bearing on credibility (in-camera review request)
☐ Prior judicial findings of untruthfulness
☐ Sustained internal-affairs complaints

Preservation Demand: All electronic evidence to be preserved pending disposition.

Date: [__/__/____] _____________________________________
Counsel for Defendant
BBO No. [_________________]

PART VI — MOTION TO SUPPRESS

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
[COUNTY] DIVISION, [DISTRICT/BMC] COURT DEPARTMENT

Docket No. [____________________]

DEFENDANT'S MOTION TO SUPPRESS EVIDENCE

Pursuant to Mass. R. Crim. P. 13, Mass. Const. art. 14, and the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the United States Constitution, Defendant moves to suppress all evidence obtained on [__/__/____] on the following grounds:

I. Unlawful Stop. No reasonable suspicion under Commonwealth v. Lyles, 453 Mass. 811 (2009); Commonwealth v. Sykes, 449 Mass. 308 (2007); art. 14.

II. Unlawful Arrest. No probable cause to arrest for OUI. Commonwealth v. Hilton, 398 Mass. 63 (1986).

III. Field Sobriety Test Issues. Commonwealth v. Sands, 424 Mass. 184 (1997); Commonwealth v. Gerhardt, 477 Mass. 775 (2017) (FSTs inadmissible as evidence of marijuana impairment without proper foundation; jurors must be instructed).

IV. Breath Test Inadmissible.
☐ Draeger 9510 results from the Ananias discovery period are presumptively excluded
☐ Operator not certified at time of test (501 CMR 2.06)
☐ Annual certification of instrument lacking or invalid
☐ 15-minute observation period not maintained
☐ Office of Alcohol Testing methodology violations
☐ Quality assurance procedure failures (501 CMR 2.00)
☐ Commonwealth v. Ananias, MICR2014-0005 (per protective order) findings apply

V. Statements Obtained in Violation of Miranda. Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966); art. 12.

VI. Warrantless Blood Draw. Commonwealth v. Bohigian, 486 Mass. 209 (2020); Birchfield v. North Dakota, 579 U.S. 438 (2016).

VII. Denial of Right to Independent Medical Examination. Commonwealth v. Hampe, 419 Mass. 514 (1995); G.L. c. 263, § 5A.

VIII. Refusal Inadmissible. Opinion of the Justices, 412 Mass. 1201 (1992) (test refusal is testimonial under art. 12 and inadmissible against defendant).

Relief Requested: Suppression of all post-stop observations, statements, FSTs, breath/blood evidence, and any fruits thereof.

Date: [__/__/____] _____________________________________
Counsel for Defendant
BBO No. [_________________]

PART VII — HARDSHIP LICENSE PETITION (c. 90, §§ 24, 24N)

Hardship License Application — RMV Hearings Officer

Driver: [_______________________________] MA DL No.: [_____________________]
DOB: [__/__/____] Phone: [___-___-____]
Conviction / Disposition Date: [__/__/____] Type: ☐ 24D 1st ☐ Cahill 2nd ☐ 2nd ☐ 3rd ☐ 4th
Current Suspension Period: [_______________________________]

Required Showings (check and attach support)

☐ Hardship — Work: Employer letter; schedule; commute; absence of transit alternatives
☐ Hardship — Education: Enrollment letter; class schedule; transportation alternatives
☐ Hardship — Medical: Provider letter; appointment schedule; medical necessity
☐ No driving since suspension: Sworn affidavit
☐ All other suspensions complete or running concurrent: Driver history printout
☐ Alcohol education enrollment: DAEP/24D enrollment / certificate of completion
☐ Treatment compliance: Discharge summary, after-care plan (for 2nd+)
☐ Probation compliance: Probation officer letter
☐ Ignition Interlock installation (mandatory for 2nd+ under Melanie's Law)
☐ SR-22 financial responsibility filed

Permitted Hardship Schedule Requested

Days: [_______________________________]
Hours: [______] AM/PM to [______] AM/PM
Permitted destinations:

1. [______________________________________________________]
2. [______________________________________________________]
3. [______________________________________________________]

Acknowledgments

By signing, the Applicant acknowledges that:
☐ A hardship license is not a right and may be denied
☐ Violation of hardship terms is grounds for immediate revocation
☐ For 2nd+ offenses, every motor vehicle operated must contain a functioning IID per c. 90, § 24S
☐ Operating without a required IID is a separate offense under c. 90, § 24V

Applicant Signature: __________________________ Date: [__/__/____]
Counsel Signature: ___________________________ Date: [__/__/____] BBO No.: [_______]

PART VIII — PLEA-DEAL WORKSHEET (24D / Cahill / Trial)

Plea Negotiation Worksheet — c. 90, § 24

Original Charges: ☐ OUI 24(1)(a)(1) ☐ Negligent Op. 24(2)(a) ☐ Other [____________]
Strongest Commonwealth Evidence: [_______________________________]
Strongest Defense Issues: [_______________________________]

Cahill Analysis (c. 90, § 24(1)(a)(1)): If prior OUI was more than 10 years ago, court may treat current 2nd offense as a 24D first-offender disposition. Confirm: prior offense date [__/__/____]; current offense date [__/__/____]; gap [____] years. Cahill ☐ Eligible ☐ Not eligible.

Client decision: ☐ Accept 24D ☐ Accept Cahill ☐ Reject — proceed to trial ☐ Bench trial under c. 90, § 24
Date: [__/__/____]
Client Signature: _____________________________ Counsel Signature: _____________________________

PART IX — TRIAL / HEARING READINESS CHECKLIST

☐ 15-day RMV refusal hearing requested (if refusal case)
☐ Breath test annual certification verified post-Ananias
☐ Subpoenas issued for arresting officer / breath operator / OAT records custodian
☐ Cruiser dashcam, BWC, booking video reviewed
☐ Defense toxicology / breath instrument expert retained
☐ Motion to suppress filed under Mass. R. Crim. P. 13
☐ 5A independent-medical-exam record audited (Commonwealth v. Hampe)
☐ DAEP enrollment paperwork prepared (for 24D)
☐ Hardship license application packet drafted
☐ Mandatory exposure (including Melanie's Law IID) explained to client in writing

SOURCES AND REFERENCES

• M.G.L. c. 90 §§ 24, 24D, 24E, 24F, 24G, 24L, 24N, 24S, 24V; c. 263 § 5A
• 501 CMR 2.00 (Office of Alcohol Testing — Breath Testing)
• St. 2005, c. 122 (Melanie's Law)
• Commonwealth v. Cahill, 442 Mass. 127 (2004)
• Commonwealth v. Ananias, MICR2014-0005 (Concord District Court / Middlesex Superior Court)
• Commonwealth v. Gerhardt, 477 Mass. 775 (2017)
• Commonwealth v. Bohigian, 486 Mass. 209 (2020)
• Commonwealth v. Hampe, 419 Mass. 514 (1995)
• Opinion of the Justices, 412 Mass. 1201 (1992)
• Birchfield v. North Dakota, 579 U.S. 438 (2016)
• Mass. RMV — Alcohol & Drug Suspensions: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/alcohol-and-drug-suspensions-for-over-21-years-of-age

DISCLAIMER: This template is intended as a working framework for attorneys handling Massachusetts OUI matters. It is not legal advice. The 15-day RMV refusal hearing deadline is strict. Verify current statutes, regulations, and the status of Commonwealth v. Ananias breath-test discovery rulings before filing.