The Garage Door

The Defendant drove past a California Highway Patrol officer in Sonoma while listening to loud music with his windows down and repeatedly honking his horn in apparent violation of noise ordinances. The officer turned on his overhead lights to signal the Defendant to pull over. At that point the Defendant was only about 100 feet — approximately four seconds of driving — from his home. Rather than stopping, the Defendant continued to his driveway and entered his attached garage. The officer followed the Defendant into the garage without a warrant. Inside, the officer noticed signs that the Defendant was drunk. The Defendant failed a field sobriety test. A subsequent blood test showed the Defendant's blood alcohol content was over three times the legal limit.