The Iowa Court of Appeals has ruled in two similar cases involving drunken driving and the loss of a driver’s license. Both drivers, in Adams and Polk counties, had a regular driver’s license and a commercial driver’s license, or CDL.
Both men were stopped in a private vehicle and refused to take a blood test. In both cases, officers advised the men their license would be revoked if they refused, but didn’t mention the possible loss of their CDL. The D.O.T. argued the information given to the men was sufficient, but the court ruled the drivers need to be told so they can evaluate whether to take to the chemical test.
The court said failing to provide the information on the potential loss of a CDL doesn’t allow them to make a fully-informed decision. The court ruled the licenses of Rodolfo Morales Junior in Adams County and David Dereus in Polk County should be reinstated.