The appellant, Dennis Piamonte, appealed his conviction for driving while impaired, arguing the trial judge erred by failing to conduct a voir dire regarding statements he made to paramedics.
The appellant contended that paramedics were "persons in authority" and his statements should have been subject to a voluntariness inquiry.
The court dismissed the appeal, finding no clear evidence in the record that objectively should have alerted the trial judge to the need for a voir dire, as paramedics were not conventional persons in authority and the appellant's interaction with police had concluded before his statements to medical personnel.
