Title: Bland Farms, LLC v. Georgia Dept. of Agr.
Citation: 637 S.E.2d 37
Docket Number: S06A1633
State: Georgia
Issuer: Georgia Supreme Court
Date: October 30, 2006

637 S.E.2d 37 (2006) BLAND FARMS, LLC, et al. v. GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, et al. No. S06A1633. Supreme Court of Georgia. October 30, 2006. *38 Michael J. Bowers, Hugh Brown McNatt, T. Joshua R. Archer, Balch &amp; Bingham, LLP, Atlanta, for appellant. Thurbert E. Baker, Atty. Gen., John E. Hennelly, Asst. Atty. Gen., Timothy Joseph Ritzka, Asst. Atty. Gen., Isaac Byrd, Deputy Atty. Gen., Lawrence Hugh Kunin, David Alan Rabin, John R. Harris, Morris, Manning &amp; Martin, LLP, Atlanta, for appellee. CARLEY, Justice. Appellant-plaintiffs are growers and sellers of Vidalia onions. They brought a mandamus action, asserting that Appellee-defendants Department of Agriculture (Department) and Commissioner of Agriculture (Commissioner) are not enforcing certain rules and regulations promulgated in connection with the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986(Act), OCGA §§ 2-14-130 et seq. The specific regulations at issue relate to the testing and reporting of the pungency level of Vidalia onions and to the use of pungency test results *39 in promotional material. Some Vidalia onion producers are adding "Certified Sweet" or "Certified Extra Sweet" trademarks to their Vidalia onion labels and advertisements. These trademarks are licensed by the National Onions Labs and are based on a testing system called "Sweetometer." Appellants contend that use of these additional designations is prohibited by the regulations and that, consequently, Appellees have the official duty to order the Vidalia onion producers to cease using them. After conducting a hearing, however, the trial court denied the claim for mandamus relief. Appellants appeal from that order. Schrenko v. DeKalb County School Dist., 276 Ga. 786, 794(3), 582 S.E.2d 109 (2003). Gilmer County v. City of East Ellijay, 272 Ga. 774, 776(1), 533 S.E.2d 715 (2000). Appellants do not cite any authority for the proposition that Appellees have the specific duty to prohibit the use of the "Certified Sweet" and "Certified Extra Sweet" trademarks. Instead, they rely on OCGA § 2-14-132.1, which provides, in relevant part, that the Commissioner "is authorized to take all actions necessary and appropriate to create, register, license, promote, and protect a trademark for use on or in connection with the sale or promotion of Vidalia onions and products containing Vidalia onions." However, this statute simply confers on the Commissioner the general discretionary authority to undertake to protect the Vidalia trademark, and does not impose on him the express official duty to prohibit the use of other trademarks on Vidalia onions. Forsyth County v. White, 272 Ga. 619, 620(2), 532 S.E.2d 392 (2000). Mandamus can be used to compel an official to exercise his or her discretion, but not to direct the manner in which that discretion is exercised. Chatham County v. Mulling, 248 Ga. 878, 881(2), 286 S.E.2d 735 (1982). Thus, OCGA § 2-14-132.1, as a general grant of discretionary authority to the Commissioner, does not support Appellants' claim for mandamus relief. Appellants urge that the "Certified Sweet" and "Certified Extra Sweet" labeling does not comply with the regulations prescribed by the Commissioner and that he has an official duty to enforce those regulations. OCGA § 2-14-133(a) authorizes the Commissioner to promulgate regulations regarding the "labeling, and marketing practices for the marketing of onions in this state. . . ." However, OCGA § 2-14-135 also clearly provides that the civil enforcement of the regulations is a matter which lies within the Commissioner's discretion. Subsection (a) of that provision authorizes the Commissioner to initiate administrative proceedings to recover a penalty against "[a]ny person who violates any provision of this [Act] or who violates any rule or regulation issued by [him]. . . ." Subsection (b) of OCGA § 2-14-135 also provides, in part, that, Appellants do not contend that the Commissioner has failed to exercise his discretion and consider whether use of the "Certified Sweet" and "Certified Extra Sweet" labeling is a violation of the regulations and, if so, whether to initiate administrative or judicial proceedings against the growers who are using them. Instead, they object that, in the exercise of his discretion, he has failed to find a violation and seek legal recourse to stop the practice. However, "mandamus is not an available remedy to control the official action taken in the exercise of discretion vested by law in a public officer." Persons v. Mashburn, 211 Ga. 477, 480(1), 86 S.E.2d 319 (1955). An Heckler v. Chaney, 470 U.S. 821, 831-832(II), 105 S. Ct. 1649, 84 L. Ed. 2d 714 (1985). Accordingly, the trial court correctly denied Appellants' mandamus petition. Judgment affirmed. All the Justices concur.