Idaho Administrative Code › Title IDAPA 04 - Attorney General, Office of the › Rule 04.11.01 - IDAHO RULES OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL › Subchapter B - CONTESTED CASES › Hearing Officers - Presiding Officers › Section 04.11.01.420 - CONTRAST BETWEEN AGENCY'S PROSECUTORIAL/INVESTIGATIVE AND ADJUDICATORY FUNCTIONS

Current through August 31, 2023
When statute assigns to an agency both (1) the authority to initiate complaints or to investigate complaints made by the public, and (2) the authority to decide the merits of complaints, the agency is required to perform two distinct functions: prosecutorial/investigative and adjudicatory. In light of these dual functions, Rules  420  through  429  set forth procedures to be followed by the agency head, agency attorneys, agency staff and hearing officers in processing these complaints or responding to citizen inquiries. As used in Rules  420  through  429, the term agency head means the officer or officers who exercise the agency's ultimate adjudicatory authority and includes individual members of a multimember board or commission comprising the agency head when a multimember board of commission exercises ultimate adjudicatory authority. These rules do not apply to elected constitutional officers in the exercise of their constitutional duties, either individually or in constitutional boards or commissions. (3-31-22)
01.
Prosecutorial/Investigative Function
. The prosecutorial/investigative function (including issuing a complaint) can be performed exclusively by agency attorneys and agency staff. When required or allowed by statute, the agency head may participate in or supervise investigations preceding the issuance of a complaint and may supervise the agency attorneys and agency staff conducting the prosecution of the complaint issued by the agency head, but the agency head (or members of the agency head) shall not participate in the prosecution of a formal contested case hearing for a complaint issued by the agency unless the agency head or that member does not participate in the adjudicatory function. The investigative function includes gathering of evidence outside of formal contested case proceedings. The prosecutorial function includes presentation of allegations or evidence to the agency head for determination whether a complaint will be issued, the issuance of a complaint when complaints are issued without the involvement of an agency adjudicator, and presentation of evidence or argument and briefing on the record in a formal contested case proceeding. (3-31-22)
02.
Adjudicatory Function
. The adjudicatory function is performed by the agency head or the agency head's designee and/or hearing officers. The adjudicatory function includes: deciding whether to issue a complaint upon the basis of allegations before the agency when the decision to issue the complaint is made by an agency head acting in an adjudicatory capacity, i.e., when presented by agency staff in a formal setting with the question whether a complaint shall be issued; deciding whether to accept a consent order or other settlement of a complaint when the decision to accept a consent order or other settlement is made by an agency head acting in an adjudicatory capacity; and deciding the merits of a complaint following presentation of evidence in formal contested case proceedings. The adjudicatory function also includes agency attorneys' advice to the agency head or hearing officer in the performance of any adjudicatory functions. (3-31-22)