Opinion ID: 1168689
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: The proceedings conducted by the Board were tainted with constitutionally impermissible prejudgment and bias.

Text: The District contends that it was proper for Dr. Bunch, who previously had testified against Ritter, to sit on the ARB which reviewed his own and other persons' testimony. The trial judge found this violated Ritter's constitutional rights because prejudgment will deny due process. The due process clause of the fourteenth amendment to the United States Constitution guaranteed Ritter a right to a hearing free from bias. This requires a fair hearing before impartial judges. Hortonville Joint School Dist. 1 v. Hortonville Educ. Ass'n, 426 U.S. 482, 49 L.Ed.2d 1, 96 S.Ct. 2308 (1976). The subsequent ARB deliberations, as well as the initial hearing, must be fair and free from bias. Our court has identified the types of bias which impermissibly taint judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings. In Buell v. Bremerton, 80 Wn.2d 518, 524, 495 P.2d 1358 (1972), the court held: At least three types of bias have been recognized as grounds for disqualification of persons performing quasi-judicial functions. These are prejudgment concerning issues of fact about parties in a particular case; partiality evidencing a personal bias or personal prejudice signifying an attitude for or against a party as distinguished from issues of law or policy; and, as alleged in this case, an interest whereby one stands to gain or lose by a decision either way. (Footnotes omitted.) The trial court found that while Dr. Bunch had no personal bias or pecuniary interest in the matter, he did prejudge critical facts. The prejudice resulting from such prejudgment occurs because the prior knowledge or prejudgment of the facts comes from one's former capacity rather than from one's capacity as an adjudicator. NLRB v. Donnelly Garment Co., 330 U.S. 219, 91 L.Ed. 854, 67 S.Ct. 756 (1947). Dr. Bunch's participation on the ARB was a denial of Dr. Ritter's right to a fair and impartial hearing.