Opinion ID: 2446157
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Was there Substantial Evidence?

Text: While respondents mainly rely on the argument that the Commissioner had no right to rely on incompetent evidence (evidence not presented at the administrative hearing), they do have counter points of error by means of which they argue that the holding of the Court of Civil Appeals is correct because there was not substantial evidence on which the Commissioner could base his decision; thus, it becomes our duty to review the evidence available to the Commissioner at the time he granted the order to determine whether or not that order may stand. Review under the substantial evidence rule entails the following principles: The order of the Commissioner is presumed to be valid. The courts may not substitute their discretion for that delegated to the Commissioner by the Legislature: thus, the only question before the trial court is whether the Commissioner's decision was arbitrary and made without regard to facts. Railroad Commission v. Shell Oil Co., 139 Tex. 66, 161 S.W.2d 1022 (1942); Alamo Express, Inc. v. Union City Transfer, 158 Tex. 234, 309 S.W.2d 815 (1958); Thomas v. Stanolind Oil & Gas Co., 145 Tex. 270, 198 S.W.2d 420 (1946). The test of whether an order is supported by substantial evidence is stated in Railroad Commission v. Shell Oil Co., supra, at 1029 of 161 S.W.2d:    where the order of the agency under attack involves the exercise of the sound judgment and discretion of the agency in a matter committed to it by the Legislature, the court will sustain the order if the action of the agency in reaching such conclusion is reasonably supported by substantial evidence. This does not mean that a mere scintilla of evidence will suffice, nor does it mean that the court is bound to select the testimony of one side, with absolute blindness to that introduced by the other. After all, the court is to render justice in the case. The record is to be considered as a whole, and it is for the court to determine what constitutes substantial evidence. The court is not to substitute its discretion for that committed to the agency by the Legislature, but is to sustain the agency if it is reasonably supported by substantial evidence before the court. If the evidence as a whole is such that reasonable minds could not have reached the conclusion that the agency must have reached in order to justify its action, then the order must be set aside. [2] Under the presumption of validity, the evidence which the court may consider includes proof made at the trial of facts in existence at the time the Commissioner entered his order, whether the Commissioner is shown to have been aware of those facts or not. Cook Drilling Co. v. Gulf Oil Corporation, 139 Tex. 80, 161 S.W.2d 1035 (1942); Railroad Commission v. Shell Oil Co., supra; Alamo Express, Inc. v. Union City Transfer, supra.