Opinion ID: 1931375
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Legal Representation

Text: [¶ 18] Millien contends that the Appeals Board hearing was fundamentally unfair because he had no legal representative at the hearing, even though the claimant was represented by a victim advocate who was a law school graduate and the Board was represented by its attorney. Millien does not assert that Colby was obligated to provide him with appointed counsel, but rather argues that it was unfair that the Appeals Board allowed the hearing to proceed because he did not have an attorney present. Colby contends that Millien had retained an attorney prior to the Appeals Board hearing and knew his attorney would be unavailable for the hearing, but nevertheless chose not to request a continuance. [¶ 19] The record establishes that Millien had retained an attorney prior to the Appeals Board hearing, that his attorney was not available to attend the hearing, and that Millien did not request a postponement of the hearing to accommodate his attorney's schedule. Under these circumstances, it was not inherently unfair for the hearing to proceed even though Millien's attorney was not present.