Opinion ID: 2542903
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: analysis

Text: ¶ 28 The State must provide due process of law whenever it deprives any person of life, liberty, or property. U.S. Const. amend. XIV, § 1; Wash. Const. art. I, § 3. Professional disciplinary proceedings must satisfy due process requirements. Haley v. Med. Disciplinary Bd., 117 Wash.2d 720, 732, 818 P.2d 1062 (1991) (citing In re Revocation of License of Kindschi, 52 Wash.2d 8, 11-12, 319 P.2d 824 (1958)). The Washington Constitution provides no more procedural due process protections than does the United States Constitution. See State v. Manussier, 129 Wash.2d 652, 679, 921 P.2d 473 (1996) (stating, [t]he Gunwall[ [2] ] factors do not favor an independent inquiry under article I, section 3 of the state constitution); see also City of Bremerton v. Widell, 146 Wash.2d 561, 579, 51 P.3d 733 (2002) (indicating the similarity between the state and federal provisions). Thus, `federal decisions regarding due process are afforded great weight.' Manussier, 129 Wash.2d at 680, 921 P.2d 473 (quoting Rozner v. City of Bellevue, 116 Wash.2d 342, 351, 804 P.2d 24 (1991)). Such precedent requires this court to overrule Nguyen. ¶ 29 The Nguyen Decision is Incorrect and Harmful. Under the doctrine of stare decisis, this court will abandon a previously established rule only upon 'a clear showing that [the] rule is incorrect and harmful.' Riehl v. Foodmaker, Inc., 152 Wash.2d 138, 147, 94 P.3d 930 (2004) (quoting In re Rights to Waters of Stranger Creek, 77 Wash.2d 649, 653, 466 P.2d 508 (1970)). The majority relies on Nguyen to support its holding that the Constitution requires clear and convincing standard of proof in all professional disciplinary proceedings. Majority at 1031. However, in Nguyen, through erroneous application of the balancing test articulated in Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U.S. 319, 96 S.Ct. 893, 47 L.Ed.2d 18 (1976), [3] and through application of faulty logic, this court inappropriately changed the emphasis of procedural due process protections. Specifically, in balancing the Mathews factors, the Nguyen majority erroneously overemphasized the importance of private interests and diluted the other Mathews factors. This error is harmful because it unnecessarily constrains the State's ability to protect the public from exposure to incompetent health care workers.