Opinion ID: 1918218
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: whether the hearing officer erred in denying molden's and avery's motion to permit access to witnesses testifying on behalf of the department of health.

Text: ¶ 29. Molden and Avery contend that the hearing officer erred by denying their motion to permit access to the witnesses testifying on behalf of the Department. Molden and Avery contend that given the highly penal nature of the proceedings against them that they should be afforded the same right to interview the Department's witnesses as criminal defendants are permitted to interview prosecution witnesses. See URCCC 9.04(D). The Department, however, asserts that the proceedings are not criminal and, furthermore, that there is no requirement that nurse aides be allowed to interview witnesses prior to an administrative hearing. ¶ 30. As stated above, [t]he general rule... is that rules of civil procedure do not apply to administrative proceedings unless the rules specifically so provide. State Oil & Gas Bd. v. McGowan, 542 So.2d 244, 247 (Miss.1989). In the instant case, the Department's regulations do not provide nurse aides with the right to be allowed to interview the Department's witnesses prior to the administrative hearing, but the record does reveal that Molden's and Avery's attorneys were provided with summaries of the witness statements. However, the Department's regulations do provide for the cross-examination of the Department's witnesses at the administrative hearing. See Regulations § II(C)(1). Thus, Molden and Avery had no right to conduct interviews or take depositions of the Department's witnesses before the administrative hearing, and furthermore, Molden and Avery fail to show any prejudice they suffered by the hearing officer's denial of this request where they had the opportunity to fully cross-examine the Department's witnesses at the evidentiary hearing. As a result, we find that this assignment of error is without merit.