Opinion ID: 678573
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Deference to Administrative Interpretations

Text: 45 Our conclusion that the Georgia parole system does not create a protected liberty interest is strengthened by another factor, the Board's own interpretation of the Guidelines. It is a well-established rule of statutory construction in Georgia that the interpretation of a statute or regulation by an administrative agency responsible for enforcement of the provision is entitled to great deference, unless clearly erroneous. E.g., Hospital Auth. v. State Health Planning Agency, 211 Ga.App. 407, 408, 438 S.E.2d 912, 914 (1993), cert. denied (Ga.1994); National Advertising Co. v. Department of Transp., 149 Ga.App. 334, 337, 254 S.E.2d 571, 573 (1979); Mason v. Service Loan & Fin. Co., 128 Ga.App. 828, 831, 198 S.E.2d 391, 394 (1973); Belton v. Columbus Fin. & Thrift Co., 127 Ga.App. 770, 772, 195 S.E.2d 195, 197 (1972). Here, the Board is the administrative agency responsible for implementation of the statute and Guidelines under consideration. Under O.C.G.A. Sec. 42-9-40, the Board has the responsibility for adopting, implementing, and maintaining a parole guidelines system. Pursuant to that statute, the Board adopted the Guidelines under consideration here and is the sole administrative agency responsible for administering the parole system. Therefore, unless its interpretation is unreasonable, it deserves great deference. 46 The Board has unequivocally evinced its opinion that the statute and Guidelines do not create a liberty interest in parole. In several portions of the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to O.C.G.A. Sec. 42-9-40, the Board has expressly reserved the right to depart from the grid recommendation. See Ga.R. ch. 475-3-.05. In fact, the portion of the Guidelines that contains the parole decision grid has the following NOTICE in capital letters at the top of the page: 47 THE BOARD SPECIFICALLY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE ITS DISCRETION UNDER GEORGIA LAW TO DENY PAROLE EVEN THOUGH GUIDELINES CRITERIA ARE MET BY AN INMATE. IT IS NOT THE INTENTION OF THE BOARD TO CREATE A LIBERTY INTEREST OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED IN GREENHOLTZ V. NEBRASKA PENAL INMATES 442 US 1 (1979). 48 Parole Decision Guidelines System, Annexure 2. The Board's unequivocal interpretation of the statute and Guidelines, therefore, is that no protected liberty interest is created. 10 Because we find this interpretation to be reasonable, we owe it deference. We agree with the Board that Georgia's parole system does not create a liberty interest in parole protected by the Due Process Clause.