Opinion ID: 2633375
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Was the Industrial Commission required to have a formal evidentiary hearing before deciding the amount to award in attorney fees?

Text: Seiniger first argues that the Due Process Clause of the Constitution of the United States mandates that he be given a formal hearing before the Industrial Commission determines the amount of attorney fees to be awarded under Idaho Code § 72-804. Procedural due process requires that a party be provided with an opportunity to be heard at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner. Paul v. Board of Professional Discipline of the Idaho State Board of Medicine, 134 Idaho 838, 11 P.3d 34 (2000). [D]ue process is not a concept rigidly applied to every adversarial confrontation, but instead is a flexible concept calling for such procedural protections as are warranted by the situation. Id. at 843-44, 11 P.3d at 39-40. It does not require a full evidentiary hearing and the right to be heard in person in all instances. Matter of Wilson, 128 Idaho 161, 167, 911 P.2d 754, 760 (1996). In this case, the Industrial Commission provided Seiniger with an opportunity to present affidavits and written argument on the issue of what would be a reasonable attorney fee, including responding to any objections raised by the Surety. The Surety did not submit any affidavits in opposition to Seiniger's attorney fees claim, so there were no conflicting facts to be resolved by the Commission. Because Seiniger was given an opportunity to be heard at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner, the procedure used by the Industrial Commission did not deprive Seiniger of due process of law. Matter of Wilson, 128 Idaho 161, 167, 911 P.2d 754, 760 (1996). Seiniger next argues that the resolution of the amount of attorney fees was a contested case under Idaho Code § 67-5240 and that the Industrial Commission failed to comply with the procedures required by Idaho Code §§ 67-5241(3) and 67-5242 when resolving contested cases under the Idaho Administrative Procedures Act. Idaho Code § 67-5240 provides: A proceeding by an agency, other than the public utilities commission or the industrial commission, that may result in the issuance of an order is a contested case and is governed by the provisions of this chapter, except as provided by other provisions of law. (Emphasis added) The statute clearly provides that proceedings before the Industrial Commission are not contested cases under the Idaho Administrative Procedures Act. Therefore, the Industrial Commission was not required to comply with Idaho Code §§ 67-5241(3) and 67-5242. Finally, Seiniger argues that Idaho Code § 72-712 required a formal adversarial hearing to resolve the issue of attorney fees. Under the circumstances of this case, the Industrial Commission's failure to accord Seiniger a full evidentiary hearing to determine the amount of a reasonable attorney fee was not inconsistent with Idaho Code § 72-712. In re Wilson, 128 Idaho 161, 911 P.2d 754 (1996).