Opinion ID: 2581416
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: standard of review when the district court acted in an appellate capacity

Text: Nicholls v. Blaser, 102 Idaho 559, 633 P.2d 1137 (1981), sets forth the standard of review when this Court reviews a decision that has been appealed from the magistrate division to the district court. We deem the appropriate standard of review at the Supreme Court level to be: The Supreme Court reviews the trial court (magistrate) record to determine whether there is substantial and competent evidence to support the magistrate's findings of fact and whether the magistrate's conclusions of law follow from those findings. Id. at 561, 633 P.2d at 1139. Our standard of review, when we are reviewing a district court decision, acting in its appellate capacity, is to review the record and the magistrate's decision independently of, but with due regard for, the district court's decision. Walborn v. Walborn, 120 Idaho 494, 498, 817 P.2d 160, 164 (1991).