Opinion ID: 2000084
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Initial Superior Court Decision

Text: In January of 1982, the actions that have ultimately resulted in this appeal were filed in the Superior Court seeking an interpretation of Section 5933. Since the U.S. District Court had agreed to abstain from deciding the federal cases until there had been a definitive interpretation of the state law issue, an effort was made to secure certification by this Court. This Court declined to accept certification. The Lillard, McKinnon, Reed and Kopec actions were not consolidated immediately in the Superior Court because Reed and Kopec had been receiving supplemental compensation at the time of the 1981 amendment to Section 5933, although Lillard and McKinnon were not. The initial question presented to the Superior Court focused on the 1981 amendment. The State, Reed, and Kopec filed cross-motions for summary judgment in the Superior Court in support of their respective views of the 1981 amendment to Section 5933. The first issue raised by Kopec and Reed was whether the 1981 amendment applied retroactively to cut off the payment of supplemental compensation to employees who were already receiving such payments at the time of the amendment's enactment. In the context of a summary judgment ruling, the Superior Court determined that the supplemental compensation received by [Kopec and Reed] did not rise to the level of a vested or inchoate property right which could not be terminated if a clear legislative intention to do so were manifested. State v. Kopec, Del.Super., C.A. No. 82C-JA-42 and 82C-JA-54, Walsh, V.C. (July 25, 1984) at 11. However, the Court also held that although such supplemental compensation was not a vested right, it was a statutorily secured employment benefit, and as such its elimination should not be inferred absent a clearly expressed intention by the legislature. Id. at 11-12. The Court concluded that the 1981 amendment was prospective only and did not serve to terminate the payments to Kopec and Reed. Id. at 12. It is significant for the purpose of this appeal that the Court declined to rule, however, on whether terminating the employment of Kopec and Reed would be sufficient to terminate the supplemental compensation payments to them because at that time both were still school district employees. See id. at 12-13. Responding specifically to the Kopec decision, the General Assembly again amended Section 5933 on July 12, 1985 by designating the former provisions as subsection (a) and adding subsection (b) which states: (b) Subsection (a) of this Section applies to officers or employees of the State who qualified to receive supplemental compensation under Section 5933 of Title 29 subsequent to June 30, 1981. Officers or employees of the State who qualified to receive supplemental compensation under Section 5933 of Title 29 prior to July 1, 1981, and remain entitled to receive such supplemental compensation, shall have such supplemental compensation terminated as of September 1, 1985. 65 Del.Laws, ch. 154, § 1.