Opinion ID: 1796738
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the trial judge applied the correct legal standard

Text: This Court does not interfere with a municipality's legislative authority, substituting its judgment for that of the governing body, except where a proceeding or action is arbitrary, discriminatory, confiscatory, an abuse of discretion or in conflict with a state statute. Peterson v. City of McComb, 504 So.2d 208, 209 (Miss. 1987). On the other hand, review of questions of law is de novo and if erroneous interpretation or application of the law exists, reversal is proper. Harrison County v. City of Gulfport, 557 So.2d 780, 784 (Miss. 1990). Writs of certiorari are granted to the circuit court to determine questions of law on the face of the record and proceedings. Miss.Code. Ann. § 11-51-93 (1972). Miss. Code. Ann. § 11-51-95 (Supp. 1988) provides that [l]ike proceedings as provided in section 11-51-93 may be had to review the judgments of all tribunals inferior to the circuit court, whether an appeal be provided by law from the judgment sought to be reviewed or not. A municipal civil service commission is included within tribunals inferior, so the limitations under § 11-51-93 would apply to it. See Gill v. Mississippi Dept. of Wildlife Conservation, 574 So.2d 586, 591 (Miss. 1990). This Court, in Gill, gave a helpful discussion of the review of judgments of tribunals inferior. After discussing how the language of § 11-51-93 might seem to preclude a factual review or determination of the existence of substantial evidence, this Court noted: [3] [S]hould the record and proceedings below reflect a decision wholly unsupported by any credible evidence, we would regard that decision as contrary to law and, as a matter appearing on the face of the record or proceedings, subject to modification or reversal. We are thus in our familiar posture of judicial review of administrative processes wherein we may interfere only where the board or agency's decision is arbitrary and capricious, accepting in principle the notion that a decision unsupported by any evidence is by definition arbitrary and capricious. Id. The record does indicate that the circuit court below considered the entire record and the parties' arguments to determine whether the findings of the Commission were supported by substantial evidence. It is well settled that the court may make determinations of arbitrariness in decisions by boards, agencies and commissions. See Gill, supra ; Peterson, supra ; City of Meridian v. Hill, 447 So.2d 641, 643-644 (Miss. 1984); Ridgewood Land Co. v. Simmons, 243 Miss. 236, 248, 137 So.2d 532, 536 (1962); City of Meridian v. Davidson, 211 Miss. 683, 693, 53 So.2d 48, 52-53 (1951). The circuit court properly determined that, regarding the actions of the Commission, judicial interference would only be necessitated by a decision which was arbitrary and capricious and therefore, properly applied the standard of review.