Opinion ID: 2622594
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Adequacy of the Board's findings of fact

Text: [¶ 13] Billings contends the Board's findings of fact and conclusions of law are insufficient to permit appellate review. We agree. Wyoming law requires that suspension and revocation proceedings before the Board be conducted in accordance with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act (WAPA). Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 23-2-416(c) (LexisNexis 2001). WAPA, in turn, requires that a final decision in a contested case include findings of fact and conclusions of law: A final decision or order adverse to a party in a contested case shall be in writing or dictated into the record. The final decision shall include findings of fact and conclusions of law separately stated. Findings of fact if set forth in statutory language, shall be accompanied by a concise and explicit statement of the underlying facts supporting the findings. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-3-110 (LexisNexis 2001). The purpose of § 16-3-110 is to require the articulation of basic facts from which ultimate findings of fact are determined in order to facilitate judicial review. Harris v. Wyoming State Tax Comm'n, 718 P.2d 49, 51 (Wyo.1986). Expounding on that theme, this court has ruled that, [i]t is insufficient for an administrative agency to state only an ultimate fact or conclusion, but each ultimate fact or conclusion must be thoroughly explained in order for a court to determine upon what basis each ultimate fact or conclusion was reached. The court must know the why. Geraud v. Schrader, 531 P.2d 872, 879 (Wyo.), cert. denied 423 U.S. 904, 96 S.Ct. 205, 46 L.Ed.2d 134 (1975); Billings v. Wyoming State Bd. of Outfitters & Professional Guides, 837 P.2d 84, 86 (Wyo.1992). [¶ 14] Turning to the Board's findings, we focus first on finding of fact four, where the Board found Billings had endangered the health and safety of Sandra Ditzler by abandoning her on the Deer Creek Trail. Initially, it is problematic that this finding does not explain how Ditzler's health and safety were endangered by Billings' actions. Moreover, even if this court presumes that abandoning a client on a trail is tantamount to endangering the health and safety of the client, the Board's findings regarding abandonment are inadequate. The Board does not provide any underlying facts to support its finding of ultimate factthat Ditzler was abandoned. On this issue, we find guidance in previous cases: In construing the statutory requirements this court has had occasion to distinguish basic facts from ultimate facts. In First National Bank of Worland v. Financial Institutions Board, supra, 616 P.2d [787] at 795 [Wyo. 1980], we identified the size of a town, the nature of business activity, and a projected increase in sales tax as basic facts. On the other hand, findings that the evidence did not demonstrate waste and that the evidence did not establish cause are ultimate facts. Pan American Petroleum Corporation v. Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, [446 P.2d 550 (Wyo.1968)]. In Powell v. Board of Trustees of Crook County School District No. 1, Crook County, supra, 550 P.2d [1112] at 1119-1120 [(Wyo.1976)], we addressed a finding that the contestant has been unable to control the conduct of his students, and we said, This is a conclusion and not a finding! Westates Const. Co. v. Sheridan County Sch. Dist. No. 2, Bd. of Trustees, 719 P.2d 1366, 1371 (Wyo.1986). Here, we view the finding that Ditzler was abandoned on the trail as a finding of ultimate fact. Billings' defense to the charge was that he did not abandon Ditzler because he planned to check on Ditzler's progress after he delivered his livestock to the trailhead and that Ditzler had been left in good hands, with her husband and with a client who was known to possess wilderness survival skills. In addition, there was a dispute in the evidence regarding Ditzler's distance from the trailhead when Billings proceeded ahead without her. Nevertheless, the Board articulates no basic facts to support its ultimate finding that Billings' actions amounted to abandonment. Finding four fails to comply with Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 16-3-110. [¶ 15] Finding number six is likewise inadequate. Although the Board there concludes that Billings violated a significant federal regulation by failing to properly dispose of a mule carcass, it does not identify how Billings failed to properly dispose of the carcass. The quoted federal regulation prohibits a person from possessing or leaving unattended any animal carcass unless the carcass is (1) at least one half mile from any sleeping area, trail, or recreation site; or (2) at least 100 yards from any sleeping area, trail or recreation site and acceptably stored; or (3) being eaten, being prepared for eating or being transported. However, the Board's findings do not reveal how or why Billings' disposal of the carcass failed to comply with this requirement. Finding of fact six is a legal conclusion, unsupported by underlying facts. [1] [¶ 16] In finding eight, the Board found that Billings breached his contracts with clients through various failings. However, the finding does not articulate which clients were affected, the terms of the contracts, or even which contracts were breached. Finding three is similarly inadequate. The finding does not tell us whom Billings assaulted, whom he called a son of a bitch, whom he challenged to a fight, or under what circumstances all these actions occurred. [¶ 17] Finding number five suffers from other problems. There, the Board found that Billings had willfully endangered the health and safety of Dan Nutsch by permitting him to be injured while caring for livestock which should have been properly cared for by employees of John R. Billings. In addition to challenging the sufficiency of this finding, Billings also argues it lacks record support. In Billings' view, this finding amounts to a conclusion that his conduct fell below the standard of care for those in his industry. He contends that, because no expert testimony on the issue was presented to the Board, the record does not support the finding. Obviously, clients on an outfitted hunting trip must participate in the adventure. The extent of such participation, however, is not something this court has within its knowledge. [¶ 18] Perhaps the Board, which consists [2] of a number of persons who would undoubtedly qualify as experts in the field of outfitting, used its expertise to determine that Billings' actions failed to meet his duty of care as an outfitter. However, our decision in Devous v. State Board of Medical Examiners, 845 P.2d 408, 418 (Wyo.1993), does not permit the Board to do that: Turning then to the appeal of the Board with respect to the decision of the district court to set aside certain statutory grounds for failure of substantial evidence, we affirm the district court in that regard. The crux of the issue is whether the record must include expert testimony with respect to those statutory grounds, or whether we must acknowledge and accept the expertise of the Board members in establishing standards that demonstrate infringement of the statute. There was no expert testimony offered at the hearing to establish standards with respect to these statutory grounds. If judicial review has any purpose, it must be exercised by objectively evaluating evidence in the record. There is no way that a judicial review could reach the subjective determination of standards by individual members of the Board. Consequently, in order to maintain the integrity of judicial review, we conclude it is necessary that, with respect to the violations that were asserted under Wyo. Stat. § 33-26-402(a)(xv), (xviii), and (xxvi), expert testimony in the record was required and, lacking such testimony, there is no substantial evidence to sustain those allegations. In this case, if the Board intends to rely on a finding that Billings' conduct regarding the mule kick incident fell below the standard of care for those in his industry, the Board should rely on expert testimony in making such a finding. In this case, it would not have been difficult for the Board to obtain such expert testimony, as many of the witnesses would probably have qualified as experts in this field due to their knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education. W.R.E. 702. Regardless, absent any indication in its findings that the Board is relying on expert testimony, we conclude that the finding is insufficient to permit review. [¶ 19] In defending its decision, the Board's brief to this court provides numerous citations to the record pointing to evidence that it claims supports its findings. However, appellate briefing is not the place to articulate sufficient findings of fact. It is not the duty of this court to analyze and assess evidence presented to an administrative body to determine the weight to be given evidence or the credibility to be afforded witnesses. State ex rel. Worker's Compensation Div. v. Roggenbuck, 938 P.2d 851, 854 (Wyo.1997); Carrillo v. State ex rel. Workers' Safety and Compensation Div., 987 P.2d 690, 693 (Wyo.1999). Instead, it is simply our task to determine whether the evidence supports the administrative decision. We have previously accepted findings of fact that were sparse. Whiteman v. Workers' Safety and Compensation Div., Dep't of Employment, 984 P.2d 1079, 1083 (Wyo.1999). Here, however, the record includes over 1200 pages of transcript and over 60 exhibits. The court is repeatedly left with the question Why when reviewing the Board's findings. We thus conclude those findings are inadequate to permit appellate review. We are not requiring perfection from the Board. However, some explication of the basic facts is required before this or any court can review an agency decision. [¶ 20] Billings also complains that the Board's decision to revoke his license is not supported by clear and convincing evidence, the burden of proof in license revocation cases. Dorr v. Wyoming Board of Certified Public Accountants, 2001 WY 37 ¶ 8, 21 P.3d 735 ¶ 8 (Wyo.2001); Painter v. Abels, 998 P.2d 931, 939-40 (Wyo.2000); Devous v. State Board of Medical Examiners, 845 P.2d 408, 416 (Wyo.1993). Here, however, we decline to perform such a review without adequate findings of fact.