Opinion ID: 573212
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Role of the ALJ

Text: 12 In his decision, the ALJ responded to the Pavliks' contention that the lack of evidence of motivation (specifically, the lack of evidence of what the Pavliks did with the halibut they took from the Irish Rover) precluded a finding of a violation in this case: 13 The Agency tried to meet that problem by suggesting several ways in which Respondents could have used the halibut. These several ways sound reasonable enough to make the Agency's whole presentation plausible. Respondents conceivably could have sent the halibut to other markets through private boats or through the IRISH ROVER itself; and they could have sold some to such local institutional markets as existed, and could have consumed some and used some for hanging bait. Enough possible uses appear that the Agency's charges remain believable by a preponderance of the evidence. 14 The Pavliks argue that, in making these comments, the ALJ unconstitutionally acted as an expert and made findings of fact not supported by the record. 15 We hold that the ALJ did not so overstep his role as to run afoul of the fifth amendment's due process clause. These statements constitute permissible observations about evidence in the record. The ALJ did not find as a matter of fact that any of the cited reasons actually motivated the Pavliks to take the halibut. He simply noted that the record is not devoid of evidence of motive and, consequently, the failure to prove motive does not significantly detract from the credibility of the NOAA witnesses' version of events. 16 This case is thus unlike Burkhart v. Bowen, 856 F.2d 1335 (9th Cir.1988), on which the Pavliks rely. In Burkhart, the ALJ made critical factual findings unsupported by the record concerning an issue in the case for which the government had not borne its burden of proof. Id. at 1341. Here, the ALJ made no specific findings of fact. He merely commented on evidence in the record. These comments, moreover, did not address an issue that NOAA had to prove in order to sustain a finding of a violation. Motive is not an element of a section 773e(a)(5) violation. See 16 U.S.C. § 773e(a)(5); United States v. Cameron, 888 F.2d 1279, 1282 (9th Cir.1989) (Taking halibut in violation of the Halibut Act is a strict liability offense.).