Opinion ID: 1334035
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: State of South Carolina The South Carolina State Board of Naturopathic Examiners Columbia, S.C. September 22, 1949

Text: In re: The matter of Dr. Myron D. Jacoby, Columbia, South Carolina. The above subject, Dr. Myron D. Jacoby, was issued a license to practice Naturopathy in South Carolina as a result of an examination in 1944. Thereafter this Board by reason of certain matters brought to its attention issued its rule to the said Dr. Myron D. Jacoby, dated the 24th day of November, 1948, requiring him to show cause why his license to practice Naturopathy in South Carolina, heretofore issued to him, should not be revoked on the ground that in his application for examination before this Board he made certain false representations and that he did not have the qualifications as represented in his application; said note setting forth eight (8) grounds and required said Dr. Myron D. Jacoby to show cause before this Board on the 6th day of December, 1948, at 10:00 o'clock in the morning at the Jefferson Hotel, Columbia, South Carolina. Said notice was duly served on the said Dr. Myron D. Jacoby on the 1st day of December, 1948, as shown by the affidavit on the back of the original rule. Hearings were held on the 6th day of December, 1948, on the 6th day of January, 1949, and on the 4th day of August, 1949. At the first hearing, Dr. Jacoby was represented by Mr. John Grimball, Mr. C.T. Graydon, his chief counsel being out of town; on the 6th day of January, 1949, he was represented by Mr. C.T. Graydon and Mr. John Grimball and on the 4th day of August, 1949, he was represented by Mr. C.T. Graydon. Although the record speaks for itself and the testimony is transcribed, we will attempt to give a resume of the proceedings and testimony introduced in the matter. At the beginning of the initial hearing the members of the Board and the stenographer, who took the testimony, Mrs. Louise B. Wideman, were sworn, the usual oath being administered. Counsel for Dr. Jacoby inquired under what authority the Board was acting, whether under a Consurrent Resolution of the General Assembly or what statutory authority. He was informed that the Board was not acting pursuant to the Concurrent Resolution but by reason of powers of the Board under the enabling statute and amendments thereto. The Rule to Show Cause above referred to and the affidavit of personal service upon Dr. Jacoby was offered in evidence by counsel representing the Board and marked as Exhibit 1. Next was offered the original application for examination submitted to this Board by Dr. Jacoby on the 8th day of May, 1944, and attached thereto were a photostatic copy of a letter dated February 21, 1937, signed by one Adolph P. Link; a photostatic copy of a letter from the Psi Chi, Washington Square College Chapter, New York University, signed by Harold T. Sands, chancellor, dated June 12, 1930; photostatic copy of Diploma from Edmar University dated the 11th day of June 1937; photostatic copy of a letter dated June 18, 1943, from the Philadelphia College and Infirmary of Osteopathy, signed by Dr. John L. Hanson, custodian of records; and photostatic copy of certificate from the Psychological Testing Bureau, dated the 2nd day of April, 1938, signed by I.V. Committon, Director, same was received in evidence as Exhibit 2. Next was offered the application signed by Dr. Jacoby, dated the 20th day of May, 1948, and attached thereto was a copy of the Psychologial Testing Bureau Certificate, dated April 2, 1938, signed by the said I.V. Committon; a statement signed by William C. Cook, registrar, of the Eastern College, Manasas, Virgina, dated September 8, 1915; Certificate of Attendance, Pennsylcania College of Naturopathy, dated the 11th day of September, 1934, signed by Dr. D.J. McDevitt, together with an undated letter attaching an affidavit, dated the 20th of May, 1948, and a photostatic copy of the same Diploma from Edmar University. This was received in evidence as Exhibit 3. At this juncture counsel for Dr. Jacoby made certain admissions and denials with reference to these Exhibits. Thereafter Mr. Jacob Brodkin, a parole officer attached to the Parole Commission of the City of New York, was sworn and testified, all of which is reflected from the record. During his examination the letter dated October 27, 1935, signed by Myron Jacoby, was received in evidence, also a letter from the Warden at Welfare Island, New York City, dated December 4, 1935, was received in evidence under the objection of counsel for Dr. Jacoby and same is set forth in the record at page 10 of the testimony in the first hearing. During the examination the first page of the official parole records of the Parole Commission of the City of New York was offered and received in evidence as Exhibit 5. At the close of the testimony of this witness counsel for Dr. Jacoby offered in evidence letters written by Mr. Norbert A. Theodore to different individuals relative to Dr. Jacoby and Mr. Theodore then offered the entire correspondence which was received in evidence marked Exhibit 6, and consisted of eight (8) letters addressed to Mr. Theodore and sent by him. This ended the first hearing and it was adjourned to meet at 10:00 A.M., January 6, 1949, at which time the Board did meet and at that time Mr. Graydon, counsel for Dr. Jacoby, placed every member of the Board on his voir dire. After each of the members of the Board was placed on his voir dire , Mr. Graydon entered a formal denial further that the matter was res adjudicata. Mr. Theodore then was sworn and explained what happened to the original application of Dr. Jacoby and why he unfastened them on several occasions. The letter dated 2nd of August, 1948, addressed to Dr. J.B. Branyon and signed by J. Leo Hanson was received by the Board. Next, letter from New York University dated 27th of July, 1948, addressed to Norbert A. Theodore, and signed by Presley D. Stout, was received in evidence by the Board. Next, was received in evidence information and extract copy from the minutes of the Court of Special Sessions of the City of New York, showing one Max Jacobi being convicted of larceny on the 26th day of March, 1926, and a certified extract from the minutes of the Court of Special Sessions of the City of New York, showing Myron D. Jacoby pleading guilty on the 28th day of May, and sentenced to the New York City Penitentiary, also the identification records of the police department of the City of New York and an application to the Atlantic Life Insurance Company signed by Dr. Jacoby. Mr. Graydon, as the attorney for Dr. Jacoby, requested a thirty (30) day delay which was granted. The third hearing was held on the 4th day of August, 1949, at the Jefferson Hotel. At the call of the hearing Mr. Graydon, counsel for Dr. Jacoby made a motion to dismiss the hearing on the ground that nothing has been proved of any matters or things done by Dr. Jacoby since the filing of his application and since the granting of his license. The Board refused to grant such motion. Then began a series of examinations of practitioners who had received licenses from this Board and the sole purpose of the examinations was an attempt to besmear the characters of these witnesses and in the opinion of the Board such examinations were irrelevant. During the course of the examination of Dr. Garber, counsel for Dr. Jacoby offered in evidence letter written by Dr. Garber to this Board dated 6th of December, 1946. It is useless to go into all of the testimony that transpired subsequently. Dr. Jacoby was duly sworn and his testimony is fully set forth in the record. During his testimony he offered an affidavit of Benton J. Pellitier, also a mimeographed copy of a letter sent out by this Board. It is noted that he testified at great length and on cross-examination, Mr. Theodore handed Dr. Jacoby a photostatic copy of letter dated November 8, 1941, addressed to the Superintendent of the New Hampshire State Hospital, Concord, New Hampshire, to which Dr. Jacoby stated that his signature was affixed and that he wrote same. He was also handed a copy of a letter dated May 9, 1948, addressed to Dear Waldo being Dr. Waldo Jones, and he admitted that he remembered writing it and that it was a copy of the original, same was offered in evidence over the objection of Counsel for Dr. Jacoby. From all the facts and testimony before this Board as revealed by the record, we find: (a) That in his application dated May 8, 1944, Dr. Myron D. Jacoby, stated under oath that he was born on August 22, 1897, and on that date he was 47 years of age, and in the re-submission of his application under date of May 20, 1948, he stated that he was 54 years of age, and he swore during the hearing of August 4, 1949, that he was born on August 22, 1894; further on May 29, 1934, he signed a statement as Max Jacobi stating that he was 39 years of age, while in 1926, he gave his age as 24 years, to the Police Department, City of New York. (b) That in his original application for examination to this Board dated May 8, 1944, Dr. Myron D. Jacoby stated that he graduated from the Edmar University, College of Naturopathy, at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, on June 11, 1937, having attended there four (4) years of nine (9) months each and having secured 4,550 hours of credit. We find that he was arrested on May 16, 1934, and indicted in the Court of Special Sessions of the City of New York, County of Kings, on the charge of Unlawful Practice of Medicine, and pleaded guilty on the 24th of May, 1934, sentenced to the New York City Penitentiary, committed on May 28, 1934, and remained there until October 18, 1935, at which time he was released on parole, reported every two (2) weeks until December 5, 1935, in person to the Parole Officer for the Parole Commission of the City of New York; that on December 5, 1935, he was returned to the New York City Penitentiary and remained there until June 2, 1936, when he was reparoled, and reported every two (2) weeks thereafter in person to the same Parole Officer until May 27, 1937, and during such period of time Dr. Jacoby asserted that he resided at 2109-65th Street, Brooklyn, New York, with his mother, and that he represented and had others affirm that he was selling oil burners during that period of time. Further he signed a statement as `Max Jacobi' for the said Parole Commission that from 1932 to 1934 for two years he was a Chemist at Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, New York. We find from this and other testimony in the case that Dr. Myron D. Jacoby never attended the Edmar University, College of Naturopathy and that the Diploma which he displays is not genuine. (c) That in his original application, dated May 8, 1944, Dr. Myron D. Jacoby filed a photostatic copy of a letter from the Philadelphia College and Infirmary of Osteopathy dated June 18, 1943, stating that he had attended graduate sessions at that institution from February 9, 1942 to January 10, 1943, which letter was supposedly signed by one Dr. John L. Hanson, we find that such letter was a forgery, spurious and false, and that Dr. Myron D. Jacoby never attended such college at any time. (d) That in his original application dated May 8, 1944, Dr. Myron D. Jacoby stated under oath that he obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Psychology from the New York University, dated June 5, 1930, and supported same with a photostatic copy of a letter from New York University Washington Square College, dated September 21, 1937, and purportedly signed by Adolph P. Link, and also presented a photostatic copy of a letter dated January 12, 1930, from the Washington Square College Chapter of New York University supposedly signed by one, Harold T. Sands, Chancellor, stating that he, Dr. Myron D. Jacoby, was a member of the Washington Square College Chapter of Psi-Chi National Honorary Society in Psychology. We find that both of these letters were false and spurious and such purported signatures were forgeries and that no such persons were associated with those institutions and that Dr. Myron D. Jacoby was never a student at the New York University and that he never received any degree from that institution. (e) Dr. Myron D. Jacoby, in his original application dated May 8, 1944, stated under oath that he graduated from the Francis Academy, Manchester, New Hampshire, High School, in 1915, and in his second application he stated under oath on May 20, 1948, that he graduated from the Eastern College, Manasas, Virginia, in 1915, with a degree of Bachelor of Science after completing a full four (4) year course. At page 39 in the testimony of the last hearing he re-asserted that he went to both of these institutions and graduated from them both. We find that one of these statements must of necessity be false. (f) That Dr. Myron D. Jacoby in his second application stated under oath that he had completed 18 months of 3,200 hours at the Pennsylvania Naturopathic College and filed a certificate, dated September 11, 1934 signed by one Dr. McDevitt. He was arrested and in jail before that time and signed a statement as Max Jacobi for the New York City Parole Commission that he was working continuously from 1924 through the time of his arrest in May of 1934, at Lewiston, Maine, Boston, Mass., and Brooklyn, New York. We find that he did not attend such college and that such statement is false. (g) Dr. Myron D. Jacoby did under date of July 15, 1946, execute and sign an instrument entitled Credentials of Proposed Medical Examiner to the Atlantic Life Insurance Company, stating that he had graduated from the Manchester University in England in 1915, also that he attended the University of London for five (5) years, graduating in 1920 and practiced for two and one-half years at Guy's Hospital, London, England, and that he specialized in internal medicine and was a member of the National Medical Society, also during the years 1942-1943 he was a contract physician at the various induction centers along the Eastern Seaboard and that his work consisted of making the various examinations required in selecting men for Army service. We find that all of these statements are and were false as were all of the statements he made regarding himself in his letter of November 8, 1941, addressed to Dr. Charles H. Dolloff. Supt. New Hampshire State Hospital, Concord, New Hampshire. (h) That on March 15, 1926, Dr. Myron D. Jacoby was indicted in the Court of Special Sessions in the City of New York under the name of Max Jacobi, charged with Petty Larceny and that he pleaded guilty to such indictment on the 16th day of March, 1926, and was sentenced to the New York Penitentiary on March 26, 1926. (i) That by reason of the foregoing, this Board finds that Dr. Myron D. Jacoby filed with this Board false and spurious credentials and perpetrated a fraud upon this Board and the people of the State of South Carolina. That he has no bona fide credentials nor has he any recognized qualifications to support a right to the privilege of practicing Naturopathy in this State and that he does not possess a good and moral character. It is therefore ordered, adjudged and decreed by the South Carolina State Board of Naturopathic Examiners that the license heretofore issued by this Board to Dr. Myron D. Jacoby, on or about the 15th day of July 1944, and being license certificate number 241, is declared to be null and void, and the same is hereby revoked, and that after this date and the proper service of a true copy of this Order upon him, he shall cease and desist from practicing Naturopathic medicine in this State and he is deprived of all the privileges and rights by reason of such license heretofore procured by the said Dr. Myron D. Jacoby from the South Carolina State Board of Naturopathic Examiners, and which was issued to him by said Board. South Carolina Board of Naturopathic Examiners Appellant first contends that the revocation of his license was based upon incompetent, illegal and hearsay evidence. This Court will not review the findings of fact of an inferior court or body on a writ of certiorari unless they are wholly unsupported by the evidence. A writ of certiorari is a common law remedy to correct errors of law of inferior jurisdictions and the writ will not lie to review errors or mistakes in matters of discretion. Jennings v. McCown , 97 S.C. 484, 81 S.E. 963; Wyse v. Wolfe , 129 S.C. 499, 123 S.E. 818; Davis v. State Board of Canvassers , 86 S.C. 451, 68 S.E. 676. In the case of Smith v. Saye , 130 S.C. 20, 125 S.E. 269, 282, this Court speaking through Mr. Justice Cothran states: The facts as found by the board of canvassers are not open to controversy in proceedings by certiorari unless the findings are without evidence to sustain them. `It is well settled that this court will not review the findings of fact of an inferior court or body, on writ of certiorari, unless they are wholly unsupported by the evidence.' In the comparatively recent case of Feldman v. South Carolina Tax Commission , 203 S.C. 49, 26 S.E. (2d) 22, 23, this Court stated: The law provides no mode of procedure for appeal from the order of the Tax Commission revoking the license of a retail liquor dealer. It is generally held, however, that the method of reviewing the action of a board or tribunal in revoking a liquor license is by writ of certiorari, upon the theory that while such bodies do not exercise the `judicial power of the state,' as that phrase is used in conferring judicial power upon the courts of the state, they do exercise a quasi judicial power in such matters.