Opinion ID: 2161613
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Authority of Circuit Court to Direct Holding of Discovery Examination.

Text: Sec. 8, art. VII, Wisconsin constitution, provides that circuits courts shall have . . . appellate jurisdiction from all inferior courts and tribunals, and a supervisory control over the same. Any tribunal acting in a quasi-judicial capacity is subject to this jurisdiction of the circuit court. State ex rel. Ballard v. Goodland (1915), 159 Wis. 393, 396, 150 N. W. 488. The instant board is a tribunal which acts in a quasi-judicial capacity. From this premise appellant argues that the circuit court should have required a return to be made to the alternative writ of prohibition, and, upon such return, directed the holding of the discovery examination of the department employee by exercising the court's supervisory power under the aforequoted provision of the state constitution. In support of this contention appellant maintains that the equities of the case would require the circuit court to take this action. These asserted equities are: Under the procedure followed by the department in conducting its hearings, the taxpayer is first required to take the stand and present his case. The instant assessment has been based entirely on a net-worth formula, and the taxpayer disputes the net-worth figures used by the department employee. The taxpayer has been unsuccessful in obtaining from the department information to substantiate these net-worth figures. Therefore, taxpayer's initial testimony must of necessity be merely negative in character. He will not be able to prepare and present his case until after he hears the testimony of the department employee who made the audit which puts the taxpayer at a tremendous disadvantage. This court has never interpreted sec. 8, art. VII, Wisconsin constitution, as authorizing the circuit courts to interfere with the orderly operating procedures of an administrative agency in the absence of a showing of a denial of due process. Traditionally, unless the legislature has prescribed some other method of review, administrative-agency determinations have been reviewed by certiorari. Clintonville Transfer Line v. Public Service Comm. (1945), 248 Wis. 59, 69, 21 N. W. (2d) 5. The legislature has now prescribed a comprehensive review procedure with respect to most state administrative-agency determinations, including those of the instant board, by enacting the Wisconsin Administrative Procedure Act (ch. 227, Stats.). Because of the scope of review granted by sec. 227.20 (1), any denial of due process can in most instances be adequately remedied thereunder. Even where an administrative agency is acting in a quasi-judicial capacity, the circuit court should not exercise its supervisory control under sec. 8, art. VII, independently of ch. 227, except where there has been a substantial showing of denial of due process which cannot later be adequately remedied by review under ch. 227. While appellant has made a showing that makes a strong appeal to our sense of fair play, this showing falls far short of establishing a denial of due process. In fact, appellant does not contend that there has been a denial of due process. Therefore, the circuit court did not err in not permitting a return to be made to the alternative writ upon denial of the motion to quash. Even if a return had been permitted it would not have been proper to have directed the holding of a discovery examination. While not material to the disposition of this appeal, we deem that this is a proper occasion to qualify a statement made in the court's opinion in Clintonville Transfer Line v. Public Service Comm., supra . This statement occurs at page 69, and is, The powers exercised by administrative agencies are legislative and not judicial in their nature. This is incorrect in that sometimes such powers are quasi-judicial and not legislative. For an instance of prior recognition of this see Muench v. Public Service Comm. (1952), 261 Wis. 492, 515p, 53 N. W. (2d) 514, 55 N. W. (2d) 40. An illustration of a state administrative agency functioning in a quasi-judicial capacity is provided by State ex rel. Ball v. McPhee (1959), 6 Wis. (2d) 190, 94 N. W. (2d) 711. The duties of the instant board are almost entirely, if not entirely, quasi-judicial as distinguished from legislative. Sec. 73.01 (5), Stats. For a discussion of the nature of the powers exercised generally by administrative agencies, see 1 Davis, Administrative Law Treatise, pp. 64 et seq., sec. 1.09. By the Court. Judgment affirmed. BEILFUSS, J. ( concurring ). I agree with the majority for the reasons stated in the opinion. I would simply add, that because the procedure adopted by the board is antagonistic to our sense of fair play, we commend to the board for its consideration the adoption of a rule which would afford to any party a right to discovery examination prior to hearing in contested quasi-judicial proceedings pursuant to authority of sec. 73.01 (5) (d), Stats.