Opinion ID: 1543938
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: An Evidentiary Issue

Text: Remaining for disposition is the MVA's contention that Judge Woods erred in admitting certain evidence during Mohler's appeal. See note 1, supra. At the circuit court hearing, Mohler produced one Mary Rita Miller, a Ph.D. affiliated with the English Department at the University of Maryland. Mohler qualified Dr. Miller as an expert in linguistics. He then, over the MVA's objections, had her testify as to the meanings of unsafe and unfit. Her testimony consisted chiefly of stating dictionary definitions of the words. The MVA avers that this procedure violated State Government Article § 10-215(e). This subsection permits additional evidence on judicial review of an administrative agency decision only if, among other things, the party offering the evidence applies for leave to do so prior to the court hearing (§ 10-215(e)(1)(i)) and the court is satisfied that there were good reasons for failure to offer the evidence before the agency (§ 10-215(e)(1)(ii)(2). Mohler satisfied neither of these preconditions. Moreover, if the criteria of § 10-215(e) are met, the additional testimony is heard before the agency, not the court. Consumer Protection v. Consumer Pub., 304 Md. 731, 749, 501 A.2d 48, 58 (1985). Assuming, without deciding, that § 10-215(e) applies to a situation in which the additional evidence does not relate to the merits of a case, but only to the meaning of words in a statute, Judge Woods erred when he admitted the evidence in the circuit court proceeding. But to remand this case to the circuit court to allow Judge Woods to decide whether the evidence should come in under the § 10-215(e) criteria, and in the event of a favorable decision, to send the case back to the MVA to consider the evidence, Howard County v. Davidsonville Civic Ass'n, 72 Md. App. 19, 47, 527 A.2d 772, 786, cert. denied, 311 Md. 286, 533 A.2d 1308 (1987), on the facts of this case would be inconsistent with judicial economy and efficiency. The record contains not the slightest hint that Judge Woods considered Dr. Miller's dictionary readings in any respect. Indeed, he could have obtained much the same information by reading dictionaries himself. In his written opinion and order of court, he made no attempt to define unsafe or unfit. He simply found that given the clear and unambiguous language of [§ 16-206(a)(1)(ii)] ... the Administration could not reasonably conclude that one with a single conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol is an unfit, unsafe, or habitually reckless or negligent driver. But the error in admitting the evidence could not have prejudiced the MVA. It is a fundamental rule of appellate procedure that a reviewing court will not reverse upon rulings on evidence where the ruling did not result in prejudice to the complaining party. Johnson v. State, 303 Md. 487, 528-529, 495 A.2d 1, 22 (1985), cert. denied, 474 U.S. 1093, 106 S.Ct. 868, 88 L.Ed.2d 907 (1986); accord Tully v. Dasher, 250 Md. 424, 436, 244 A.2d 207, 214 (1968). JUDGMENTS IN NO. 52 AND NO. 53 AFFIRMED. COSTS TO BE PAID BY THE MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION.