Court Opinion

ID: 9551738
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 18:58:28.66969+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:24:27.895497
License: Public Domain

THOMAS, Justice,
specially concurring.
I agree with the result reached by the majority of the court in this case. There is, however, one aspect of the case about which I have a special concern. The majority chooses not to deal with the question of the receipt of evidence concerning misconduct on the October band tour.
In my view the receipt of such evidence clearly was erroneous, and administrative agencies, in matters such as this, should not in any way be encouraged to adopt a practice of receiving evidence of misconduct which has not been charged in the notice furnished the respondent. It is my view that this is a problem which this court dealt with in Fallon v. Wyoming State Board of Medical Examiners, Wyo., 441 P.2d 322 (1968), and that the court there reached the proper conclusion. One of the prerequisites of a fair hearing is that the accused individual be appraised of the charge which is brought against him so that he may have an adequate opportunity to defend. The admission into evidence of misconduct which is not alluded to in the notice, even though no apparent reliance is placed upon such evidence in the findings of fact made by the hearing body, deprives the respondent of an opportunity for a fair hearing. It well may be that the respondent could refute the evidence of extraneous misconduct, but did not come prepared to do so because there was no reason apparent from the notice to be prepared to meet such information.
I concur in the result reached in this case only because I am persuaded that the evidence of misconduct on the spring band tours was overwhelming and that there could have been no prejudice to Dr. White because of the admission of information relating to the October band tours. Even Dr. White conceded most of what occurred with respect to the spring band tours, and given that state of the record the board of trustees had no alternative but to dismiss him. In my view, however, administrative agencies need to be fairly cautioned that it is far better not to admit evidence of extraneous misconduct which has not been noticed in order to preserve the legal integrity of the proceedings.