Court Opinion

ID: 9699159
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 20:12:02.765326+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:20:47.055541
License: Public Domain

HENDERSON, Justice
(concurring in result).
A Memorandum Opinion Affirming Employment Termination Of Vince Lee is on file and contains the following conclusion: “The State had reasonable and just cause to fire Lee and their decision is not clearly erroneous.” The word “decision” is generic. A decision consists of findings of fact and conclusions of law. The trial court entered FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, and ORDERS consisting of three pages. Circuit Judge Tice entered his own Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and “Orders.” *113Judge Tice incorporated the said Memorandum Decision. Was Judge Tice’s Conclusion a Finding of Fact or a Conclusion of Law? In my opinion it was a Conclusion of Law. Rationale was brought to bear and legal principles were used in arriving at this Conclusion. Therefore, Judge Tice’s scope of review that “their decision is not clearly erroneous” has a conceptually faulty basis.
Complicating my vote further, I concur in the result of this opinion only because of the standard of review set forth by the author on the administrative agency’s decision. Reference is made to the following authorities on scope of review: United States v. United States Gypsum Co., 333 U.S. 364, 395, 68 S.Ct. 525, 542, 92 L.Ed. 746, 766 (1948); Pullman-Standard v. Swint, 456 U.S. 273, 287, 102 S.Ct. 1781, 1789, 72 L.Ed.2d 66, 79 (1982); Inwood Labs. v. Ives Labs., 456 U.S. 844, 855, 102 S.Ct. 2182, 2189, 72 L.Ed.2d 606, 616 n. 15 (1982). These are cited even though they did not involve appeals from administrative agencies.
Lastly, I would refer to my rather exhaustive special concurrence in Guardianship of Viereck, 411 N.W.2d 102, 107 (S.D.1987). I will not set forth all of the authorities included in that writing, but will adopt its conceptual platform by reference to avoid duplication.