Court Opinion

ID: 9853401
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:47:59.540702+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:46.850718
License: Public Domain

MILLER, Chief Justice
(dissenting).
I dissent.
Contrary to the majority’s contention, the . absence of findings of fact and conclusions of law from the trial court does not prevent meaningful review of this case. State, Div. of Human Rights v. Miller, 349 N.W.2d 42 (S.D.1984), cited with approval by the majority, indicates that our review should focus on the agency’s record rather than the findings and conclusions of the trial court. If the circuit court has reversed the agency’s decision, and “[i]f after review of the evidence we deem the agency findings clearly erroneous, we affirm the circuit court. If the agency findings are not clearly erroneous, then the circuit court was clearly erroneous in so concluding.” Id. at 46 n. 2.
*593Cases in the wake of Miller have also emphasized our review of the agency’s record and decision rather than the trial court’s findings and conclusions. In Kienast v. Sioux Valley Co-op., 371 N.W.2d 337 (S.D.1985), we offered a detailed explanation of our standard of review regarding agency decisions:
“Prior to the amendment of SDCL 1-26-37, this court reviewed the record of an administrative agency in the same manner as the circuit court, guided by SDCL 1-26-36 and not bound by any presumption that the circuit court was correct. We would uphold a ruling or decision of an administrative agency unless we found that in light of the entire record the decision was clearly erroneous or we were left with a firm and definite conviction that a mistake was made. Matter of Ackerson, Karlen & Schmitt, 335 N.W.2d 342 (S.D.1983); Deuter v. South Dakota Highway Patrol, 330 N.W.2d 533 (S.D.1983).
On July 1,1983, the following addition to SDCL 1-26-37 became effective: ‘The Supreme Court shall give the same deference to the findings of fact, conclusions of law and final judgment of the circuit court as it does to other appeals from the circuit court. Such appeal may not be considered de novo.’ In the recent decision of State v. Miller, 349 N.W.2d 42 (S.D.1984), we decided that despite the new language in the statute, this court still reviews the administrative decision essentially in the same manner as did the circuit court; the required deference to the circuit court has not changed.”
... Thus, our review is of the decision of the administrative agency and our standard is the clearly erroneous standard.
Kienast, 371 N.W.2d at 339 (quoting Matter of South Dakota Water Management Bd., 351 N.W.2d 119, 122 (S.D.1984)) (emphasis supplied).
Similarly, in Eide v. Oldham-Ramona Sch. Dist. No. 39-5, 516 N.W.2d 322 (S.D.1994), we wrote:
When an administrative agency’s decision is appealed to circuit court and the final judgment of that court is appealed to this Court, we make the same review made by the circuit court.... If the issue is one of fact, the findings of the agency must be clearly erroneous to be reversed. Conclusions of law are open to full review. ... Such review is made without any presumption that the circuit court’s decision is correct.
Id. at 324 (citations omitted) (emphasis added).
Because our review focuses on the record, findings, and conclusions of the agency, and we afford no deference to the decision of the trial court, it is unnecessary to remand this ease for specific findings and conclusions by the trial court. This Court is capable of making a meaningful review based on the record before it.
I am authorized to state that WIJEST, Retired Justice, joins in this dissent.