Court Opinion

ID: 9665876
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 00:58:44.727612+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:19.844366
License: Public Domain

MORGAN, Justice
(concurring specially).
I concur in the views expressed in the majority opinion except with respect to our review of deposition testimony. In that regard, I agree with the view expressed by the dissent to the extent that it was previously stated by this court in Wold v. Meilman Food Industries, 269 N.W.2d 112, 115 n. 2 (S.D.1978).
It is my perception that the problem raised is not our review of deposition testimony de novo in administrative appeals. I believe that the real conflict is between the application of that review by the dissent and two tenets of appellate administrative review, namely: (1) the question is not whether there is substantial evidence contrary to the agency finding, but whether there is substantial evidence to support the agency finding. Application of Ed Phillips & Sons Company, 86 S.D. 326, 195 N.W.2d 400 (1972); and (2) the court shall give great weight to the findings made and inferences drawn by an agency on questions of fact. SDCL 1-26-36, Finck v. Northwest School Dist. No. 52-3, 417 N.W.2d 875 (S.D.1988).
In Wold, supra, where the trial court had reversed an agency decision awarding benefits, we affirmed the trial court decision, even though the doctor’s deposition testimony was offered before the agency in support of the award. Thus the scope of our review is not necessarily the determining factor.
In this case, granted that there is testimony of Dr. Jackson that would support a view contrary to the agency decision, there is also other medical testimony, in the deposition of Dr. Sanmartín, that supports the finding of the agency. Therefore, applying the Phillips & Sons admonition along with the statutory directive that we give the findings and inferences of the agency great weight on questions of fact, I concur in the majority opinion.
I am authorized to state that Justice MILLER joins in this special concurrence.