Court Opinion

ID: 9849945
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:50:02.76742+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:29.489676
License: Public Domain

SINGLETON, Judge,
concurring.
I join in the judgment of the court. The parties consider this case to present a single issue:
When a trial court finds a minor to be delinquent and places him in the custody of the state pursuant to AS 47.10.-080(b)(3) is it the department or the court which decides where the child is to be physically placed in order to implement the department’s treatment plan?
This court correctly views this question as having two parts. First, who has initial placement authority and, second, is that placement authority subject to judicial review. We conclude that the question of physical placement of a child under this subsection is an administrative decision of the department, but that, like most administrative decisions, it is subject to judicial review. Cf. AS 44.62.560 (providing for judicial review of most administrative actions). Administrative decisions may be reviewed sua sponte or upon application of a party. We find the trial court’s authority to judicially review agency placement decisions in AS 47.10.080(f)1 and in the general policies which subject most agency decisions to judicial review. See Abbott Laboratories v. Gardner, 387 U.S. 136, 141, 87 S.Ct. 1507, 1511, 18 L.Ed.2d 681, 687 (1967) (only upon a showing of clear and convincing evidence of a contrary legislative intent should the courts restrict access to judicial review). See also United States Smelt, R. & M. Co. v. Local Boundary Com’n, 489 P.2d 140, 142-44 (Alaska 1971); 4 Davis, Administrative Law § 28.00 et seq. (1958 and 1976 Supp.); Jaffe, Judicial Control of Administrative Action 320-94 (1965). Naturally, the trial court should not substitute its judgment for that of the agency, but should defer to agency expertise. The agency’s decision should be upheld if it has a rational basis and the factual assumptions upon which it rests are supported by substantial evidence. See Pan American Petroleum Corp. v. Shell Oil Co., 455 P.2d 12, 22-23 (Alaska 1969). The record reflects that the superior court master, acting for the superior court, did review the agency plan rather than developing a plan of his own. I agree with the court, however, that it is unclear whether the superior court substituted its judgment for the agency decision or properly applied an abuse of discretion standard. The mootness of the case makes it unnecessary to remand for clarification of that holding.

. We recognize that AS 47.10.080(f) could be narrowly construed to limit judicial review to the continuing validity of the initial judicial decision to place the child in state custody and not to questions regarding the child’s treatment while in custody, including questions regarding . his placement. However, the strong presumption in favor of judicial review of administrative decisions leads us to give the statute a broad reading to permit review of agency placement decisions.