Court Opinion

ID: 9740721
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-26 20:40:51.338299+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:24:19.976524
License: Public Domain

*567JOEL D. MEDD, District Judge,
concurring.
I concur in the opinion written by Justice Levine in that the district court decision should be affirmed for the reasons stated in this decision. However, the opinion states that “[u]pon remand, MSC should have an opportunity to present evidence to Dr. Wentz to attempt to meet his now-disclosed concerns and to attempt to overcome his opposition to its application.” (Emphasis added)
My concern is that this might be construed as a directive that Dr. Wentz himself hear the case on remand. I prefer the language written by Judge Beede in which he declines to “micro manage the administrative agency or attempt to specify or impose procedure or any action that the agency already has authority to take.”
I believe that Dr. Wentz certainly can proceed, under the then existing statute, as the administrative head of the health department to hear the matter himself on remand or to otherwise proceed under the Administrative Agencies Practice Act, N.D.C.C. 28-32 or the North Dakota Administrative Code 33-22-04 to appoint another hearing officer. I believe that this is the intent of the opinion but I feel that it should be so stated.