Burns v. State Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors

238 N.E.2d 663, 250 Ind. 696, 1968 Ind. LEXIS 761
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 16, 1968
DocketNo. 30,862
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 238 N.E.2d 663 (Burns v. State Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burns v. State Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors, 238 N.E.2d 663, 250 Ind. 696, 1968 Ind. LEXIS 761 (Ind. 1968).

Opinions

Jackson, J.

The Indiana Funeral Directors Association and individual Funeral Directors of Lake County, Indiana, filed complaints with the Indiana State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors to revoke the funeral directors and embalmers licenses of George A. Burns and Thomas F. Owens.

The complaints against George A. Burns (hereinafter referred to as “Burns”) and against Thomas F. Owens (hereinafter referred to as “Owens”) were consolidated for the purposes of the hearing.

The complaints charged Burns and Owens with violations of certain rules and regulations of the Indiana State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors (hereinafter referred to as “Board”) and certain statutes under the Indiana Funeral Directors Act. References to these will be made hereafter. Of the six specific charges in the complaint, the Board sustained three and dismissed the others.

The hearing before the Board was held pursuant to the Administrative Adjudication and Court Review Act (§63-3001, Burns’ 1961 Replacement, et seq.) by stipulation of the parties and the Board’s power was granted by Acts 1939, ch. 165, being § 63-727, Burns’ 1961 Replacement.

The Board made its findings of fact upon the evidence in the record, and entered its order and determination revoking the funeral directors licenses of Burns and Owens.

From this order of the Board, appellants took an appeal to the Lake Circuit Court. The individual appellees moved for a change of venue which was granted. Venue was then changed to Newton County, where the hearing was had in the Circuit Court pursuant to the Administrative Adjudication and Court Review Act.

Hearing was had in the Circuit Court of Newton County, with oral argument and briefs submitted by all parties including the Attorney General representing the State Board.

Judge Lamb entered an order, based upon the record, exhibits, arguments of counsel and briefs submitted, finding [698]*698that Burns and Owens had violated certain rules and regulations of the State Board as well as certain Indiana statutes pertaining to funeral directors, and sustained and affirmed the order, findings and determination of the State Board revoking the licenses of Burns and Owens.

It is from this order of the Newton Circuit Court that this appeal stems.

Appellants’ statement of what the issues were is as follows:

“The issues were formed by appellants’ verified petition for judicial review of the order and determination of the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors of Indiana and the answer of appellee, State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors of Indiana.

More specifically, the issues are:

1. (Whether) the order and determination of the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors of Indiana, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Board’, is arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion and not in accordance with law.
2. Whether the decision of the Board is supported by substantial, reliable and probative evidence.
8. Whether or not the Board erred in permitting to be introduced into evidence a clandestine tape recording of a conversation had in the witness Ryerson’s home in the presence of Mr. Ryerson, his wife and Albert Meserow, attorney for the original complainants herein, who represented himself as a Mr. ‘A1 Miller’ who was in the tobacco business, when none of the defendants to this action were present and when the salesman for Pre-Need Muehlebach was invited to Mr. Ryerson’s home on the pretense that he was interested in the Pre-Need plan for funerals, and who did not know that Mr. Meserow was attorney for the people who had filed the action before the Board, and did not know that his conversation and discussion with the people present was being recorded.
4. Whether or not the decision and determination of the Board is further arbitrary, capricious and not in accordance with law by finding that the Pre-Need Muehlebach plan is a scheme or plan which is in the nature of a burial associa[699]*699tion or a burial certificate or a membership certificate plan as defined in the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act.
5. Whether or not either appellant herein is employing persons to solicit business for them as alleged in Sub-paragraph (d) of Paragraph 4 of plaintiff’s complaint.
6. The insufficiency of the evidence to sustain the finding of the Board that Pre-Need Muehlebach Plans, Inc. are entering into contracts with persons in Lake County, Indiana, to participate in a scheme or plan which is in the nature of a burial association or a burial certificate or a membership certificate plan within the meaning of Sec. 11 of the Embalmers and Funeral Directors Act.
7. That the action of the Board was not in accordance with the law in that it acted contrary to and violated the right of these appellants and each of them to meet the witnesses face to face as provided by Article I, Section 18 of the Constitution of Indiana and the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
8. That the order and determination of the Board is contrary to law and violates the rights of these appellants and each of them to engage in a lawful business and to furnish funeral service, including a casket, at any price which they deem proper, as guaranteed by Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution of Indiana and the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
9. That part of the Acts of 1939, Ch. 165, Sec. 11(b), as attempted to be enforced by the Board is invalid and of no force and effect because it violates Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution of Indiana and the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
10. That the order and decision of the Board is based upon hearsay evidence which is not reliable and is without probative value, and unsupported by substantial evidence of probative value.
11. That the evidence before the Board was insufficient to show that appellants herein had violated Rules 5 and 12 of the rules of the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors of Indiana and the Acts of 1939, ch. 165, sec. 6 as amended, Sec. 63-722 Burns’ 1961 Repl. and Acts of 1939, ch. 165, sec. 11, Sec. 63-727 Burns’ 1961 Repl.”

The appellees contend the issues were:

“Did Burns and Owens as licensed funeral directors violate the rules and regulations of the State Board of Em[700]*700balmers and Funeral Directors, and the Indiana Statutes ■pertaining' thereto, in their participation with Pre-Need Muehlebach Plans of Indiana, a door-to-door funeral service soliciting and selling organization, and was there substantial probative evidence in the record to support the Board’s findings and determination, and the findings and the judgment of the Newton Circuit Court, which sustained the Board’s order.”

The appellants were charged, inter alia, with violation of Rules 5 and 12 of the Rules and Regulations of the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors and also with violation of Acts 1939, ch. 165, § 6 as amended, being § 63-722 Bums’ 1961 Replacement, and also with violation of § 11, of said ch. 165, being § 63-727 (d) Burns’ 1961 Replacement.

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Related

Burns v. State Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors
238 N.E.2d 663 (Indiana Supreme Court, 1968)

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Bluebook (online)
238 N.E.2d 663, 250 Ind. 696, 1968 Ind. LEXIS 761, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burns-v-state-board-of-embalmers-funeral-directors-ind-1968.