Johnson v. Odom

470 So. 2d 988
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 29, 1985
Docket84 CA 0411
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 470 So. 2d 988 (Johnson v. Odom) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Odom, 470 So. 2d 988 (La. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinion

470 So.2d 988 (1985)

Don M. JOHNSON
v.
Honorable Bob ODOM, Commissioner of Department of Agriculture, etc., et al.

No. 84 CA 0411.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

May 29, 1985.
Rehearing Denied June 27, 1985.

*989 Paul Henry Kidd, Monroe, for plaintiff-appellant Don M. Johnson.

Robert S. Leake, Baton Rouge, for defendant-appellee Bob Odom, Com'r of Louisiana Dept. of Agriculture and Louisiana Dept. of Agriculture.

Before WATKINS, CRAIN and ALFORD, JJ.

CRAIN, Judge.

This is an appeal from a judgment of the trial court which affirmed the final decision of an adjudicatory hearing by the Advisory Commission on Pesticides of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture.

FACTS

Mr. Johnson is a certified commercial applicator (crop duster) who is employed by Transylvania Flying Services, Inc. (TFS), a corporation licensed to engage in the business of the application of pesticides. It is unclear from the record whether Mr. Johnson is the sole shareholder, but he is at least the majority shareholder of TFS. Both the license of TFS and the certification of Mr. Johnson are subject to regulation by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture.

On December 7, 1982, an adjudicatory hearing was held by the Advisory Commission on Pesticides (ACP), pursuant to La. R.S. 3:1621-1642[1] against, "Donald M. Johnson, d./b./a. Transylvania Flying Service."[2] Mr. Johnson appeared without counsel and was found by the ACP to have violated then La.R.S. 3:1623(A) and Rule 7 of the Rules and Regulations on Mixing and Application of Pesticides by applying the pesticide 2,4,5-T without written authorization from the Commissioner of Agriculture or his duly appointed agent. In addition, he was found to have knowingly made false and fraudulent records in violation of then La.R.S. 3:1634(7), and to have violated then La.R.S. 3:1626(D) by failing to have all mechanically powered equipment used in aerial application prominently displaying proper decals showing that the machinery had been annually inspected by the Commissioner. Further, the Committee found that Mr. Johnson violated then La.R.S. 3:1626(A) by permitting an uncertified applicator *990 to apply pesticides, and that he aided and abetted an uncertified person in violating the Louisiana Pesticide Control Act in violation of then La.R.S. 3:1634(13). Mr. Johnson was fined $1,500 for all five offenses and both the license of TFS and the certification of Mr. Johnson were suspended for a period of six months. By letter dated December 21, 1982, the Commissioner notified Mr. Johnson of his final decision and stated that the $1,500 fine was due and payable to the Department of Agriculture and that Mr. Johnson was prohibited from engaging in activities regulated by the Louisiana Pesticide Control Act for a period of six months. It was further stated that should Mr. Johnson comply with the terms of the suspension, the certification and license would possibly be reinstated after one hundred twenty days. Mr. Johnson paid the $1500 fine on December 30, 1982.

By letter dated January 5, 1983, an attorney representing Mr. Johnson informed the Commissioner that the fine and suspension of certification imposed by the Commissioner was in violation of then La.R.S. 3:1633(A). The Commissioner was requested to reply as soon as possible prior to January 18, 1983, in order to avoid expiration of the appeal delays. Mr. Johnson did not request judicial review of the December 7, 1982, adjudication until April 4, 1983, when he sought a temporary restraining order to enjoin a new proceeding against him under former La.R.S. 3:1621-1642. He also sought to have these statutes declared unconstitutional, and prayed to have the final decision of the December 7, 1982, hearing declared null and void. The request for the temporary restraining order was denied and a date was set for a hearing on a preliminary injunction.

Meanwhile, on April 5, 1983, the ACP held another administrative hearing relative to Mr. Johnson's alleged violation of then repealed La.R.S. 3:1634(2) by the aerial application of the pesticide Azodrin on birds in a manner which was inconsistent with the labeling directing the use of that pesticide. The violation allegedly occurred on August 13, 1981.[3] The ACP found that Mr. Johnson had violated former La.R.S. 3:1634(2) and his certification was suspended for one year effective upon the final decision relative to the April 5, 1983, hearing. By letter dated August 19, 1983, the Commissioner notified Mr. Johnson that the decision of the April 5, 1983, hearing was affirmed. However, the Commissioner chose to stay the suspension of Mr. Johnson's certification until the first day following final resolution of any further appeal taken in this matter. On September 19, 1983, Mr. Johnson filed an amended petition seeking judicial review of the Commissioner's final decision.

On July 13, 1983, the ACP again held a separate hearing charging TFS with applying Azodrin on birds. The alleged offense occurred on August 13, 1981, and was the same offense which Johnson individually was found to have committed. The transcript, factual findings and conclusions of law of that hearing were not made available to this court. However, by letter dated August 19, 1983, the Commissioner notified TFS that the decision of the July 13, 1983, hearing had been affirmed and the Commissioner was imposing the recommended penalties of a $500 fine and a one year suspension of the license of TFS. The one year suspension period was to become effective upon final resolution of this matter. By petition filed September 19, 1983, TFS sought permission to intervene in the ongoing proceedings which had commenced on April 4, 1983. A rule to show cause why the intervention should not be allowed was set for October 28, 1983. It is unclear from the record whether the intervention was allowed, however, a supplemental and amending petition was filed on November *991 22, 1983, in the name of Don M. Johnson, d/b/a Transylvania Flying Service, Inc. The written reasons for judgment of the trial court of January 30, 1984, was captioned "Don Johnson d/b/a Transylvania Flying Service, Inc. v....." In any event an appeal from an adverse ruling of the Commissioner is taken by timely filing a petition in the "district court of the parish in which the agency is located." La.R.S. 49:964(B). We will consider the intervention as a petition for appeal by TFS from the July 13, hearing and August 19, ruling of the Commissioner, even though it might not be properly allowable as an intervention.

RULING OF TRIAL COURT

The trial court held that judicial review of administrative proceedings must be filed within thirty days of the mailing of notice of the final decision of the Commissioner. Since Mr. Johnson failed to timely seek judicial review of the December 7, 1982, administrative hearing he was precluded from raising any constitutional issues about that hearing. It was further held that the petition seeking judicial review of the administrative hearing of April 5, 1983, was timely filed and was, therefore, properly before the court. The trial court found that the evidence supported the finding by the Commissioner that Mr. Johnson had violated former La.R.S. 3:1634(2) and that he was properly sanctioned under former La.R.S. 3:1633. It was held that former La.R.S. 3:1634(2) and former La.R.S. 3:1633 involved no delegation of legislative authority and were, therefore, constitutional. Appellants' argument that former La.R.S.

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Related

Johnson v. Odom
901 F. Supp. 220 (W.D. Louisiana, 1995)
Robinson v. City of Baton Rouge
566 So. 2d 415 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1990)
Johnson v. Odom
536 So. 2d 541 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1988)
Bryant v. Middlebrooks
486 So. 2d 188 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1986)
Rapides General Hospital v. Robinson
488 So. 2d 711 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 1986)
Johnson v. Odom
476 So. 2d 355 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1985)

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Bluebook (online)
470 So. 2d 988, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-odom-lactapp-1985.