Lowe v. Cicchirillo

672 S.E.2d 311, 223 W. Va. 175
CourtWest Virginia Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 30, 2008
Docket33731
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 672 S.E.2d 311 (Lowe v. Cicchirillo) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering West Virginia Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Lowe v. Cicchirillo, 672 S.E.2d 311, 223 W. Va. 175 (W. Va. 2008).

Opinions

PER CURIAM:

This case is before this Court upon appeal of a final order of the Circuit Court of Harrison County entered on March 9, 2007. In that order, the circuit court reversed the revocation of the driver’s license of the appellee and petitioner below, Steven Lowe, by the appellant, Joseph Cicchirillo, Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (hereinafter, the “DMV”). The DMV now appeals the reversal of the revocation of the appellee’s driver’s license. Based upon the parties’ briefs and arguments in this proceeding, as well as the pertinent authorities, the circuit court’s March 9, 2007, order is reversed, and this case is remanded with directions.

I.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On December 10, 2005, the appellee was involved in a two vehicle accident on Turkey Run Road (Old Route 50), near Salem, West Virginia. Deputy Shaun Fleming and Deputy Greg Scolapio of the Harrison County Sheriffs Department were dispatched to the scene of the incident. Deputy Scolapio, who was the first officer to arrive at the scene, found the appellee seated in an emergency vehicle and ready to be transported to the United Hospital Center (hereinafter, “UHC”) to be treated for the injuries he had sustained in the accident, including a broken ankle, which would later require surgery, and other less severe injuries.

While speaking with the appellee before he was transported to the UHC, Deputy Scolapio detected the smell of an alcoholic beverage, and observed that the appellee had bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech, and was unsteady on his feet. Deputy Fleming did not speak with the appellee that night; however, on January 24, 2006, nearly six weeks after the date of the incident, Deputy Fleming met with the appellee at his home to take his statement and further investigate the matter. During the course of this meeting, Deputy Fleming obtained signed testimony from the appellee, in which he, among other things, admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages prior to driving on the night of the incident.

On January 27, 2006, Deputy Fleming obtained a search warrant which permitted him to obtain the appellee’s medical records from UHC from the night of the incident. Upon review, these medical records were found to contain information regarding the appellee’s blood alcohol content, as well as evidence of other controlled substances present in his blood on the night of the incident. The medical records also showed that the appellee had a blood alcohol content of 0.33 when the samples were obtained and tested, which occurred within two hours of the time of the accident.

After completing his review of the appellee’s medical records, Deputy Fleming filed a criminal complaint with the Harrison County Magistrate Court. Shortly thereafter, a warrant was issued for the appellee’s arrest for the crime of driving under the influence. On Januaiy 31, 2006, Deputy Fleming filed a Statement of Arresting Officer report with the results of appellee’s blood test attached thereto. The appellee received this report on February 2, 2006. On February 7, 2006, following a review of Deputy Fleming’s report, the DMV issued an initial order of revocation, thereby, revoking the appellee’s privilege to drive in West Virginia for a period of six months. Upon receiving his notification of the revocation, the appellee requested a DMV administrative hearing. Then, on October 13, 2006, following the administrative hearing, the DMV issued a final order of revocation which officially revoked the appellee’s driver’s license for a period of six months.

Soon thereafter, the appellee appealed the revocation of his driver’s license to the circuit court, arguing that the DMV’s conclusion that he was driving improperly at the time of the accident was completely contradictory to all presented evidence. Moreover, the appel[179]*179lee argued that the DMV had not properly-considered the ankle injury that he sustained in the accident as reason for Deputy Seolapio’s initial observation that the appellee had appeared unsteady on his feet following the incident which, he argued, was one of the significant factors contributing to his being charged with driving under the influence.

On March 9, 2007, the Circuit Court of Harrison County reversed the DMVs final order of revocation and reinstated the appellee’s driving privileges. This appeal followed.

II.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

As set forth above, the DMV is appealing an order of the Circuit Court of Harrison County reversing its revocation of the appellee’s driver’s license. This Court applies the same standard of review that the circuit court applied to the DMrVs administrative decision, i.e., giving deference to the DMV’s purely factual determinations and giving de novo review to legal determinations. See Choma v. West Virginia Div. of Motor Vehicles, 210 W.Va. 256, 258, 557 S.E.2d 310, 312 (2001). In Syllabus Point 2 of Choma, we held that: “On appeal of an administrative [decision] ... findings of fact by the administrative officer are accorded deference unless the reviewing court believes the findings to be clearly wrong. Syllabus Point 2 (in part), Muscatell v. Cline, 196 W.Va. 588, 474 S.E.2d 518 (1996).” Likewise, “[e]videntiary findings made at an administrative hearing should not be reversed unless they are clearly wrong.” Syllabus Point 1, Francis O. Day Co., Inc. v. Director, Div. of Envtl. Prot., 191 W.Va. 134, 443 S.E.2d 602 (1994).

Moreover, as this Court explained in Modi v. West Virginia Bd. of Medicine, 195 W.Va. 230, 239, 465 S.E.2d 230, 239 (1995),

findings of fact made by an administrative agency will not be disturbed on appeal unless such findings are contrary to the evidence or based on a mistake of law. In other words, the findings must be clearly wrong to warrant judicial interference. ... Accordingly, absent a mistake of law, findings of fact by an administrative agency supported by substantial evidence should not be disturbed on appeal.

(citations omitted); see also Martin v. Randolph County Bd. of Educ., 195 W.Va. 297, 304, 465 S.E.2d 399, 406 (1995) (explaining that “[w]e must uphold any of the [administrative agency’s] factual findings that are supported by substantial evidence, and we owe substantial deference to inferences drawn from these facts”). In addition, “‘[t]he “clearly wrong” and the “arbitrary and capricious” standards of review are deferential ones which presume an agency’s actions are valid as long as the decision is supported by substantial evidence or by a rational basis.’ Syllabus Point 3, In re Queen, 196 W.Va. 442, 473 S.E.2d 483 (1996).” Syllabus Point 2, Webb v. West Virginia Bd. of Medicine, 212 W.Va. 149, 569 S.E.2d 225 (2002). Thus, “[t]he scope of review under the arbitrary and capricious standard is narrow, and a court is not to substitute its judgment for that of the hearing examiner.” Martin, 195 W.Va.

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Lowe v. Cicchirillo
672 S.E.2d 311 (West Virginia Supreme Court, 2008)

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Bluebook (online)
672 S.E.2d 311, 223 W. Va. 175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lowe-v-cicchirillo-wva-2008.