McKinlay v. Department of Social & Health Services

754 P.2d 143, 51 Wash. App. 491
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMay 19, 1988
DocketNos. 7836-1-III; 8531-7-III
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 754 P.2d 143 (McKinlay v. Department of Social & Health Services) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McKinlay v. Department of Social & Health Services, 754 P.2d 143, 51 Wash. App. 491 (Wash. Ct. App. 1988).

Opinion

Munson, J.

These cases were consolidated for oral argument and decision because both involve the revocation of the parties' day-care license and present the pivotal issue of who pays for the transcription of the testimonial record from a hearing held before an administrative law judge, i.e., the appellant or the agency. The two trial courts reached opposite results, namely, one held the appellant pays, the other the agency pays. We hold the appellant pays unless there is a determination of the appellant's indigency. The indigency of these appellants not having been determined, these cases are remanded to the respective trial courts for that determination.

Mrs. Antes, who had run a day-care center for approximately 25 years, had her license revoked by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) because she spanked one child excessively after he had messed his pants. Apparently, the spanking caused bruises which in time disappeared. After a testimonial hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ),1 he found this to be child abuse and that the revocation of her day-care license was [493]*493proper. Mrs. Antes appealed and the decision was affirmed by a review judge;2 she sought further review in the Superior Court for Walla Walla County. RCW 34.04.

There, she moved for an order requiring DSHS to produce a typed transcript of the administrative hearing at state expense and to stay the revocation of her license pending review. The trial court granted both motions. DSHS's motion for discretionary review was granted.

James and Patsy McKinlay's day-care license was revoked based on allegations that Mr. McKinlay had sexually abused children while they were at the day-care center. A hearing was held before an ALJ during which many witnesses testified. The ALJ found Mr. McKinlay had sexually abused six children; but inasmuch as Mrs. McKinlay had not participated in the abuse, the license to operate the day-care center should not be revoked. On the McKinlays' appeal, the review judge affirmed the finding of sexual abuse, but found pursuant to WAC 338-73-036, inasmuch as their day-care license was issued to them jointly, it was an abuse of discretion to permit Mrs. McKinlay to continue to operate. Mr. McKinlay remained in the home.

The McKinlays appealed to the Superior Court for Che-lan County; their motion to require DSHS to provide a transcript at state expense was denied. They then sought permission to have the record transcribed by a private party, thus providing a written transcript. The record consists of 38 audio magnetic cassette tapes of approximately 1 hour each. This motion was denied.

The McKinlays appeal asking this court (1) to find the State is required to furnish a testimonial transcript of the administrative hearing at state expense or that the transcript, privately transcribed from the cassette tapes, be filed as a verbatim report of proceedings for their appeal; and (2) to remand their case to the ALJ for consideration of an alleged recantation by the State's polygraph operator.

[494]*494Testimonial Transcript Cost

This appeal is pursuant to the administrative procedure act (APA) (RCW 34.04). Section .130(4) of that statute states:

Within thirty days after service of the petition, or within such further time as the court may allow, the agency shall transmit to the reviewing court the original or a certified copy of the entire record of the proceeding under review; but, by stipulation of all parties to the review proceeding, the record may be shortened. Any party unreasonably refusing to stipulate to limit the record may be taxed by the court for the additional costs. The court may require or permit subsequent corrections or additions to the record when deemed desirable.

(Italics ours.)

This court, on three occasions, has held that untran-scribed audio magnetic cassette tapes are not acceptable for review within the appellate process. State v. Alfonso, 41 Wn. App. 121, 122-24, 702 P.2d 1218 (1985); Seattle v. Boulanger, 37 Wn. App. 357, 680 P.2d 67 (1984) (appellate review of a traffic offense conducted before the Seattle Municipal Court); Bennett v. Board of Adj., 23 Wn. App. 698, 700-01, 597 P.2d 939 (1979) (review of administrative hearings).

The rationale is that the volume of business in this court does not permit us to expend that time listening, in one of these cases, to 38 hours of testimony.3

Furthermore, in Portage Bay-Roanoke Park Comm'ty Coun. v. Shorelines Hearings Bd., 92 Wn.2d 1, 8-[495]*4959, 593 P.2d 151 (1979), interpreting RCW 34.04.130(4), the court stated:

The administrative procedures act and the SMA [Shoreline Management Act] are silent on who pays the costs of transcription. The Board [Shorelines Hearings Board] points out it is a quasi-judicial body (RCW 90.58.170), and asserts its position as analogous to that of a superior court, i.e., while a superior court certifies its record to an appellate court, the costs for preparation of that record are borne by the party taking the appeal. We believe this analogy is apt and, in the absence of language in the administrative procedures act or the SMA authorizing payment of costs of transcription by the Board, we hold this is the responsibility of the parties.

While the McKinlays rely on Zoutendyk v. Washington State Patrol, 95 Wn.2d 693, 628 P.2d 1308 (1981) and Pryse v. Yakima Sch. Dist. 7, 30 Wn. App. 16, 632 P.2d 60, review denied, 96 Wn.2d 1011 (1981) for the proposition that the agency pays for the transcription, those cases are distinguishable. There, the appellate procedure was governed by other statutes, namely, in Zoutendyk (quoting former RCW 41.06.180) wherein "[p]ayment of the cost of a transcript used on appeal shall await determination of the appeal ..." Zoutendyk, at 696. Pryse (quoting RCW 28A-.58.470) requires "the school board shall at its expense file the complete transcript..." Pryse, at 26.

This case being reviewed pursuant to the APA, Portage controls and the cost of preparing the transcript must be borne by the appellant.

Indigency

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Colleen M. Aldridge, V State L & I
Court of Appeals of Washington, 2022
City of Lake Forest Park v. Shorelines Hearings Board
884 P.2d 614 (Court of Appeals of Washington, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
754 P.2d 143, 51 Wash. App. 491, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mckinlay-v-department-of-social-health-services-washctapp-1988.