Newman v. VETERINARY BD. OF GOVERNORS

231 P.3d 840
CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMay 17, 2010
Docket64904-3-I
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 231 P.3d 840 (Newman v. VETERINARY BD. OF GOVERNORS) 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
Newman v. VETERINARY BD. OF GOVERNORS, 231 P.3d 840 (Wash. Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

231 P.3d 840 (2010)

Kenneth and Nonna NEWMAN, Appellants,
v.
VETERINARY BOARD OF GOVERNORS and Washington State Department of Health, Respondents,
Kobi Johnson, DVM, and Michael Harrington, DVM, Intervenors.

No. 64904-3-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division 1.

May 17, 2010.

*843 Adam Phillip Karp, Animal Law Offices, Bellingham, WA, for Appellants.

Mark Hodgeman Calkins, Alan D. Copsey, Office of the Attorney General, Olympia, WA, for Respondents.

John W. Schedler, Keith Joseph Kuhn, Lee Smart PS Inc., Seattle, WA, for Intervenors.

MEYER, J.P.T.[*]

¶ 1 Drs. Michael Harrington and Kobi Johnson put Trali, Kenneth and Nonna Newman's Pekinese dog, to sleep following unsuccessful treatment for a disc condition over a six month period. Nonna Newman signed a document authorizing both the euthanasia and cremation thereafter. Five months later, the Newmans filed an unprofessional conduct complaint with the Veterinary Board of Governors. After thorough investigation, the Board determined that there was no cause for disciplinary action and closed the case against the veterinarians. The Newmans sought review of that decision through statutory and constitutional writs and then through an action under the Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 34.05 RCW. We can find no basis for reversing the trial court's order denying their petition on all grounds due to lack of standing.

FACTS

¶ 2 On June 11, 2007, the Newmans filed a report with the Veterinary Board of Governors (Board) alleging that Drs. Harrington and Johnson acted unprofessionally while treating Trali. After a nine month review, on March 6, 2008, the Board sent a letter to the Newmans informing them that their complaint had been fully investigated by the Board. The Board determined that "there was no cause for disciplinary action against either of the veterinarians because the care provided was within standards of practice." The Board explained that in order to "take disciplinary action, the Board must be able to prove, by clear and convincing (highly likely) evidence that unprofessional conduct occurred." The Board was sympathetic to the Newmans' experience, but it did "not have sufficient evidence to discipline the practitioners." Accordingly, in the March 6, 2008 letter, the Board informed the Newmans that the cases against the two doctors were being closed.

*844 ¶ 3 In a letter to the Board on March 13, 2008, Kenneth Newman stated that "we are not interested in reconsideration" and requested "an adjudicative hearing on the merits." On March 20, 2008, the Board responded that "[a]dministrative rules do not provide an appeal process once the Veterinary Board of Governors makes a decision to close a case without action. Neither the Uniform Disciplinary Act (Chapter 18.130 RCW) nor the Administrative Procedures Act (Chapter 34.05 RCW) provide for an adjudicative hearing on a Board decision not to issue a Statement of Charges." The Board further noted that it could not provide Newman with "legal advice regarding this matter" and that he may wish to consult with his "own attorney regarding the scope of any statutory appeal to the courts." The Newmans filed a petition for reconsideration, which the Board reviewed and denied on November 10, 2008, stating that the "two cases identified above will remain closed as the care was within the standard of practice and no new evidence was provided."

¶ 4 The Newmans sought judicial review of the Board's decision by filing a petition for a constitutional writ of certiorari and a statutory writ of review in Thurston County Superior Court on December 8, 2008. The veterinarians were allowed to intervene. The trial court heard argument on March 6, 2009. By order dated April 17, 2009, the trial court denied the Newmans' petition for a statutory writ because the agency was not "exercising judicial functions" when it decided to close the complaint. The trial court denied the constitutional writ on the ground that the Newmans would have had standing to petition for judicial review and, thus, had an adequate remedy at law. The trial court found that the Newmans did not comply with the Administrative Procedure Act's filing requirements, which are jurisdictional, require strict compliance, and cannot be extended. The trial court granted a joint motion by the Board and the Veterinarians to strike Newmans' submission of a declaration dated April 9, 2009. The Newmans appeal.

STATUTORY WRIT

¶ 5 RCW 7.16.040 requires that a writ of review be granted "when an inferior tribunal, board or officer, exercising judicial functions, has exceeded the jurisdiction of such tribunal, board or officer, or one acting illegally, or to correct any erroneous or void proceeding, or a proceeding not according to the course of the common law, and there is no appeal, nor in the judgment of the court, any plain, speedy and adequate remedy at law." Under the four part test derived from RCW 7.16.040, a "court will issue a statutory writ of review . . . if the petitioner can show that (1) an inferior tribunal or officer (2) exercising judicial functions (3) exceeded its jurisdiction or acted illegally, and (4) there is no other avenue of review or adequate remedy at law." Clark County Pub. Util. Dist. No. 1 v. Wilkinson, 139 Wash.2d 840, 845, 991 P.2d 1161 (2000). If any of the factors is absent, then there is no jurisdiction for superior court review. Clark County, 139 Wash.2d at 845, 991 P.2d 1161; Bridle Trails Cmty. Club v. City of Bellevue, 45 Wash.App. 248, 252, 724 P.2d 1110 (1986). The statutory writ of review is available only for actions that are judicial or quasi-judicial in nature. Williams v. Seattle Sch. Dist. No. 1, 97 Wash.2d 215, 218, 643 P.2d 426 (1982). "The issue whether a court has jurisdiction is a question of law subject to de novo review." Crosby v. Spokane, 137 Wash.2d 296, 301, 971 P.2d 32 (1999).

¶ 6 The Newmans argue that the trial court erred by finding that the Board was not exercising a judicial or quasi-judicial function in refusing to prepare a statement of charges. Under the Uniform Disciplinary Act, the Board is the disciplinary authority for licensed veterinarians. RCW 18.130.040(2)(b)(xiv); RCW 18.92.046. The Board has the authority to "investigate all complaints or reports of unprofessional conduct." RCW 18.130.050(2).

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Bluebook (online)
231 P.3d 840, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/newman-v-veterinary-bd-of-governors-washctapp-2010.