Thompson v. State ex rel. Department of Labor, Office of Employment Security

544 So. 2d 731, 1989 La. App. LEXIS 1010, 1989 WL 54965
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedMay 24, 1989
DocketNo. 88-156
StatusPublished

This text of 544 So. 2d 731 (Thompson v. State ex rel. Department of Labor, Office of Employment Security) 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
Thompson v. State ex rel. Department of Labor, Office of Employment Security, 544 So. 2d 731, 1989 La. App. LEXIS 1010, 1989 WL 54965 (La. Ct. App. 1989).

Opinion

KNOLL, Judge.

The State of Louisiana through the Department of Labor, Office of Employment Security (hereafter administrator) and Morris & Associates, the claimant’s former employer, appeal the judgment of the trial court which reversed the decision of the [732]*732Board of Review, and awarded employment compensation benefits to Jackie Thompson (hereafter claimant).

The trial court ruled that the administrator failed to timely submit the administrative record, that Morris & Associates filed no responsive pleadings, and that the law and evidence favored the claimant. Accordingly, the trial court reversed the decision of the Board of Review, and found the claimant qualified for unemployment benefits. The administrator’s motion for new trial, based on the allegation that the trial court’s order, signed when the claimant filed his petition for judicial review, directing the administrator to file the administrative record in a shorter time than that mandated by LSA-R.S. 23:1634, was likewise denied.

The administrator and Morris & Associates contend that the trial court erred: (1) in denying the administrator’s motion for new trial; and, (2) in finding that the claimant was entitled to receive unemployment compensation benefits. We reverse and remand, finding that the judgment of the trial court which found the administrator liable was not based on sufficient evidence, and that Morris & Associates was improperly cast in judgment at this stage of the proceedings.

FACTS

The claimant, a laborer working for Morris & Associates, terminated his employment on January 15, 1987. On February 12, 1987, the Office of Employment Security issued a determination disqualifying him for benefits because he left work without good cause connected with his employment. On March 12, 1987, the administrative law judge affirmed the earlier determination. On April 10, 1987, the Board of Review affirmed the prior administrative decisions which denied unemployment compensation benefits.

The claimant, citing the administrator and his former employer as defendants, then filed a petition for review with the district court on April 16, 1987. Upon filing of the claimant’s petition, the trial court ordered the administrator to file in the court a transcript of the administrative proceeding of the claimant’s case before May 27, 1987.

The record shows that on August 26, 1987, the trial court rendered judgment in favor of the claimant and against the administrator and Morris & Associates, specifically noting in the judgment:

“Considering the petition for review filed by plaintiff in this cause and further considering that Morris & Associates, the employer, has failed to file response to the petition for review, and on further considering that the State of Louisiana has failed to comply with the Order of this Court to file in the record of this proceeding on or before May 27, 1987 a transcript of the administrative proceeding, and the Court finding the law and evidence to be in favor hereof and for the oral reasons assigned: ...”

On September 4, 1987, approximately a week after judgment was rendered, the administrator answered the claimant’s petition for judicial review, and filed a certified copy of the administrative record.

ADMINISTRATOR’S MOTION FOR NEW TRIAL

The administrator argues that the trial court should have granted the motion for new trial because the date set by the trial court for the filing of the administrative record was not in conformity with LSA-R. S. 23:1634, and there was insufficient evidence upon which to grant judgment in favor of the claimant.

LSA-C.C.P. Art. 1973 provides that the trial court may grant a new trial if there exists good grounds therefor. A proper application' of this article necessitates an examination of the facts and circumstances of the individual case. Lamb v. Lamb, 430 So.2d 51 (La.1983). When the trial court is convinced by its examination of the facts that the judgment would result in a miscarriage of justice, a new trial should be ordered. Id. The trial court has much discretion regarding the determination of whether to order a new trial, and an appellate court will not set aside the ruling of the trial court unless there is a manifest [733]*733abuse of discretion. Hardy v. Kidder, 292 So.2d 575 (La.1974).

LSA-R.S. 23:1634(A) provides:

“Within the time specified in R.S. 23:1630, the administrator, or any party to the proceedings before the board of review, may obtain judicial review thereof by filing in the district court of the domicile of the claimant a petition for review of the decision, and in such proceeding any other party to the proceeding before the board of review shall be made a party defendant. The petition for review need not be verified but shall state the grounds upon which such review is sought. The administrator shall be deemed to be a party to any such proceeding. If the administrator is a party defendant, a certified copy of the petition shall be served upon him by leaving with him, or such representative as he may have designated for that purpose, as many copies of the petition as there are defendants. With his answer or petition, the administrator shall certify and file with the court, within sixty days of service of process, a certified copy of the record of the case, including all documents and papers and a transcript of all testimony taken in the matter, together with the board of review’s findings, conclusions, and decision. If the administrator fails to file the record with the court within the time provided herein, the court, upon hearing sufficient evidence, may issue a judgment directing payment of benefits to the claimant.”

The administrator first contends that the trial court improperly set a return date for the filing of the administrative record of this case which was less than 60 days after , it was served. Although we agree that the trial court was powerless to set an earlier filing date, since the administrator ultimately filed the administrative record well beyond the 60 day period, we find this issue moot.

Nevertheless, we find that the Supreme Court’s recent pronouncements in Toney v. Whitfield, 531 So.2d 445 (La.1988), particularly applicable to the case sub judice. In Toney the Supreme Court discussed what constitutes “sufficient evidence” to support a judgment directing payment to the claimant when the administrator fails to timely file the administrative record. At pages 448 and 449 of the Toney decision, the Supreme Court stated:

“As regards the vagueness argument, the first issue is what constitutes ‘sufficient evidence’ to justify the award of Section 1634(A) benefits. Section 1634(B) mandates that proceedings for benefits under this section are to be limited to questions of law, without the taking of additional evidence by the district court, and heard in a summary, expedited proceeding. When the notice of judicial review is filed in the district court the claimant has already had his claim reviewed at two administrative levels. Previously made available to the parties or counsel was the Appeals Referee’s decision containing a case history, findings of fact and opinion; and the decision of the Board of Review. These documents can be made available to the district court. All that is not available is the transcript of the hearing conducted before the referee.

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Related

Lamb v. Lamb
430 So. 2d 51 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1983)
Hardy v. Kidder
292 So. 2d 575 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1974)
Toney v. Whitfield
531 So. 2d 445 (Supreme Court of Louisiana, 1988)

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Bluebook (online)
544 So. 2d 731, 1989 La. App. LEXIS 1010, 1989 WL 54965, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thompson-v-state-ex-rel-department-of-labor-office-of-employment-lactapp-1989.