South Carolina              
Administrative Law Court
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SC Administrative Law Court Decisions

CAPTION:
SCDMV vs. Celena J. Simmons

AGENCY:
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles

PARTIES:
Appellant:
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles

Respondent:
Celena J. Simmons
 
DOCKET NUMBER:
06-ALJ-21-0707-AP

APPEARANCES:
n/a
 

ORDERS:

ORDER

This matter is an appeal by the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (“Department”) from a Final Order and Decision of the South Carolina Division of Motor Vehicle Hearings (“DMVH”). The DMVH’s Final Order and Decision was issued following an administrative hearing held pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 56-1-1090(c) (Supp. 2006). The Department’s sole argument on appeal is that the DMVH hearing officer committed error by failing to follow Department Policy VS-001 in granting a reduction of Respondent’s driver’s license suspension.[1] The Administrative Law Court (“ALC”) has jurisdiction to hear this matter pursuant to S.C. Code Ann. § 1-23-660 (Supp. 2006).

On March 23, 2007, the ALC issued an En Banc Order holding that Department Policy VS-001 does not have the force or effect of law, and that a DMVH hearing officer’s failure to follow Department Policy VS-001 does not per se constitute error. S.C. Dep’t of Motor Vehicles v. Cain, 06-ALJ-21-0790-AP (Admin. Law Ct. March 23, 2007). Pursuant to ALC Rule 70(F), the holding of the En Banc Order is binding upon all individual administrative law judges in all subsequent cases. Accordingly, the DMVH’s Final Order and Decision must be affirmed.


IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that the DMVH’s Final Order and Decision is AFFIRMED.

AND IT IS SO ORDERED.

______________________________

Carolyn C. Matthews

Administrative Law Judge

April 18, 2007

Columbia, South Carolina



[1] The essence of the Department’s argument is that, based on Department Policy VS-001, the DMVH hearing officer lacked discretion to reduce Respondent’s suspension. For instance, the Department claims that the DMVH hearing officer erred in reducing Respondent’s suspension since one of the conditions set forth in Department Policy VS-001 was not met. Importantly, the Department has not argued that, by reducing Respondent’s suspension, the DMVH hearing officer abused the discretion granted to him by Section 56-1-1090(c). Therefore, this latter issue has not been preserved for review. See ALC Rule 37(B)(1) (“Ordinarily, no point will be considered that is not set forth in the statement of issues on appeal.”).


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