ORDERS:
ORDER OF DISMISSAL
Respondent South Carolina Department of Corrections ("Respondent" or "Department") filed a motion to
dismiss this matter. Respondent seeks a dismissal on the grounds that Appellant failed to serve Respondent
with the Notice of Appeal within thirty (30) days of written notice of Respondent's final decision. On
October 19, 2000, Appellant responded to the motion but provided no evidence that he served the
Respondent with the Notice of Appeal within thirty (30) days of written notice of Respondent's final
decision. By Order dated October 26, 2000, Appellant was ordered to file within fifteen (15) days of October
26, 2000, evidence that he served the Notice of Appeal and supporting documents upon Respondent within
thirty (30) days of the Respondent's decision and serve counsel for the Respondent with a copy thereof. As
of the date of this Order, Appellant has not complied with the Order of October 26, 2000.
This Division has jurisdiction to hear this matter under Al-Shabazz v. State, 338 S.C. 354, 527 S.E.2d 742
(2000). In Al-Shabazz, the S.C. Supreme Court stated that:
The inmate must file and serve a notice of appeal upon specified parties within thirty days of written notice
of Department's final decision.
Id. at 33 (emphasis added). The Court in Al-Shabazz cited ALJD Rule 33 in support of this requirement.
The Division has since adopted TR 62 for use in lieu of ALJD Rule 33. The language in TR 62 is virtually
identical to ALJD Rule 33 (1). TR 62 provides that:
The notice of appeal from the final decision of an agency to be heard by the [Division] shall be filed with the
Division and a copy served on each party and DOC within thirty (30) days of receipt of the decision from
which the appeal is taken.. . .
TR 62 (emphasis added).
As set forth in Al-Shabazz and TR 57 and 62, the Department must be served with a copy of the Notice of
Appeal within thirty (30) days of the appellant's receipt of the final decision of the Department. In this case,
there is no evidence in the record, and, although Appellant has had ample time to respond to the Motion to
Dismiss, Appellant has not provided any evidence, that the Department was served with the Notice of Appeal
within 30 days of Appellant's receipt of the Department's final decision .
Although the ALJD has subject matter jurisdiction over this matter under Al-Shabazz v. State, 338 S.C. 354,
527 S.E.2d 742 (2000), the Department was not served with the Notice of Appeal within 30 days, as required
in Al-Shabazz and TR 57 and 62, and therefore Appellant has not invoked the jurisdiction of this tribunal.
This matter must be dismissed. Case law supports the proposition that a court must dismiss an appeal where
the appellant fails to serve a party with the notice of appeal in a timely manner. See Southbridge Properties,
Inc. v. Jones, 292 S.C. 198, 355 S.E.2d 535 (1987) (applying appellate court rules and dismissing case for
failure to serve a notice of intent to appeal in a timely manner); Mears v. Mears, 287 S.C. 168, 337 S.E.2d
206 (1985) (applying appellate court rules and finding lack of jurisdiction for failure to serve a notice of
intent to appeal in a timely manner). (2)
It is also well-established that a court does not have the authority to extend the time for taking an appeal from
a decision of an administrative agency. e.g., Mears v. Mears, 287 S.C. 168, 337 S.E.2d 206 (1985); Burnette
v. S.C. State Highway Dep't, 252 S.C. 568, 167 S.E.2d 571 (1969) (addressing an appeal from the Board of
Condemnation). This tribunal recognizes the harsh result of this decision but is constrained by the rules of
this tribunal and legal precedent in this State. See McClain v. Ingram, 314 S.C. 359, 444 S.E.2d 512 (1994)
[recognizing harsh result of dismissing a case where the appellant filed a summons and complaint after
serving the other party instead of filing the summons and complaint before such service, as required by
SCRCP 5(d)].
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Respondent's Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED and the appeal of
Appellant Randy Govan, #168074 , Docket No. 00-ALJ-04-00640-AP is hereby dismissed.
AND IT IS SO ORDERED.
______________________________
C. DUKES SCOTT
ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE
August 6, 2001
Columbia, South Carolina
1. Pursuant to the opinion of the Supreme Court in Al-Shabazz, temporary rules were adopted by the ALJD to
apply exclusively to appeals from final decisions of the Department of Corrections. These rules are virtually
identical to corresponding ALJD appellate rules 33-41.
2. James E. MacDonald v. S.C. Dep't of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Real Estate Comm'n, Dkt. No. 99-ALJ-11-0527-AP
(Hon. Marvin F. Kittrell, Oct. 27, 1999) (citing Mears and Southbridge decisions and dismissing case for lack of jurisdiction where
notice appeal was not filed and served in a timely manner); see Rama Simun, Director, Early Years Learning Center v. S.C. Dep't
of Social Services, Dkt. No. 98-ALJ-18-0427-AP (Hon. Marvin F. Kittrell, August 17, 1998) (citing Mears decision and dismissing
case for lack of jurisdiction where notice appeal was not filed in a timely manner). |