IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF OREGON BRANDON HATCH, D.C., Petitioner, v. BOARD OF CHIROPRACTIC EXAMINERS, Respondent. Board of Chiropractic Examiners No. 20112005 Court of Appeals No. A 158594 (control) LANCH HATCH, D.C., Petitioner, v. BOARD OF CHIROPRACTIC EXAMINERS, Respondent. Board of Chiropractic Examiners No. 20125005 Court of Appeals No. A 158595 ORDER CONSOLIDATING CASES; DENYING STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO LANCE HATCH; GRANTING TEMPORARY STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO BRANDON HATCH Petitioners Lance Hatch and Brandon Hatch move to consolidate their respective judicial reviews, Court of Appeals case numbers A 158594 and A 158595. The motions are granted. The caption for the consolidated case will be as it appears in this order. Petitioners also move to stay the Board of Chiropractic Examiners (the Board) order revoking their respective licenses. The motion is denied as to petitioner Lance Hatch and granted temporarily as to petitioner Brandon Hatch. ORDER CONSOLIDATING CASES; DENYING STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO LANCE HATCH; GRANTING TEMPORARY STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO BRANDON HATCH REPLIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: State Court Administrator, Records Section, Supreme Court Building, 1163 State Street, Salem, OR 97301-2563 Page 1 of 5 Petitioners timely sought judicial review of the Board's orders revoking their chiropractic licenses. After receipt of the final order Brandon Hatch continued to practice because he believed that a timely petition for judicial review allowed him to do so. On January 23, 2015, the Board discovered Brandon Hatch was still practicing and ordered him to stop. Petitioner complied with that order. On February 25, 2015, petitioners requested the Board to stay the effect of the agency orders. Petitioners contend that on March 12, 2015, the Board voted to deny the stay, apparently concluding that petitioners had failed to show irreparable harm or a colorable claim of error. The Board has not yet issued a written order. Apparently the parties anticipate that the Board will issue its order no later than March 26, 2015. 1 Subsection (3)(a) of DRS 183.482 requires the Board to stay enforcement of its order if a petitioner shows (1) irreparable injury to the petitioner, and (2) a colorable claim of error in the order.2 Subsection (3)(b) provides that, if the agency denies a party's request for a stay, the denial must be in writing. Subsection (3)( d) allows a petitioner to seek review by the Court of Appeals of an agency denial of a stay. This court's review of the agency's denial of a stay is for errors of law. Bergerson v. Sa/emKeizer School District, 185 Or App 649, 658, 60 P3d 1126 (2003). Respecting any factual issues not resolved by the agency order on the merits, petitioners have the burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence. Arlington School District No. 3 v. Arlington Education Association, 184 Or App 97,55 P3d 546 (2002). In Weldon v. Board of Licensed Professional Counselors & Therapists, 353 Or 85, 101, 293 P3d 1023 (2012), the court held, notwithstanding DRS 676.210, that DRS 183.482(3) permits any board authorized to license the practice of any healing or corrective arts and an appellate court on judicial review to stay enforcement of a board order. However, the orders revoking the chiropractic licenses of petitioners in this case may not yet be subject to DRS 183.482(3) because, where the law establishes a procedure for obtaining a stay, this court must observe that procedure. Helms Groover & Dubber Co. v. Coperhaven, 93 Or 410, 416-17, 177 P 935 (1919) (where legislature has prescribed standards or conditions under which stay may be granted, court must comply with statute). That principle mayor may not be applicable here, because in Helms Groover & Dubber Co., the court referred to procedure or standards for obtaining a stay established by statute. DRS 183.482(3)(b) requires that, when an agency denies 1 The Board has conferred authority on itself to take up to 30 days from the date a petitioner requests a stay to issue a written order ruling on the request. OAR 137-0030700. Under that rule, the filing of a request for stay does not result in a stay of the Board's order, nor did the Board grant a temporary stay pending disposition of the request for stay by written order. 2 Under subsection (3)(a) of DRS 183.482, the Board is not required to grant a stay if the Board determines that substantial public harm will result from the requested stay. However, it does not appear that the Board denied petitioners' motions for stay based on a determination that substantial public harm would result from a stay. ORDER CONSOLIDATING CASES; DENYING STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO LANCE HATCH; GRANTING TEMPORARY STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO BRANDON HATCH REPLIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: State Court Administrator, Records Section, Supreme Court Building, 1163 State Street, Salem, OR 97301-2563 Page 2 of 5 a stay, "the denial shall be in writing * * *," and, as noted above, as yet, the Board in this case, pursuant to its rule, has not issued a written denial of petitioners' motions for stay.3 Therefore, petitioners' request to review the Board's written order denying their request for a stay is denied because, as of the date of this order, the court has not been provided with a copy of any such order.4 That conclusion does not end the court's consideration of petitioners' request for a stay. In Weldon, the court reiterated the longstanding principle that every court of law, including an appellate court, has authority inherent to the grant of jurisdiction to decide a matter to grant stays as necessary to preserve the subject matter of the court or to prevent irreparable harm to a party. 353 Or at 94. That authority is applicable here during the period of time that this court may not review the Board's ruling under ORS 183.482(3) because the Board has not yet rendered a written order. In addition to delay arising from the Board rendering a written order, the parties will need some opportunity to submit memoranda regarding whether the Board erred in its written order. Petitioners do not contend that, absent a stay, the dispute between the parties will become non-justiciable or that this court will lose jurisdiction. Therefore, if the court has authority to grant a stay, it must be based on a showing that, until the court may review the Board's order denying a stay under ORS 183.482(3), petitioners will suffer irreparable harm. Further, in determining whether to grant a stay to prevent irreparable harm, this court has considered the likelihood the petitioners will prevail on judicial review. In this case, the court considers the latter factor first. Likelihood that Petitioners Will Prevail on Judicial Review Both petitioners have made a prima facie showing of at least colorable claim of error. A colorable claim of error is a claim "that is substantial and nonfrivolous, or seemingly valid, genuine, or plausible." Bergerson, 185 Or App at 660. Petitioners argue that the Board incorrectly used a preponderance of the evidence standard of proof instead of a clear and convincing evidence standard of proof as required in a case 3 Respecting the written order requirement, ORS 183.482(3)(b) is ambiguous whether it applies to any denial of a stay or only a denial based on a finding of substantial public harm that would result from a stay. Assuming it applies to any denial of a requested stay, and respecting the delay in rendering a written order, petitioners do not contend that the Board's rule giving the Board 30 days to render such an order is beyond the Board's authority to adopt. Thus, presumptively, respecting granting a stay under ORS 183.482(3), the court must honor the delay in rendering a written Board order on the matter of a stay. 4 Petitioners assert in their reply memorandum that the Board has issued a written order; however, if the Board has issued such an order, petitioners have not provided the court with a copy of it. Therefore, the court cannot, as yet, review the Board's written decision. ORDER CONSOLIDATING CASES; DENYING STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO LANCE HATCH; GRANTING TEMPORARY STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO BRANDON HATCH REPLIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: State Court Administrator, Records Section, Supreme Court Building, 1163 State Street, Salem, OR 97301-2563 Page 3 of 5 alleging fraud. This argument presents a colorable claim of error. The Board used a preponderance of evidence standard for all of its findings including the finding of fraud. License revocation proceedings that are based on allegations of fraud must at least meet a clear and convincing evidence standard. Bernard v. Board of Dental Examiners, 2 Or App 22, 36, 465 P2d 917 (1970); but see Gallant v. Board of Medical Examiners, 159 Or App 175,185-86,974 P2d 814 (1999) (questioning but not deciding whether Bernard was correctly decided). Apart from that issue, petitioners have not made a strong showing that they are likely to prevail on judicial review. 5 Irreparable Injury Further, a petitioner must demonstrate that the existence of the claimed injury that will result from the denial of a stay is at least "probable" - that is, more likely than not. Arlington Sch Dist No.3 v. Arlington Ed Assoc, 184 Or App 97, 102,55 P3d 546 (2002). Further, "irreparable" injury means injury for which the moving party lacks any remedy at law to address. Id. at 101-03. Petitioners argue that revocation of a license to practice a profession "establishes irreparable injury as a matter of law." In Bernard, the court held that "a professional who has been granted a license to practice acquires a right to practice that profession and risks disgrace and loss of livelihood if the license is revoked." Sobel v. Board of Pharmacy, 130 Or App 374, 380, 882 P2d 606 (1994) (stating the court's holding in Bernard). Petitioners are correct that their licenses grant them the right to practice as ch iropractors. However, petitioners overstate the holding of Bernard. In Bernard, the court did not suggest that license revocation is per se irreparable injury. Petitioners do not cite, and the court cannot find, any case that treats license revocation as per se irreparable injury. Accordingly petitioners must show some other irreparable injury that, more likely than not, will occur, beyond the mere fact that the Board revoked their respective licenses. Petitioners' memorandum in support of their motion presents no argument that, absent a temporary stay of enforcement of the Board's order revoking his license to practice chiropractic medicine, Lance Hatch will be injured. Lance Hatch is not currently employed as a chiropractor. In a declaration, counsel for petitioners states that Lance Hatch will be unable to obtain employment as a chiropractor unless a stay is granted. Unlike ORS 183.482(3), which, absent an agency finding of substantial public harm, requires a stay upon a showing of colorable claim of error and irreparable harm, when the court exercises its inherent authority to grant a stay, it weighs the likelihood of the petitioner prevailing on judicial review (however strong or weak that showing might be) and the nature of the irreparable harm in the course of deciding whether to grant relief. 5 ORDER CONSOLIDATING CASES; DENYING STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO LANCE HATCH; GRANTING TEMPORARY STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO BRANDON HATCH REPLIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: State Court Administrator, Records Section, Supreme Court Building, 1163 State Street, Salem, OR 97301-2563 Page 4 of 5 However, to show irreparable injury, Lance Hatch must show that, more likely than not, if his license was not revoked, he would be able to obtain employment. At best, Lance Hatch's inability to find employment as a chiropractor due to license revocation is speculative. Therefore, Lance Hatch has not made a showing of injury and, for that reason, the court declines to grant a temporary stay as to Lance Hatch. Brandon Hatch owns a chiropractic practice and, due to the Board's order, he is unable to practice there. He has patients who he could see and treat, and that would generate income. Even if Brandon Hatch prevails on judicial review, he will not be able to recover lost income. The court is not aware of any other remedy at law by which Brandon Hatch might recover the income he will lose during the pendency of this judicial review even if he prevails on judicial review. Brandon Hatch has made a prima facie showing that he will be irreparably injured if the Board order is not stayed. Petitioner Brandon Hatch has made a prima facie showing of some likelihood that he will prevail on judicial review and that he will be irreparably injured if the court does not stay the Board order even if he ultimately prevails on judicial review. Therefore, the Board's order revoking Brandon Hatch's license is temporarily stayed pending the Board's issuance of a written agency order ruling on his request for a stay, the parties' submission of any additional memoranda addressing whether a stay should be granted under DRS 183.482(3), and the court's decision on that matter. Original signatures are on file in OBCE office.3/25/2015 2:03:53 PM c: Mona Geidl Denise G Fjordbeck Conrad E Yunker ej ORDER CONSOLIDATING CASES; DENYING STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO LANCE HATCH; GRANTING TEMPORARY STAY OF BOARD ORDER AS TO BRANDON HATCH REPLIES SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: State Court Administrator, Records Section, Supreme Court Building, 1163 State Street, Salem, OR 97301-2563 Page 5 of 5 Original signatures are on file in OBCE office Original signatures are on file in OBCE office
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