MICHAEL E. PHILBRICK, APPELLANT,
v.
COUNTY OF VOLUSIA, APPELLEE

Fla. 5th DCA | 1996-02-23
No. 95-2006
GRIFFIN and ANTOON, JJ., concur.
668 So. 2d 341 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fifth District (1996) Positive Treatment
Cited by 6 cases

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Synopsis

Michael Philbrick appeals the circuit court's denial of his petition for writ of certiorari challenging his termination from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. The appellate court affirms the circuit court's decision, holding that the county manager properly exercised discretion to uphold termination despite a personnel board's recommendation for suspension.


Holding

The appellate court held that the circuit court properly afforded procedural due process and applied the correct law in denying Philbrick's petition for writ of certiorari. The county manager was not bound by the personnel board's advisory recommendation but had discretionary authority to accept or modify it under Volusia County personnel policy.


Headnotes

[1] A notice of appeal may be treated as a petition for writ of certiorari when the appellate court has jurisdiction and the filing of the notice of appeal is the appropriate…

[2] Circuit court review of an administrative agency decision by certiorari is governed by a three-part standard: whether procedural due process was accorded, whether the ess…

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Key Quotes

“As a case travels up the judicial ladder, review should consistently become narrower, not broader.”

Establishes the principle that appellate review becomes more limited at higher court levels

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Facts & Procedural History

Philbrick was terminated from the Volusia County Sheriff's Office for intentionally omitting his previous employment with the Pembroke Police Departme…

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Opinion of the Court
THOMPSON, Judge.

THOMPSON, Judge.

Michael E. Philbrick (“Philbrick”) appeals an order of the circuit court sitting in its review capacity pursuant to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.030(c)(3). The circuit court denied his petition for writ of certiorari. Philbrick sought review of a decision by the Volusia County Manager which upheld his termination by the sheriff of Volusia County. Philbrick filed a notice of appeal in the circuit court within 30 days of the decision, and he filed an initial brief in this court. Instead, Philbrick should have filed a writ of certiorari with this court. Nevertheless, this court has jurisdiction, and, pursuant to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.040(c), we treat the notice of appeal as a petition for writ of certiorari. Johnson v. Citizens State Bank, 537 So. 2d 96 (Fla.1989). Having de- eided to treat the appeal as a petition for writ of certiorari, we deny the petition.

Philbrick was terminated from the Volusia County Sheriffs Office for “an intentional omission” on his employment application and for making untruthful statements during an internal affairs investigation. Although required to do so, Philbrick did not list his previous employment with the Pembroke Police Department in New Hampshire on his application for employment with the Volusia County Sheriffs Office. Philbrick appealed the termination order to the personnel board, which conducted a 12-hour hearing at which witnesses testified and exhibits were admitted. Philbrick was represented by counsel. The personnel board determined that Phil-brick intentionally omitted information from his employment application, but reversed the finding that he was untruthful in the internal affairs investigation. The personnel board recommended that Philbrick be suspended for 90 days without pay but not terminated. The county manager rejected the board’s advisory recommendation and upheld the dismissal. Philbrick filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the circuit court. The circuit court denied the petition and the matter is now before this court.

Haines City Community Dev. v. Heggs, 658 So. 2d 528 (Fla.1995), recently decided by the Florida Supreme Court, is controlling. In Heggs, Justice Anstead compared the standard of review by a circuit court when it reviews by certiorari the decision of an administrative agency, and the standard of review of the district court when it reviews by certiorari the , decision of the circuit court. He wrote:

As a case travels up the judicial ladder, review should consistently become narrower, not broader. We have held that circuit court review of an administrative agency decision, under Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.030(c)(3), is governed by a three-part standard of review: (1) whether procedural due process is accorded; (2) whether the essential requirements of law have been observed; and (3) whether the administrative findings and judgment are supported by competent substantial evidence. [City of Deerfield Beach v. Vaillant, 419 So. 2d 624 (Fla.1982) ]. The standard of review for certiorari in the district court ... is limited to whether the circuit court afforded procedural due process and whether the circuit court applied the correct law.

658 So. 2d at 530.

In this case, Philbrick received procedural due process and the circuit court applied the correct law. The circuit court determined that the county administrator was not bound by the decision of the personnel board, but had the option to exercise his discretion to accept or modify the board’s decision. In an extensive order, the circuit court cited the personnel policy of Volusia County as a basis for the county manager’s authority. The circuit court wrote that its role was constrained by the Florida Supreme Court’s decision in Vaillant, and that it could not reweigh or reevaluate the conflicting evidence. The circuit court also detailed the witnesses and evidence presented, and noted that Phil-brick was represented by an attorney. The circuit court found that the three-part test of Vaillant had been met.

We find no error because the trial court afforded procedural due process and applied the correct law. Heggs, 658 So. 2d at 530. Accordingly, we deny the petition for writ of certiorari.

WRIT DENIED.

GRIFFIN and ANTOON, JJ., concur.


Cases With Similar Vibessemantic neighbors from the corpus


Citator

Cited By

  • Mellie T. Baron v. First Union Nat'l Bank of Fla., 792 So. 2d 708 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001)
    …orrect law. Famiglio v. Accredited Professional Services, Inc., 592 So. 2d 257 (Fla. 2d DCA 1991), rev. denied, 599 So. 2d 655 (Fla.1992). Petition for Writ of Certiorari DENIED. COBB and HARRIS, JJ., concur. . See Philbrick v. County of Volusia, 668 So. 2d 341 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996). . Irvin v. Williams, 736 So. 2d 705 (Fla. 1st DCA 1999); Craig v. Preston, 593 So. 2d 578 (Fla. 3d DCA 1992); Krebs v. State, 588 So. 2d 38 (Fla. 5th DCA 1991), rev. denied, 599 So. 2d 658 (Fla.1992). .She moved for a continua…
  • Orange Cnty. v. Quadrangle Dev. Co., 780 So. 2d 994 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001)
    …(Fla.1989). Certiorari review in our court is limited to whether the circuit court afforded procedural due process and applied the correct law. Id.; see also Haines City Cmty. Dev. v. Heggs, 658 So. 2d 523 (Fla.1995); Philbrick v. County of Volusia, 668 So. 2d 341 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996). We conclude that the circuit court applied the correct law in determining that there was not competent substantial evidence to support the Board’s decision to deny the application. We also conclude that the circuit court used t…
  • ST. Johns/ST. Augustine v. City OF ST. Augustine, 909 So. 2d 575 (Fla. 5th DCA 2005)
    …v. Heggs, 658 So. 2d 523, 530 (Fla.1995); Education Dev. Ctr., Inc. v. City of W. Palm Beach Zoning Bd. of Appeals, 541 So. 2d 106, 108 (Fla.1989); City of Deerfield Beach v. Vaillant, 419 So. 2d 624, 626 (Fla.1982): Philbrick v. County of Volusia, 668 So. 2d 341, 342 (Fla. 5th DCA 1996). The standard of review applicable to the district court of appeal reviewing the circuit court’s order is narrower. The appellate court is limited to determining (1) whether the circuit court afforded procedural due process,…

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