Tex. Dep't of Pub. Safety v. Gonzalez
Tex. Dep't of Pub. Safety v. Gonzalez
Opinion of the Court
Michael Gonzalez requested an administrative hearing to contest the suspension *715of his driver's license by the Department of Public Safety. After the hearing, an administrative law judge ruled that the Department was authorized to suspend Gonzalez's driver's license for 90 days. Gonzalez sought judicial review of the administrative decision. A county court at law reversed that decision on the ground that the administrative law judge erred by granting the Department's oral motion for continuance of the administrative hearing. Because the administrative law judge acted within his discretion in granting the Department's motion for continuance, we reverse the judgment of the county court and render judgment affirming the administrative decision.
BACKGROUND
Gonzalez was arrested for driving while intoxicated. See TEX. PENAL CODE § 49.04. A breath test showed that he had an alcohol concentration of 0.13, above the legal limit. The Department notified him that it intended to suspend his driver's license. See TEX. TRANSP. CODE §§ 524.011 -.015.
Gonzalez requested an administrative hearing to contest the suspension. See TEX. TRANSP. CODE §§ 524.031 -.040. On the scheduled date, the Department announced that it was ready to proceed; however, when Gonzalez objected to the offense report and several other exhibits, the Department moved for a continuance, and it asked for time to produce the correct report. Gonzalez objected because he had requested production of his offense report during pre-trial discovery, and in response, the Department mistakenly produced an offense report relating to another driver. The Department represented that it did not learn of its mistake until the day before the hearing. The Department's motion was neither in writing nor verified.
Gonzalez opposed the Department's motion and moved for dismissal. The administrative law judge granted the Department a continuance and denied Gonzalez's motion to dismiss. At the rescheduled hearing, another administrative law judge heard the evidence and rendered an administrative decision authorizing the Department to suspend Gonzalez's driving privileges for 90 days. See TEX. TRANSP. CODE § 524.022(a)(1).
Gonzalez appealed the administrative decision to the criminal county court at law. See TEX. TRANSP. CODE §§ 524.041 -.044. The county court reversed the administrative decision on the ground that the administrative law judge should have denied the Department's oral request for a continuance, and it entered a dismissal in Gonzalez's favor. The Department appeals the county court's judgment.
DISCUSSION
The Department contends that the county court erred in reversing the administrative decision because the administrative law judge had the discretion to continue the evidentiary hearing. Gonzalez responds that the Department's request for continuance did not comply with the applicable provisions of the Administrative Code governing continuances, and the county court therefore correctly dismissed the Department's case against Gonzalez.
A. Standard of review
With respect to the administrative judge's ruling, Chapter 159 of the Administrative Code provides that the "granting of continuances shall be in the sound discretion of the judge." 1 TEX. ADMIN. CODE § 159.207(c). In reviewing the county court's ruling, we apply the standard set forth in Chapter 2001 of the Government Code. See TEX. TRANSP. CODE § 524.002(b). Under Chapter 2001, the county court was authorized to reverse if Gonzalez's substantial rights were prejudiced because the *716administrative findings, inferences, conclusions, or decisions were:
(A) in violation of a constitutional or statutory provision;
(B) in excess of the agency's statutory authority;
(C) made through unlawful procedure;
(D) affected by other error of law;
(E) not reasonably supported by substantial evidence considering the reliable and probative evidence in the record as a whole; or
(F) arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion or clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion.
TEX. GOV'T CODE § 2001.174(2) ; see Tex. Dep't of Pub. Safety v. Varme ,
B. Analysis
The county court ruled that the administrative law judge erred in granting a continuance because the Department did not request one in a written motion supported by an affidavit. The county court did not specify what procedural rule required a written motion and affidavit, but it seems to have relied on the Rules of Civil Procedure. See TEX. R. CIV. P . 251 (no continuance may be granted "except for sufficient cause supported by affidavit"); see also In re T.T. ,
As the parties correctly observe, however, administrative license-suspension hearings are governed by Chapter 159 of the Administrative Code, and its continuance provisions. See 1 TEX. ADMIN. CODE § 159.1(a) (Chapter 159 applies to administrative license-suspension hearings governed by Chapter 524 of Transportation Code); see also TEX. TRANSP. CODE § 524.002(a) (directing State Office of Administrative Hearings to adopt rules for license-suspension proceedings governed by Chapter 524). Under Chapter 159, an administrative law judge "may grant a continuance on the request of either party," if a party produces documents requested in discovery fewer than 10 days before the hearing. 1 TEX. ADMIN. CODE § 159.151(i). Chapter 159 thus authorizes a trial court to grant a continuance in the circumstances presented by this case.
But the parties dispute whether the request for a continuance must be made in writing. While Chapter 159 does not expressly require a written motion, Gonzalez contends that the language of the relevant administrative rule contemplates one. See
Gonzalez counters that Chapter 159 expressly incorporates by reference the subchapters it takes from Chapter 155, and the listing does not include the subchapter that contains the continuance provision;
*717thus, Section 155.307(c) cannot be read into Chapter 159. See
Regardless of whether Chapter 155's provision governing oral continuances applies, it was within the discretion of the administrative judge to grant the motion. Chapter 159 permits, but does not compel, an administrative law judge to deny an oral motion for continuance. See 1 TEX. ADMIN. CODE § 159.207(c) (providing reasons that administrative judge "may" deny a continuance); see also Patel v. Tex. Dep't of Pub. Safety ,
Determining whether to grant the Department's motion, given any infirmities, was a matter committed by administrative rule to the judge's "sound discretion." 1 TEX. ADMIN. CODE § 159.207(c). A continuance is expressly contemplated as a response to late production of discovery, at the request of "either party."
Gonzalez also has not shown that the ruling granting a continuance prejudiced his substantial rights. See TEX. GOV'T CODE § 2001.174(2) ; Varme ,
Because the record does not show that Gonzalez's substantial rights were prejudiced by the ruling granting an oral motion for continuance, the county court erred in reversing the administrative decision. See, e.g. , Tex. Dep't of Pub. Safety v. Cortinas ,
CONCLUSION
We reverse the judgment of the county court and render judgment affirming the *718administrative decision authorizing suspension of Gonzalez's driving privileges.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.