69 Pa. Commw. 474 | Pa. Commw. Ct. | 1982
Opinion by
John Harold Craft (Petitioner) seeks review of a revocation by the Pennsylvania Game Commission of his hunting and trapping privileges in the Commonwealth for a period of three years. We now affirm.
On December 11, 1979, Petitioner signed a “field receipt” by which he acknowledged a violation of Section 1207 of The Game Law, Act of June 3, 1937, P.L. 1225, as amended, 34 P.S. §1311.1207.
Petitioner has raised a variety of issues on this appeal. The bulk of these issues, regarding notification of penalties, probable cause for the search done by enforcement officers, voluntariness of Petitioner’s signing his field acknowledgment of guilt and Petitioner’s actual guilt or innocence, are matters concerning his criminal conviction and thus irrelevant in this civil action, as this Court specifically decided over a year ago. See Levan v. Pennsylvania Game Commission, 59 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 348, 429 A.2d 1241 (1981); Malishaucki v. Pennsylvania Game Commission, 58 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 354, 427 A.2d 787 (1981).
A number of other issues have also been raised by Petitioner. Petitioner contends that he was charged with violating Section 1207 of The Came Law and that under that charge the Commission has no authority to revoke his license. However, his privileges were not revoked under the criminal provisions of Section 1207; rather, the authority to revoke is found under the civil provisions of Section 315, 34 P.S. §1311.315, and under that section the Commission could revoke Petitioner’s privileges in the present case.
Finally, Petitioner contends he was not given a fair hearing and that the penalty imposed was excessive. He argues that the hearing officer was biased and that the three year penalty imposed after the hearing was unjust to him, a first time offender, since the Commission had originally given him the same three year penalty when it mistakenly was informed he was a repeat offender.
Regarding the charge of bias, there is a total absence of any evidence of such charges on the record certified to tMs Court. Petitioner’s allusion to supposed discussions between the hearing office and other agency officials is outside the scope of the record and may not be considered on appeal. See Glammer v. Unemployment Compensation Board of Review, (No. 2916 C.D. 1980, filed August 12, 1982); Ricciardi v. Workmen’s Compensation Appeal Board, 34 Pa. Commonwealth Ct. 316, 321, 383 A.2d 571 (1978).
Concermng the matter of the penalty imposed, the hearing officer, in his findings and recommendations, specifically noted the error in charging Petitioner as a repeat offender and yet still believed a three year penalty was proper in light of the seriousness of the charged violation. Furthermore, we have recently held that where there is substantial evidence in the record to support the crucial issue in a case,
Order
The order of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, dated June 12, 1981, Docket No. R.R.-81-110, is hereby 'affirmed.
Petitioner was charged, under Section 1207, with interfering with a state officer in the performance of his duties. Factually, the Commission’s evidence was that Petitioner pointed a loaded rifle at a Deputy Game Protector who, allegedly, had wrongfully confiscated a hunting rifle belonging to Petitioner’s son.
As per the Order of the Author of this Opinion.
There is nothing in the record to indicate any further Commission action in this matter. The Commission apparently is relying upon 58 Pa. Code §145.7(a) as authorizing the Executive Director to issue final agency orders in these matters. The validity of 58 Pa. Code §145.7(a) has not been raised in the present appeal.
Here, the Petitioner acknowledged his guilt to a charge of interfering with a state officer.