TURBYFILL (BASIL) VS. EXECUTIVE BRANCH ETHICS COMMISSION
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RENDERED: NOVEMBER 20, 2009; 10:00 A.M.
TO BE PUBLISHED
MODIFIED: JANUARY 29, 2010; 10:00 A.M.
Commonwealth of Kentucky
Court of Appeals
NO. 2008-CA-001394-MR
BASIL TURBYFILL
v.
APPELLANT
APPEAL FROM BOYLE CIRCUIT COURT
HONORABLE DARREN W. PECKLER, JUDGE
ACTION NO. 08-CI-00148
EXECUTIVE BRANCH ETHICS COMMISSION
APPELLEE
OPINION
AFFIRMING
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BEFORE: NICKELL, THOMPSON AND WINE, JUDGES.
THOMPSON, JUDGE: The issue in this appeal is whether the Kentucky
Executive Branch Ethics Commission (EBEC) has authority to pursue an
administrative proceeding for the purpose of sanctioning Basil Turbyfill, who was
previously pardoned by Governor Ernie Fletcher. Turbyfill moved to dismiss the
proceeding on the basis that Governor Fletcher’s pardon was a full pardon
precluding any criminal or civil action against him arising from any alleged
violations of the Kentucky merit system laws prohibiting employment decisions
based on political activities. The circuit court denied Turbyfill’s petition for
judicial review and declined to order dismissal of the administrative proceeding,
ruling that the pardon did not apply to the EBEC proceeding. We agree with the
circuit court and affirm.
The controversy began during the Fletcher administration when
allegations of criminal violations of the merit system hiring laws were made
against several state officials. The complete factual background that precipitated
the Governor’s pardon of those implicated in the criminal investigation is set forth
in Fletcher v. Graham, 192 S.W.3d 350 (Ky. 2006). Its complete reiteration would
not further the purpose of this opinion, so we confine our discussion to those facts
pertaining to Turbyfill.
During the Fletcher administration, Turbyfill served as the Deputy
Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet. Upon request of the
Attorney General in May 2005, a Franklin County special grand jury began
investigating members of the Fletcher administration, including Turbyfill, for
possible violations of Kentucky’s merit system laws. For several months, the
grand jury investigated and ultimately issued several indictments alleging
misdemeanor violations of the merit system laws and felony violations alleging
evidence and witness tampering. Turbyfill was charged with one misdemeanor
violation. Subsequently, Governor Fletcher, through Executive Order 2005-924,
issued a pardon to those investigated by the grand jury, including Turbyfill.
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It is the language and the scope of the pardon that is currently at
issue. The pardon stated as follows:
WHEREAS, the dispute arising out of these matters is
one of public policy which is better addressed in the
political arena, and not the courts;
WHEREAS, the best means of correcting any
deficiencies in the state merit system is through the
legislative and administrative process; and
WHEREAS, other proper and legal means exist to fully
investigate any allegations relating to employment
decisions, and to provide redress to any Kentuckian who
believes that a mistake may have been made in an
individual circumstance; and
WHEREAS, the continuation of criminal proceedings
sought by the Attorney General would have no effect on
the circumstances of any individual who may have been
excluded from employment; and
WHEREAS, Section 77 of the Constitution of Kentucky
grants authority to the Governor of the Commonwealth
of Kentucky “to remit fines and forfeitures, commute
sentences, grant reprieves and pardons”; and
WHEREAS, in all aspects of my life I have been guided
by a desire for justice and basic human decency, and by
these actions that I take today, I believe that justice will
be served.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing,
and by virtue of the authority vested in me by Section 77
and related provisions in the Constitution of the
Commonwealth of Kentucky, I, ERNIE FLETCHER,
Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, do hereby
grant a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to . . .
Basil W. Turbyfill . . . and any and all persons who have
committed, or may be accused of committing, any
offense up to and including the date hereof, relating in
any way to the current merit system investigation being
conducted by the special grand jury presently sitting in
Franklin County, Kentucky and the Office of the
Attorney General, including but not limited to any
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violation of KRS [Kentucky Revised Statutes] Chapter
18A, all statutes within the Kentucky Penal Code, and in
particular KRS 18A.095, KRS 18A.111, KRS 18A.140,
KRS 18A.990, KRS 522.020, KRS 502.020, KRS
506.030, KRS 506.040, KRS 506.070, KRS 506.080,
KRS 524.050, or KRS 524.100. The provisions of this
Order shall not apply to Ernie Fletcher, Governor of the
Commonwealth of Kentucky.
/s/______
ERNIE FLETCHER, Governor
Commonwealth of Kentucky
/s/____
TREY GRAYSON
Secretary of State
On the date of the pardon, Turbyfill was terminated from his state government
position.
The initial judicial inquiry into the pardon was prompted by Governor
Fletcher’s challenge to the Franklin Circuit Court’s ruling that despite the pardon,
the grand jury could continue issuing indictments even though the indicted
individuals would be free from criminal prosecution. A divided Kentucky
Supreme Court rendered its decision in Fletcher, as relevant to the present
controversy, the majority concluded that: (1) the pardon was constitutionally valid;
(2) pardons could be issued prior to indictments for the pardoned offenses; (3)
acceptance of the pardon was assumed; and (4) the circuit court was required to
inform the grand jury of the issuance of the pardons and its effect.
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While the case was pending, the EBEC opened a preliminary
investigation regarding Turbyfill’s role in the violations of the merit system laws
and on June 1, 2007, filed an “Allegation of Violations” in which the EBEC sought
to fine Turbyfill and publicly reprimand him. Specifically, the EBEC charged that
Turbyfill violated KRS 11A.020, which provides in part:
No public servant, by himself or through others, shall
knowingly:
(a) Use or attempt to use his influence in any
matter which involves a substantial conflict
between his personal or private interest and his
duties in the public interest;
(b) Use or attempt to use any means to influence a
public agency in derogation of the state at large;
For each violation of KRS 11A.020, KRS 11A.100(3)(e) authorizes the EBEC to
impose a maximum penalty of $5,000.
Turbyfill filed a motion to dismiss with EBEC’s hearing officer
arguing that the violations alleged by the EBEC were the same charged in the
criminal indictment and, therefore, were encompassed within the Governor’s
pardon. After his motion was denied, he filed a petition for judicial review in the
Boyle Circuit Court, which was also denied, and this appeal followed. Turbyfill
contends that the pardon was full and unconditional and embraced not only
criminal proceedings but also those pursued by administrative agencies, including
the EBEC.
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Preliminary to our discussion, we point out that the issue presented is
a challenge to the EBEC’s jurisdiction over Turbyfill and does not concern any
factual matters pending before the EBEC. If Turbyfill is correct and the pardon
applies to any consequences to be imposed by the EBEC, as a matter of law, the
EBEC is precluded from taking further action against Turbyfill. Jackson v. Rose,
223 Ky. 285, 3 S.W.2d 641, 643 (1928). Because irreparable injury could result if
the EBEC acted in contravention of a valid and applicable pardon, Turbyfill was
not required to await the EBEC’s resolution of its investigation before pursuing
judicial recourse. See Goodwin v. City of Louisville, 309 Ky. 11, 215 S.W.2d 557
(1948).
The issues of the scope of Governor Fletcher’s pardon and the
constitutional and statutory interpretation required are purely matters of law
subject to de novo review. Board of Com’rs of City of Danville v. Davis, 238
S.W.3d 132, 135 (Ky.App. 2007).
The power to issue pardons is granted to the Governor in Section 77
of the Kentucky Constitution, which provides that the Governor “shall have power
to remit fines and forfeitures, commute sentences, grant reprieves and pardons . . .
.” A pardon is the “act or an instance of officially nullifying punishment or other
legal consequences of a crime.” Anderson v. Commonwealth, 107 S.W.3d 193,
196 (Ky. 2003), quoting Black’s Law Dictionary (7th ed. 1999). The breadth of a
pardon is subject to the discretion of the Governor and may be full or partial: a full
pardon restores the offender’s civil rights “without qualification” and a partial
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pardon exonerates the offender “from some but not all of the punishment or legal
consequences of a crime.” Cheatham v. Commonwealth, 131 S.W.3d 349, 350
(Ky.App. 2004). Turbyfill maintains that Governor Fletcher’s pardon was a “full”
pardon that applied to any legal consequence that related to matters investigated by
the grand jury, including those conducted by the EBEC.
Turbyfill’s contention is premised on his assumption that an EBEC
proceeding is a legal consequence of a crime. He analogizes his situation to that
where the offender’s civil rights are fully restored following a full and complete
pardon. See Anderson, 107 S.W.3d at 196. Our Supreme Court has previously
discussed the pardon at issue and although the issues presented in Fletcher were in
the context of pending grand jury proceedings, the Court provided guidance on the
scope of gubernatorial pardons.
In Fletcher, the Court broadly stated that “any person falling within
the class specified by the Governor’s pardon now holds a right, by virtue of the
constitutional force of the pardon, to be free of any further legal proceedings.”
Fletcher, 192 S.W.3d at 364. Quoting Nelson v. Commonwealth, 128 Ky.L.Rptr.
143, 109 S.W. 337, 338 (1908), the Court in Fletcher emphasized that a pardon
relieves the offender from “all the consequences which the law has annexed to the
commission of the public offense of which he has been pardoned . . . .” Id. at 362.
However, the Court continued and distinguished legal consequences which directly
flow from the criminal act and those that are collateral consequences of the same
acts:
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A pardon does not prevent any and all consequences of
the pardoned offense: collateral consequences of the
offense may still follow. For example, an attorney who
has been pardoned for the offense of forgery may not be
punished for that crime, but may be disbarred as a result
of that offense. Our predecessor court also recognized
that a gubernatorial pardon does not restore the character
of the witness/pardonee, so that he or she could still be
impeached as a felon. Thus, while a pardon will
foreclose punishment of the offense itself, it does not
erase the fact that the offense occurred, and that fact may
later be used to the pardonee's detriment.
Id. at 362-363 (citations omitted). The Court considered the effect of the pardon
on grand jury investigations and indictments which are “stages in the criminal
prosecution of the offense itself.” Id. at 363. Therefore, the Court held that an
indictment was not a collateral consequence of the criminal act and that the pardon
was applicable to grand jury proceedings. In contrast, an EBEC proceeding is not
necessarily a precursor to a criminal prosecution and, therefore, presents this Court
with the novel issue of whether the pardon applies to the actions taken by the
EBEC against those who benefited from Governor Fletcher’s pardon.
It is the consistent view that a civil administrative proceeding initiated
by a government agency is not dependent upon or a consequence of a criminal
proceeding. In Louisville Civil Service Board v. Blair, 711 S.W.2d 181 (Ky.
1986), a police officer argued that a reversal of his criminal conviction precluded
disciplinary action on the same grounds. His double jeopardy claim was rejected.
After noting that a criminal trial and an administrative proceeding are distinct
because the parties, the evidentiary standards, and the standard of proof differ, the
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Court held that the administrative hearing was required because of the employee’s
conduct, not because he was convicted or acquitted of a crime. Id. at 183-184.
Similarly, we conclude that the allegation that Turbyfill violated KRS 11A.020 is
not criminal in nature and is collateral to the criminal proceedings; therefore, the
EBEC proceeding is not subject to Governor Fletcher’s pardon.
Although the designation of a statute as a civil remedy is not
conclusive, absent clear proof the Court will not transform the legislature’s
characterization of a civil remedy into a criminal penalty. Burnett v.
Commonwealth, 3 S.W.3d 359 (Ky.App. 1999).
KRS 11A.100(3)(e) clearly states that the remedy is a civil penalty
imposed for a violation of KRS 11A.020 and is separate and distinct from any
possible criminal consequences provided for in KRS 11A.100(5) for violations of
KRS 11A.040. The EBEC is not empowered to impose any criminal sanctions,
leaving any criminal penalties to be pursued by the Office of the Attorney General.
Its function is limited to “promote ethical conduct of present and former public
employees . . . .” Executive Branch Ethics Com’n v. Stephens, 92 S.W.3d 69, 73
(Ky. 2002). Thus, Turbyfill must demonstrate that despite the legislature’s
language to the contrary, the statutory scheme is so punitive in purpose or effect as
to transform it into a criminal penalty. Burnett, 3 S.W.3d at 361.
Relying on Hudson v. United States, 522 U.S. 93, 118 S.Ct. 488, 139
L.Ed.2d 450 (1997), the Court in Burnett set forth seven factors to consider when
determining whether a penalty is criminal or civil:
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(1) “[w]hether the sanction involves an affirmative
disability or restraint”; (2) “whether it has historically
been regarded as a punishment”; (3) “whether it comes
into play only on a finding of scienter ”; (4) “whether its
operation will promote the traditional aims of
punishment-retribution and deterrence”; (5) “whether the
behavior to which it applies is already a crime”; (6)
“whether an alternative purpose to which it may
rationally be connected is assignable for it”; and (7)
“whether it appears excessive in relation to the
alternative purpose assigned.” It is important to note,
however, that “these factors must be considered in
relation to the statute on its face,” and “only the clearest
proof” will suffice to override legislative intent and
transform what has been denominated a civil remedy into
a criminal penalty. (Citations omitted).
Id. at 361.
As applied to this case, the factors do not preempt the legislature’s
express characterization of the remedies available to the EBEC as civil. Although
a monetary sanction is available, such sanctions are not an affirmative disability or
restraint, are not historically regarded as punishment, and are widely accepted as
an enforceable sanction through a civil proceeding. Id.
The third factor, scienter, is not relevant because the monetary penalty
does not depend upon the actor’s intent.
The final four factors focus upon the purpose of the statute and the
relationship of the sanction to that purpose. The requirement that public officers
be free from corruption and unethical conduct is beyond debate. Although the
potential sanctions contained in KRS 11A.100(5) are intended to deter such
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behavior, there is a significant public purpose for its existence, and the potential
monetary sanctions are infinitesimal when compared to that purpose.
In summary, the factors do not sufficiently weigh in Turbyfill’s favor
so that the language of the legislature that the statute is a civil remedy can be
ignored.
Although Turbyfill admits that a pardon could not preclude civil
actions by private individuals against a wrongdoer, he argues that the EBEC is a
state agency seeking to enforce violations of state law and, therefore, is a
proceeding within the purview of Governor Fletcher’s pardon. We reject his
contention for two reasons.
The first has been set forth in our discussion. A pardon nullifies
punishment or the legal consequences of a crime, and its effect is to protect from
punishment for the crime committed, and for no other. Nelson, 109 S.W. at 339.
Because the EBEC proceeding is a collateral civil action, the pardon cannot
preclude its action. As stated in Nelson:
[I]t has been held that, while the general effect of a
pardon as to the restoration of rights and privileges and
the creating of a new credit and capacity may be
conceded, the fact that a pardon has been granted to a
person convicted of an offense cannot warrant the
assertion that such a person is as honest, reliable, and fit
to hold a public office as if he had constantly maintained
the character of a law-abiding citizen. Hence it has been
held that the fact that a person has been convicted of
offenses disqualifying him to hold the position of a police
officer is not altered or affected by the pardon, and he
may still be held unfit for the office. 24 Am. & Eng.
Encyc. of Law, p. 588; State v. Hawkins, 44 Ohio St.
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117, 5 N. E. 228.
Id. at 338.
Our second reason is found in the language of Governor Fletcher’s
pardon which states that the “best means of correcting any deficiencies is through
the legislative and administrative process” and acknowledges that there “are other
proper and legal means to fully investigate any allegations and to provide redress .
. . .” It further states that the continuation of criminal proceedings would have no
effect on the circumstances of any individual excluded from employment.
(emphasis ours). Finally, Governor Fletcher’s pardon lists violations of specific
criminal statutes but makes no reference to KRS 11A.020. The reasonable
conclusion is that if the pardon purported to include EBEC administrative actions,
the governor would have included KRS 11A.020 in his pardon.
We agree with the well-written opinion of the Boyle Circuit Court.
Because the allegations made by the EBEC concern only civil matters, Turbyfill
remains subject to the EBEC’s jurisdiction.
Based on the foregoing, the order of the Boyle Circuit Court is
affirmed.
ALL CONCUR.
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BRIEFS FOR APPELLANT:
BRIEF FOR APPELLEE:
Patrick F. Nash
Joe A. Jarrell
Lexington, Kentucky
John R. Steffen
Dana Nickles
Frankfort, Kentucky
ORAL ARGUMENT FOR
APPELLANT:
ORAL ARGUMENT FOR
APPELLEE:
Patrick F. Nash
Lexington, Kentucky
John R. Steffen
Frankfort, Kentucky
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