§45-8-120.17. Petition for review of board action.

Any party, including the county commission and county appointing authorities, aggrieved by a final action of the board, shall be entitled to a review of the action by filing a petition in the Circuit Court of Calhoun County within 30 days after the action is taken. Upon the filing of any petition, notice shall also be served upon the chairperson of the board by the petitioner. The petitioner shall be heard by the court at the earliest practical date. Review by the court shall be without a jury and confined to the record of the board action. The record shall include transcripts or other documentation used by the board in arriving at its action. The court may, upon the terms and conditions as it shall deem proper, at any time before the hearing of the petition, permit the board to gather additional information and modify its final decision. The court, upon a hearing of the petition, may affirm or reverse and render or remand the matter to the board for further proceedings consistent with the judgment of the court. The court shall affirm the decision of the board unless it finds that the substantial rights of the petitioner have been prejudiced because the final action was: (1) Unsupported by substantial evidence in the facts submitted; (2) in excess of the authority conferred by this act on the board; (3) violative of constitutional provisions; (4) arbitrary or capricious; or (5) affected otherwise by substantial error or injustice. An appeal may be taken from any final judgment of such court to the Court of Appeals of Alabama or the Supreme Court of Alabama as now provided by law.

(Act 96-479, p. 595, §18.)