What is the standard of proof in administrative agency adjudications under the described framework?

• A. Beyond a reasonable doubt.
• B. Preponderance of the evidence.
• C. Substantial evidence.
• D. Clear and convincing evidence.

Answer: (C)

Substantial evidence governs how agencies decide factual questions in adjudicatory proceedings. Substantial evidence means that the record contains enough credible and probative material for a reasonable person to support the agency’s factual conclusions. It is more than a mere guess or minimal hint, but it is not a demanding standard like criminal proof.

This standard fits administrative proceedings because agencies rely on specialized expertise and the record created during the proceeding. It allows judges and reviewing courts to defer to the agency’s weighing of evidence and expert testimony, so long as the agency’s findings are grounded in the record. It is higher than a mere guess but lower than the stringent civil or criminal standards used in other contexts.

The other standards—beyond a reasonable doubt (criminal), preponderance of the evidence (typical civil burden), and clear and convincing evidence (a higher civil standard)—do not apply as the default standard for administrative adjudications, where substantial evidence is the norm.