Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/414/1068/84488/
Timestamp: 2020-02-20 14:48:54
Document Index: 472193383

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 241', '§ 841', '§ 1201', '§ 241', '§ 844', '§ 1207', '§ 2000', '§ 703', '§ 1009', '§ 241', '§ 844', '§ 1205', '§ 241', '§ 844', '§ 1207', '§ 241', '§ 1205']

Board of Public Instruction of Taylor County, Florida, Petitioner, v. Robert H. Finch, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Respondent, 414 F.2d 1068 (5th Cir. 1969) :: Justia
Justia › US Law › Case Law › Federal Courts › Courts of Appeals › Fifth Circuit › 1969 › Board of Public Instruction of Taylor County, Florida, Petitioner, v. Robert H. Finch, Secretary of...
Board of Public Instruction of Taylor County, Florida, Petitioner, v. Robert H. Finch, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Respondent, 414 F.2d 1068 (5th Cir. 1969)
US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit - 414 F.2d 1068 (5th Cir. 1969) August 12, 1969
COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED Don Dansby, Perry, Fla., for appellant.
Title II, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C.A. §§ 241a-m (Supp., 1969): $99,622.20 Title III, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, 20 U.S.C.A. §§ 841-848 (Supp., 1969): $102,035.35 Public Law 89-750, Basic Education for Adults, 20 U.S.C.A. §§ 1201-1213 (Supp., 1969): $2,000.00
Following the decision of the HEW Reviewing Authority, the Taylor County School Board sought review in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Parker v. Cohen, Tallahassee Civ. Action No. 1440. On September 24, 1968, the district court dismissed the action, holding that under the review provisions of the relevant grant statutes, see 20 U.S.C.A. § 241k, 20 U.S.C.A. § 844a(e) (3), 20 U.S.C.A. § 1207(b) (Supp., 1969), exclusive jurisdiction was in the court of appeals. See also 42 U.S.C.A. § 2000d-2 and 5 U.S. C.A. § 703, formerly 5 U.S.C.A. § 1009 Cf. Gardner v. State of Alabama, Dept. of Pensions & Security, 5 Cir. 1967, 385 F.2d 804, 810, cert. denied, 389 U.S. 1046, 88 S. Ct. 773, 19 L. Ed. 2d 839. This action was then initiated.
We first consider HEW's argument that the issue of statutory noncompliance is not properly before us. The general rule of appellate review from decisions of an administrative agency is "that courts should not topple over administrative decisions unless the administrative body not only has erred but has erred against objection made at the time appropriate under its practice." United States v. L. A. Tucker Truck Lines, Inc., 1952, 344 U.S. 33, 37, 73 S. Ct. 67, 69, 97 L. Ed. 54, 58. It has even been said that "A reviewing court usurps the agency's function when it sets aside the administrative determination upon a ground not theretofore presented * * *." Unemployment Comp. Com. v. Aragon, 1946, 329 U.S. 143, 154, 67 S. Ct. 245, 251, 91 L. Ed. 136, 145. But the rule is not inflexible.
"* * * There may always be exceptional cases or particular circumstances which will prompt a reviewing or appellate court, where injustice might otherwise result, to consider questions of law which were neither pressed nor passed upon by the court or administrative agency below. See Blair v. Oesterlein Machine Co., (1927) 275 U.S. 220, 225, 48 S. Ct. 87, 72 L. Ed. 249.
"Rules of practice and procedure are devised to promote the ends of justice, not to defeat them. A rigid and undeviating judicially declared practice under which courts of review would invariably and under all circumstances decline to consider all questions which had not previously been specifically urged would be out of harmony with this policy. Orderly rules of procedure do not require sacrifice of the rules of fundamental justice." Hormel v. Helvering, 1941, 312 U.S. 552, 557, 61 S. Ct. 719, 721, 85 L. Ed. 1037, 1041.
In our view the circumstances of this case more nearly fit the exception than the general rule. See Ward v. Anderson 1953, 93 U.S.App.D.C. 156, 208 F.2d 48, 50; Mulligan v. Andrews, 1954, 93 U.S.App.D.C. 375, 211 F.2d 28, 29; United States v. Latrobe Construction Company, 8 Cir. 1957, 246 F.2d 357, 362, cert. denied, 355 U.S. 890, 78 S. Ct. 262, 2 L. Ed. 2d 189; Leedom v. International Brotherhood of Elec. Workers, 1960, 107 U.S.App.D.C. 357, 278 F.2d 237, 244; Stouper v. Jones, 1960, 109 U.S.App.D.C. 106, 284 F.2d 240, 243-244 (dissenting opinion); Morgan v. Garris, 1962, 113 U.S.App.D.C. 222, 307 F.2d 179, 180, 181; Wirtz v. International Harvester Company, 5 Cir. 1964, 331 F.2d 462, 465-466, cert. denied, 379 U.S. 845, 85 S. Ct. 36, 13 L. Ed. 2d 50; Pritchard v. Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, 3 Cir. 1965, 350 F.2d 479, 486, cert. denied, 382 U.S. 987, 86 S. Ct. 549, 15 L. Ed. 2d 475; United States v. Feinberg, 3 Cir. 1965, 372 F.2d 352, 363; McKissick v. United States, 5 Cir. 1967, 379 F.2d 754, 759; Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Lucey Products Co., 5 Cir. 1968, 403 F.2d 135, 139. We deal here with the action of an administrative agency that is (1) in excess of statutory authority, cf. Leedom v. Kyne, 1958, 358 U.S. 184, 79 S. Ct. 180, 3 L. Ed. 2d 210, (2) likely to result in individual injustice, Hormel v. Helvering, supra, (3) disruptive of the legislative scheme, cf. Elgin, Joliet & Eastern R. R. Co. v. Benj. Harris & Co., N.D. Ill. 1965, 245 F. Supp. 467, 472, and (4) contrary to an important public policy extending beyond the rights of the individual litigants, cf. Wirtz v. International Harvester Company, supra, at 465.
We do not believe that appellate review in the above circumstances is inconsistent with United States v. L. A. Tucker Truck Lines, supra. While not discussing the rule in Hormel,3 the Tucker court did emphasize that the agency action there under review was clearly not prejudicial to the appellant.4 We detect in this emphasis considerable reluctance on the part of the Supreme Court to abandon the now familiar principle that "Rules of practice and procedure are devised to promote the ends of justice, not to defeat them." Hormel v. Helvering, supra, 312 U.S. at 557, 61 S. Ct., at 721.
"The authority of an administrative agency is delineated by the terms of the statutory grant. The responsibility for construing the statutory authority rests with the judiciary. Hence, an inquiry to determine if the agency has exceeded its statutory power is a constitutional obligation of the courts. The refusal to apply the agency ruling upon finding that the bounds laid down by Congress have been traversed is not based on evidentiary insufficiency or disagreement with expert judgment, but is an exercise of judicial authority to preserve the legislative scheme." Elgin, Joliet & Eastern R. R. Co. v. Benj. Harris & Co., N.D. Ill. 1965, 245 F. Supp. 467, 472.
United States v. L. A. Tucker Lines, 344 U.S. at 35-36, 73 S. Ct., at 68:
20 U.S.C.A. § 241e(c) (1), 20 U.S.C.A. § 844, 20 U.S.C.A. § 1205
20 U.S.C.A. § 241k, 20 U.S.C.A. § 844a (e) (3), 20 U.S.C.A. § 1207(b)
See also 20 U.S.C.A. § 241 l and 20 U.S. C.A. § 1205.