Task: songer_typeiss

What follows is an opinion from a United States Court of Appeals.
Your task is to determine the general category of issues discussed in the opinion of the court. Choose among the following categories. Criminal and prisioner petitions- includes appeals of conviction, petitions for post conviction relief, habeas corpus petitions, and other prisoner petitions which challenge the validity of the conviction or the sentence or the validity of continued confinement. Civil - Government - these will include appeals from administrative agencies (e.g., OSHA,FDA), the decisions of administrative law judges, or the decisions of independent regulatory agencies (e.g., NLRB, FCC,SEC). The focus in administrative law is usually on procedural principles that apply to administrative agencies as they affect private interests, primarily through rulemaking and adjudication. Tort actions against the government, including petitions by prisoners which challenge the conditions of their confinement or which seek damages for torts committed by prion officials or by police fit in this category. In addition, this category will include suits over taxes and claims for benefits from government. Diversity of Citizenship - civil cases involving disputes between citizens of different states (remember that businesses have state citizenship). These cases will always involve the application of state or local law. If the case is centrally concerned with the application or interpretation of federal law then it is not a diversity case. Civil Disputes - Private - includes all civil cases that do not fit in any of the above categories. The opposing litigants will be individuals, businesses or groups.

PER CURIAM.
Beulah Countiss was divorced from Paul R. Pearson, in Virginia, on January 17, 1944. At that time a Virginia statute prohibited remarriage of either party for six months. On June 24, 1944, the prohibited period was reduced to four months by amendment and re-enactment of the statute, [Code 1919, § 5113 as amended by Acts 1944, c. 142]. Thereafter, on July 1, 1944, more than five months after the divorce decree was entered, Beulah Countiss entered into a ceremonial marriage in the District of Columbia with Pasquale DiGiovanni. In our opinion that marriage was valid because the reduction in the suspension period had freed Beulah to marry.
The parties to that marriage lived together for some years. Pasquale and the present appellant began living together in 1950 and a child was born to them in 1951. Pasquale died in 1952. Beulah was still alive. Her marriage to Pasquale was never dissolved. Pasquale was therefore incapable of marrying the appellant. Accordingly the Social Security Administration and the District Court were right in rejecting appellant’s claim to benefits as the widow of Pasquale. Their decision that an illegitimate child is not entitled to the claimed Social Security benefits is unchallenged and we do not rule upon it. 42 U.S.C.A. § 416(h) (2); D.C.Code,. Supp. VIII, 1960, § 18-716.
Affirmed.

Question: What is the general category of issues discussed in the opinion of the court?
A. criminal and prisoner petitions
B. civil - government
C. diversity of citizenship
D. civil - private
E. other, not applicable
F. not ascertained
Answer:

Answer: B