Opinion ID: 1799088
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: byron clark

Text: Byron Clark was injured on November 15, 1993, while working as a stock clerk for Schwegmann. Schwegmann paid Clark's medical expenses, and Clark received compensation benefits until he was incarcerated in Orleans Parish Prison. Schwegmann then discontinued medical expense and compensation benefit payments to Clark pursuant to 23:1201.4, which provides: The employee's right to compensation benefits, including medical expenses, is forfeited during any period of incarceration; unless a hearing officer finds that an employee has dependents who rely on a compensation award for their support, in which case said compensation shall be made payable and transmitted to the legal guardian of the minor dependent or other person designated by the hearing officer and such payments shall be considered as having been made to the employee. After release from incarceration, the employee's right to claim compensation benefits shall resume. Shortly after the termination of benefits, Jacqueline Fuselier brought an action on behalf of her minor daughter Sabriya Clark, alleging that Byron Clark was the natural father of Sabriya Clark, and that Sabriya was dependent upon Byron for support. Defendants contested the claims that Sabriya was Byron's child and that Sabriya was dependent on Byron for support. Defendants also alleged that Byron Clark was not entitled to benefits since the medical records reflected that he was no longer disabled, and that but for his incarceration, he could have earned his pre-accident wages. After a hearing on May 1, 1996, the hearing office issued a ruling in favor of claimants. However, the hearing officer was unable to determine whether Byron Clark would be entitled to benefits but for his incarceration, since Byron Clark was unable to be medically evaluated while in prison. The hearing officer determined that the denial of medical treatment and evaluation to an incarcerated claimant under La.R.S. 23:1201.4 was unconstitutional as applied to both Byron and Sabriya Clark. Schwegmann appealed the ruling of the hearing officer and on February 26, 1997, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal transferred the appeal to this Court, stating: We recognize that the workers' compensation court as the court of original jurisdiction has subject matter jurisdiction to determine the constitutionality of statutes under the Workers' Compensation Act (Franklin v. Walk, Haydel & Assoc., Inc., 95-0788 (La. 4th Cir. 5/17/95), writ denied, 95-1549 (La.9/29/95)). However, La. Const.1974, Art. V, Section 5(D) provides that a case shall be appealable to the supreme court if ... a law or ordinance has been declared unconstitutional. Based on this constitutional provision, this Court has no appellate jurisdiction of this matter. Accordingly, this case is hereby transferred to the Louisiana Supreme Court for consideration of the constitutional issues raised by this appeal. Because of the similarity of the issues presented, the cases were consolidated for argument before this court.