Opinion ID: 781387
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: 24 As a general rule, federal courts lack jurisdiction to review an administrative decision not to reopen a previous claim for benefits. See Califano v. Sanders, 430 U.S. 99, 107-09, 97 S.Ct. 980, 51 L.Ed.2d 192 (1977). The Supreme Court explained the purpose underlying the non-reviewability of decisions not to reopen: 25 [A]n interpretation that would allow a claimant judicial review simply by filing — and being denied — a petition to reopen his claim would frustrate the congressional purpose, plainly evidenced in [42 U.S.C. § 405(g)], to impose a 60-day limitation upon judicial review of the Secretary's final decision on the initial claim for benefits. Congress' determination so to limit judicial review to the original decision denying benefits is a policy choice obviously designed to forestall repetitive or belated litigation of stale eligibility claims. Our duty, of course, is to respect that choice. 26 Id. at 108, 97 S.Ct. 980 (internal citations omitted). The Commissioner's decision not to reopen a prior determination is not a final decision for the purposes of § 405(g), and thus is generally unreviewable even if there was a hearing in the case. See Latona v. Schweiker, 707 F.2d 79, 81 (2d Cir.1983). Nevertheless, federal courts may review the Commissioner's decision not to reopen a disability application in two circumstances: where the Commissioner has constructively reopened the case and where the claimant has been denied due process. 27 If the Commissioner reviews the entire record and renders a decision on the merits, the earlier decision will be deemed to have been reopened, and any claim of administrative res judicata to have been waived and thus, the claim is ... subject to judicial review. Malave v. Sullivan, 777 F.Supp. 247, 251-52 (S.D.N.Y.1991) (citing Coup v. Heckler, 834 F.2d 313, 317 (3d Cir.1987) and McGowen v. Harris, 666 F.2d 60, 65-67 (4th Cir.1981)); see also Kasey v. Sullivan, 3 F.3d 75, 77-78 (4th Cir.1993); Brown v. Sullivan, 932 F.2d 1243, 1246-47 (8th Cir.1991); Cherry v. Heckler, 760 F.2d 1186, 1189 (11th Cir. 1985); Taylor for Peck v. Heckler, 738 F.2d 1112, 1115 (10th Cir.1984). Judicial review is also permissible in rare instances when the Secretary's denial of a petition to reopen is challenged on constitutional grounds. Califano, 430 U.S. at 109, 97 S.Ct. 980; cf. Able v. United States, 88 F.3d 1280, 1288 (2d Cir.1996) (discussing Supreme Court precedent on judicial review of constitutional claims). Thus, in the absence of either constructive reopening or a constitutional claim, the district court lacks jurisdiction to review a decision not to reopen. Latona, 707 F.2d at 81.