Opinion ID: 475828
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies as a Prerequisite for Mandamus Jurisdiction

Text: 16 The district court stated, It appears ... that the issue [of jurisdiction] is quite simple. Is this an action for mandamus? If it is, the court has jurisdiction; if not the court does not have jurisdiction. The question of mandamus jurisdiction, when arising in the context of the exhaustion requirement, however, is not so straightforward as that. 17 Traditionally, the writ of mandamus was an extraordinary remedy that would only issue if the plaintiff had exhausted all other avenues of relief. See 14 C. Wright, A. Miller & E. Cooper, Federal Practice and Procedure Sec. 3655 at 247 (2d ed. 1985). When it codified the remedy in the Mandamus Act, Congress did not intend to modify the doctrine of exhaustion of administrative remedies. S.Rep. No. 1992, 87th Cong., 2d Sess., reprinted in, 1962 U.S.Code Cong. & Ad.News 2784, 2787. Although it is clear that under the Mandamus Act exhaustion of remedies is a requirement for the granting of the writ, Heckler v. Ringer, 466 U.S. 602, 616, 104 S.Ct. 2013, 2022, 80 L.Ed.2d 622 (1984), it is less clear whether the requirement is jurisdictional or instead goes to the merits of the question whether the plaintiff is entitled to the writ. 1 18 In United States v. California Care Corp., 709 F.2d 1241 (9th Cir.1983), we addressed generally the relation between the exhaustion requirement and jurisdiction. In an action brought by the Government to recover alleged medicare overpayments, jurisdiction over issues raised by the defendants was alleged pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1345. 2 Regarding defendants' failure to exhaust, we stated: 19 The requirement of exhaustion can spring from an Act of Congress that designates an exclusive administrative avenue of appeal. When that is the case the administrative procedings are ... a precondition to federal court jurisdiction. The courts lack power to undertake judicial review until the proceedings have been completed. [H]owever, the current ... appeal procedures ... do not apply [to relevant period]. It follows that these exclusive procedures do not bar our jurisdiction. Nonetheless, the judicially created doctrine of exhaustion may stay judicial intervention.... The judicially created doctrine of exhaustion of remedies does not limit jurisdiction; it merely provides that the district courts have discretion to determine its applicability. 20 Id. at 1248 (citations omitted). Thus, only when a plaintiff has failed to exhaust administrative remedies made exclusive by statute will a court generally be deprived of jurisdiction. In other cases, there is jurisdiction and a court has discretion in its application of the exhaustion doctrine. See Stauffer Chemical Co. v. FDA, 670 F.2d 106, 107 (9th Cir.1982); SEC v. G.C. George Securities, Inc., 637 F.2d 685, 687-88 (9th Cir.1981) (discussion in context of jurisdiction under 15 U.S.C. Secs. 77v(a), 78aa and the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1651(a) ). 21 In the present case, the administrative remedies culminating in review under 42 U.S.C. Sec. 405(g) are the exclusive avenue for Hironymous to present his claims. 42 U.S.C. Sec. 405(h) provides in part: 22 The findings and decision of the Secretary after a hearing shall be binding on all individuals who were parties to such hearing. No findings of fact or decision of the Secretary shall be reviewed by any person, tribunal, or government agency except as herein provided. 23 (emphasis added). These two sentences assure that administrative exhaustion will be required. Specifically, they prevent review of decisions of the Secretary save as provided in the [Social Security] Act, which provision is made in Sec. 405(g). Weinberger v. Salfi, 422 U.S. 749, 757, 95 S.Ct. 2457, 2462, 45 L.Ed.2d 522 (1975). 24 Hironymous is seeking substantive review of a decision of the Secretary within the meaning of the second sentence of section 405(h). Hironymous seeks to overturn the decision of the Social Security Administration denying his claim on the ground that his resources exceeded the maximum established by 42 U.S.C. Secs. 1382(1)(B), 1382b(c). He argues that ALJ Cook's report precluded a finding of ineligibility on this ground. Rather than contesting a policy, rule, procedure, or other action of the Secretary, Hironymous is simply challenging an isolated decision of the Secretary interpreting the findings of an ALJ. 3 This is the type of dispute that the second sentence of section 405(h) was intended to prevent review of ... save as provided in the [Social Security] Act, which provision is made in Sec. 405(g). Weinberger v. Salfi, 422 U.S. at 757, 95 S.Ct. at 2462. The review procedure under section 405(g) is thus the exclusive avenue for reviewing Hironymous's claim. Because it is exclusive, unless it is exhausted, jurisdiction under the Mandamus Act is unavailable. 4 Accord Bisson v. Heckler, 787 F.2d 181, 185 (6th Cir.1986) (no mandamus jurisdiction over nearly identical claim where plaintiff failed to exhaust administrative remedies). 25