Court Opinion

ID: 9459321
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 21:17:15.550126+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:36:07.218912
License: Public Domain

MacKINNON, Circuit Judge
(dissenting) :
I dissent because the foregoing opinion misapplies the law. Appellants admittedly failed to exhaust their administrative remedies and they have no valid ground for this refusal. They contend that if they had appealed the Commission would not have reviewed their suspensions on the merits. This conclusion is completely speculative. Every case stands on its own footing and the results of an appeal cannot be determined in advance. Hadnott v. Laird, 149 U.S.App.D.C. 358, 361, 463 F.2d 304, 307 (1972). Also, the constitutional requirement for a hearing could have been raised and argued on such appeals. As the Supreme Court held in Aircraft & Diesel Equipment Corp. v. Hirsch, 331 U.S. 752, 772, 67 S.Ct. 1493, 1503, 91 L.Ed. 1796 (1947):
[T]he very fact that constitutional issues are put forward constitutes a strong reason for not allowing this suit either to anticipate or to take the place of the Tax Court’s [administrative agency’s] final performance of its function.
The Commission could have decided entirely in appellants’ favor.
Cafeteria Workers v. McElroy, 367 U.S. 886, 894-895, 81 S.Ct. 1743, 6 L.Ed.2d 1230 (1961) also makes it clear that the suspension for three days after being given notice, an opportunity to respond in writing and to be represented by counsel is not necessarily a denial of “due process.” The suspensions were not summary in nature.
What appears here is that appellants were satisfied with the action taken in 1968 but they became dissatisfied in 1970 when the disciplinary action was given as one reason for not considering them for promotions. They say they did not envision that their discipline would have such result. I find it incredible to believe that any Government employee (particularly in the Customs Service where honesty is a prime requisite) would not recognize that discipline for acceptance of illegal gratuities from members of the crew of a large passenger liner would be held against them. If it were not subject to such use, the Customs Service would rapidly deteriorate.
I also dissent because appellants are guilty of laches and will require the Government to litigate their culpability on stale evidence. By allowing this case to proceed in the District Court the opinion of the majority has deprived the administrative agency of its lawful jurisdiction to decide the issue. The District Court has no jurisdiction in these cases in their present posture; that lies exclusively with the Customs Service.