Court Opinion

ID: 9494604
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 15:41:49.443784+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:56:30.291452
License: Public Domain

SCHALL, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I express no views on either the jurisdictional issue or the merits of this ease. Rather, I respectfully dissent from the decision to decide the case at this time. In my view, proceedings in this case should *1077be stayed until the court issues its en banc decision in Forshey v. Principi, No. 99-7064.
On February 5, 2001, the court issued an order (i) granting the government’s petition for rehearing en banc in Forshey; (ii) vacating the judgment of the court entered in Forshey on September 20, 2000, reported at 226 F.3d 1299 (Fed.Cir.2000); and (iii) withdrawing the opinion of the court accompanying the judgment in Forshey. The February 5 order described the en banc proceedings as follows:
This court has determined to hear this case en banc in order to resolve questions concerning the jurisdiction of this court, under 38 U.S.C. § 7292 (1994), to hear appeals from the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The en banc deliberations will focus on this case and on the rationale and holdings of this court in the following cases: Belcher v. West, 214 F.3d 1335 (Fed.Cir.2000); Smith v. West, 214 F.3d 1331 (Fed.Cir.2000); In re Bailey, 182 F.3d 860 (Fed.Cir.1999).
The order then proceeded to set forth four questions to be briefed by the parties in connection with the en banc proceedings. The court heard oral argument en banc in Forshey on October 3, 2001. The case is now under submission for a decision.
In this case, claimant-appellant Ferguson contends that the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims misinterpreted 38 U.S.C. § 5107(b) when it affirmed the decision of the Board of Veterans Appeals denying his claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury. In dismissing Ferguson’s appeal for lack of jurisdiction, the majority takes the position that the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims did not interpret § 5107(b). Rather, it states, the court only applied the statute. In my view, the question of whether, in this case, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims interpreted § 5107(b) or only applied it implicates the en banc proceedings in Forshey. In short, I believe that the decision in Forshey, whatever it turns out to be, could control the resolution of the jurisdictional issue in this case. Under these circumstances, it seems to me that the proper course is to not decide this case until Forshey is decided. For that reason, as stated above, I respectfully dissent from the decision to decide the case at this time.