Court Opinion

ID: 9695704
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-25 18:27:56.089209+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:15:27.723848
License: Public Domain

MESCHKE, Justice,
concurring.
In view of the separate opinions of Justice VandeWalle and Justice Levine, I add several thoughts.
“Jurisdiction” is a word with a wide spectrum of meanings. Black’s Law Dictionary 766 (5th ed. 1979) begins a lengthy definition by saying, “[t]he word is a term of large and comprehensive import, and embraces every .kind of judicial action.” Therefore, observations that an appeal from administrative agency is a matter of appellate jurisdiction only begin the analysis and do not complete it. I believe a court has inherent power to transfer an administrative appeal to the right chamber of the district court authorized to review it.
“When the court has jurisdiction, it has power to decide the case brought before it, even though the court having venue is one sitting in another circuit.”
2 Am.Jur.2d Administrative Law § 731 (1962). See Id., §§ 707, 732, and 737. See also Industrial Addition Association v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 323 U.S. 310, 65 S.Ct. 289, 89 L.Ed. 260 (1945).
This court has often expressed its preference for disposing of cases on their merits, rather than on technical or procedural grounds. That rule of interpretation is fairly applied here.