Court Opinion

ID: 9466076
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 01:05:15.117732+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:39:32.156110
License: Public Domain

HARLINGTON WOOD, Jr., Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
Though the majority opinion has fairly considered the issues, I must respectfully dissent. In my judgment, there was no failure of due process afforded plaintiff as a job applicant.
Plaintiff was specifically advised by the Commission in writing and given the opportunity to respond to certain adverse information collected during the course of the investigation. That information concerned Larry’s termination from Comprehensive Health Planning, Inc. because of excessive absenteeism; the termination (nonrenewal) of Larry’s contract by the University of Illinois; Chicago Circle, because of substandard work and abusive treatment and threats to his colleagues and associates; the nature and frequency of Larry’s rather extensive arrest/conviction record between August 1962 and May 1974; and information from neighbors, co-workers and supervisors indicating that Larry was a habitual and excessive user of intoxicants over the past five years. Footnote 6 of the majority opinion sets forth the full scope of the drunkenness allegation which was supplied in advance to Larry. It may be summed up, as therein stated, that he had the reputation of being a drunk.
Larry did not directly deny the drunkenness allegation, only claiming that he had since reformed. He admitted several arrests for drunkenness, and other arrests and convictions. He endeavored to explain the adverse information away, but without supporting affidavits from any former employer, co-worker, neighbor, or anyone else, although he submitted some unsworn statements by several former associates.
It was found by the Commission after considering its information and Larry’s responses that his unsatisfactory employment record and habitual excessive use of intoxicating beverages disqualified him from federal employment under Civil Service Regulations. That finding was fairly arrived at and fully justified. The public is entitled to public servants without Larry’s adequately demonstrated shortcomings.
*964Larry was given sufficient advance notice of the adverse information with sufficient opportunity to respond. His responses, apart from the apparent admission of excessive drinking, were evasive, merely self-serving or otherwise unconvincing. The individual sources of the Commission information were not specifically identified to Larry, but employers were named and other sources were identified by references as co-residents, co-workers and employment supervisors. Persons in those classes with personal knowledge of Larry’s work and personal habits did not need to be individually identified. He could reasonably be expected to know who they or others in those classes were. He could have sought them out to refute the allegations if the allegations were refutable. As he did not deny the drunkenness allegations, the names of the parties supplying that information were in any event immaterial.
To require more of the government in considering its numerous job applicants, I believe, would impose an impractical and unnecessary burden. I would not disturb the Commission’s exercise of its judgment and discretion, and would affirm.