Clayton v. Dept. Of Veterans Affairs

* NOTE: This order is nonprecedential United States Court of Appeals for the FederaI Circuit GRADY A. CLAYTON, Claimant-Appellant, V. ERIC K. SHINSEKI, SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, _ Resp0nden,t-Appellee. 2009-7094 Appea1 from the United States Court of Appea1s for Veterans Claims in 07-1728, Judge Rona1d M. Ho1daway. ON MOTION Before RADER, Chief Judge, LOURIE and O'MALLEY, Circuit Judges. PERCURIAM. 0 R D E R The Secretary of Veterans AfEairs moves without op- position t0 vacate the judgment of the United States CLAYTON V. DVA 2 Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and to remand for further proceedings. The appellant filed a notice of appeal with the Court of Veterans Claims more than 120 days after the Board of Veterans’ Appeals mailed its decision in his case. That court dismissed the appeal as untimely, concluding that the 120-day appeal period established by 38 U.S.C. § 7266(a) for seeking review of Board of Veterans’ Appeals decisions is jurisdictional and not subject to equitable tolling. The appellant sought this court's review This court stayed the briefing schedule in this appeal pending the United States Supreme Court’s review of our decision in Henderson v. Shinseki, 589 F.3d 1201 (Fed. Cir. 2009) (en banc) (affirming Court of Appeals for Vet- erans Claims determination that period to appeal to that court is not subject to equitable tolling). In Henders0n ex rel. Henderson v. Shin,seki, 131 S.Ct. 1197 f2011), the Supreme Court reversed this court’s decision and con- cluded that the 120-day deadline for filing an appeal with the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims does not have jurisdictional consequences. Because the Court of Ap- peals for Veterans Claims erred in concluding that the appeal deadline established by § 7266(a) is jurisdictional, we vacate the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims’ judgment and remand for further proceedings. Accordingly, IT ls ORDERED THAT: (1) The motion is granted. The judgment is vacated and the case is remanded for further proceedings. (2) All sides shall bear their own costs. 3 CLAYTON V. DVA FoR THE CoUR'i' l‘lAY 2 5 wl /S/ Jan Horba1y Date J an Horbaly Clerk cc: Grady A. Clayton Kent C. Kiffner, Esq. s20 Issued As A Mandate: 2 5 F|I.ED ' ¢.S. 000 is FOR WE53§.t’&%‘m ' `HAY 25 2011 .lAN HORBAL¥ CLEHi