Grimes v. Shinseki

NOTE: This order is nonprecedential United States Court of AppeaIs for the FederaI Circuit LARY E. GRIMES, Claimcmt-Appellant, V. ERIC K. SHINSEKI, SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, = Respondent-Appellee. 2011-7204 ° Appea1 from the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans C1aims in case no. 10-1841, Judge Wi1liam A. M0orman. ON MOTION Before RADER, Chief Ju,dge, GAJARsA and REYNA, Circuit Judges. PER CURIAM. ORDER The Secretary of Veterans Affairs moves to waive the requirements of Fed. Cir. R. 27(f) and to dismiss for lack GRlMES V. DVA 2 of jurisdiction Lary Grimes’ appeal from a decision of the United States Court of Appea1s for Veterans Clairns. On June 1, 2010, Grimes filed an appeal with the Vet- erans Court seeking review of an order denying him entitlement to service connection for a psychiatric disabil- ity. He then moved for expedited proceedings which the Veterans Court denied. The Veterans Court denied Grimes’ motion for reconsideration regarding expediting Grimes then appealed the Veterans Court’s decision to this court. The Secretary argues that this court lacks jurisdiction because the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims deci- sions was not final and does not meet the standards for appealability of nonfinal decisions set forth in Williams u. Principi, 275 F.3d 1361, 1363 (Fed. Cir. 2002). We agree This court generally does not review nonfinal deci- sions of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Depar- ture from this rule is justified only if three conditions are fulElled: (1) there must have been a clear and final decision of a legal issue that (a) is separate from the remand proceedings, (b) will directly govern the remand pro- ceedings or, (c) if reversed by this court, would render the remand proceedings unnecessary; (2) the resolu- tion of the legal issues must adversely affect the party seeking review; and, (3) there must be a sub- stantial risk that the decision would not survive a remand, i.e., that the remand proceeding may moot the issue. Id. at 1364 (footnotes omitted). Because the requirements of William,s are not satis- fied, the renewed order is not sufficiently final for the purposes of our review. If the Court of Appeals for Veter- ans Clairns issues an adverse final decision at a later 3 GRIMES V. DVA date, Gri1nes may thereafter appeal that decision to this court. Thus, we dismiss. Accordingly, IT ls ORDERED THAT: (1) The Secretary’s motions are granted The appeal is dismissed (2) Each side shall bear its own costs. FOR THE COURT 0 8 /s/ Jan Horbaly Date J an Horbaly Clerk ' cc: Lary E. Grimes F"_En Joshua A. Mandlebaum, Esq. s24 M U 8' l]12 IsSued As A Mandate: 0 8 ___t AR l JANl'\0RBALY CLEHK