Motley v. Secretary of U.S. Dept. of Army

Decision Date10 December 1979
Docket NumberNo. 79-2328,79-2328
Citation608 F.2d 122
PartiesGary D. MOTLEY, Petitioner, v. SECRETARY OF the UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF the ARMY and the United States Merit Systems Protection Board, Respondents.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit

James E. Davis, Texarkana, Ark., for petitioner.

Charles K. Tinkler, Chief Appeals Officer, Merit Systems Protection Board, Edward L. Self, Asst. Appeals Officer, William Kanter, Appellate Staff, Civil Div., Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C., for respondents.

Petition for Review of An Order of the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Before GODBOLD, RONEY and VANCE, Circuit Judges.

PER CURIAM:

In this federal employee personnel case Gary Motley seeks review in this Court of a Merit Systems Protection Board 1 decision affirming the discharge of Motley from his job at the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas. The Government's motion to dismiss Motley's petition for review is granted because under the savings provisions of the Civil Service Reform Act of October 13, 1978, Pub.L.No. 95-454, § 902, 47 U.S.L.W. 45, 79-80 (Nov. 28, 1978), this Court lacks jurisdiction to review directly the agency's decision.

The Department of the Army discharged Motley in October 1978. Motley appealed the discharge to the Civil Service Commission, the precursor agency to the Merit Systems Protection Board. The decision affirming the agency's discharge of Motley was issued by the Merit Systems Protection Board in February 1979. Motley's petition for review in this Court followed.

Under the Act "(a)ny employee or applicant for employment adversely affected or aggrieved by a final order or decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board may obtain judicial review of the order or decision." 5 U.S.C.A. § 7703(a) (1). Additionally, the Act provides, "a petition to review a final order or final decision of the Board shall be filed in the Court of Claims or a United States court of appeals . . . ." 5 U.S.C.A. § 7703(b)(1). By express provision, however, the Act does not apply to any proceeding pending on January 11, 1979, the effective date of the Act. Pub.L.No. 95-454, §§ 902, 907, 47 U.S.L.W. 79-81.

The savings clause which governs cases pending on the effective date of the Act provides,

SAVINGS PROVISIONS

Sec. 902. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this Act, all executive orders, rules, and regulations affecting the Federal service shall continue in effect, according to their terms, until modified, terminated, superseded, or repealed by the President, the Office of Personel Management, the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or the Federal Labor Relations Authority with respect to matters within their respective jurisdictions.

(b) No provision of this Act shall affect any administrative proceedings pending at the time such provision takes effect. Orders shall be issued in such proceedings and appeals shall be taken therefrom as if this Act had not been enacted.

(c) No suit, action, or other proceeding lawfully commenced by or against the Director of the Office of Personnel Management or the members of the Merit Systems Protection Board, or officers or employees thereof, in their official capacity or in relation to the discharge of their official duties, as in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, shall abate by reason of the enactment of this Act. Determinations with respect to any such suit, action, or other proceeding shall be made as if this Act had not been enacted.

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6 cases
  • Wilder v. Prokop
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Tenth Circuit
    • 10 Mayo 1988
    ...F.2d 49, 50 (3rd Cir.1980); Beals v. Merit Systems Protection Board, 636 F.2d 169, 171 (7th Cir.1980); Motley v. Secretary of the United States Army, 608 F.2d 122, 123 (5th Cir.1979); Kyle v. Interstate Commerce Commission, 609 F.2d 540, 542 n. 2 (D.C.Cir.1979); In re Christian, 606 F.2d 82......
  • Karahalios v. DEFENSE LANGUAGE INSTITUTE, ETC.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Northern District of California
    • 9 Marzo 1982
    ... ... Francisco, Cal., Paul Blankenstein and Mark Chavez, Dept. of Justice, Washington, D. C., for defendants ... rights cases pending before the Assistant Secretary and the Vice Chairman on December 31, 1978 (including cases ... Commerce Commission, 609 F.2d 540 (D.C.Cir.1980); Motley v. Secretary of the United States Department of the Army, ... the jurisdictional amount requirement imposed upon us by 28 U.S.C. § 1346. If the action is for an amount ... ...
  • Bonet v. U.S. Postal Service
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit
    • 20 Noviembre 1981
    ...appeal. Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, Pub.L.No. 95-454, § 907, 92 Stat. 1111, 1227 (1978). See Motley v. Secretary of the United States Dep't of the Army, 608 F.2d 122 (5th Cir. 1979). Thus, appeal from the final administrative decision is made directly to a United States Court of Appea......
  • Wilson v. Turnage
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Federal Circuit
    • 20 Mayo 1986
    ... ... Director, Commercial Litigation Branch, Dept. of Justice, Washington, D.C., argued, for appellee. With ... of the statute does not resolve the issue confronting us. The distinction appellant draws between the term ... , 609 F.2d 540, 542-43 (D.C.Cir.1980) (per curiam); Motley v. Secretary of the Army, 608 F.2d 122, 123 (5th Cir.1979) ... ...
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