Indiana Employment Security Division v. Burney

409 U.S. 540, 93 S. Ct. 883, 35 L. Ed. 2d 62, 1973 U.S. LEXIS 117

Opinions

Per Curiam.

We noted probable jurisdiction in this case, 406 U. S. 956, to review the judgment of a three-judge district court, holding that Indiana’s system of administering unemployment insurance was in conflict with § 303 (a)(1) of the Social Security Act, 49 Stat. 626, as amended, 42 U. S. C. §503 (a)(1).¹ Before the three-judge court entered its injunction, Indiana’s practice was to discontinue unemployment benefits upon a determination of ineligibility, that determination taking place without the benefit of a full hearing for the erstwhile beneficiary.

After several months of effort, however, the class representative in this litigation, Mrs. Burney, succeeded in obtaining a reversal of the initial determination of ineligibility.² She has now received full retroactive compensation.

The full settlement of Mrs. Burney’s financial claim raises the question whether there continues to be a case or controversy in this lawsuit. Though the appellee purports to represent a class of all present and future recipients of unemployment insurance, there are no named representatives of the class except Mrs. Burney, who has been paid. Cf. Bailey v. Patterson, 369 U. S. 31, 32-33. Accordingly, the judgment is vacated and the case is remanded to the District Court to consider whether it has become moot.

It is so ordered.

1 The three-judge court was convened pursuant to 28 U. S. C. §§ 2281, 2284, to consider the prayer for an injunction against enforcement of the Indiana statute, Ind. Ann. Stat. § 52M542a (e) (Supp. 1970), on the grounds that it violated the appellee’s right to due process under the Fourteenth Amendment. The District Court did not reach this issue.

2 The District Court entered a temporary restraining order against the appellants on May 7,1971. Presumably, the appellee’s payments were then restored pending the outcome of her hearing before a referee, which took place, on July 1, 1971. On July 13, 1971, the referee affirmed the determination of ineligibility. Mrs. Burney then appealed to the Division Review Board. After the judgment and injunction were entered by the District Court, the Review Board reversed the referee and awarded payments to Mrs. Burney. This latter determination was unrelated to the injunction.