Myers v. United States

8 Cl. Ct. 718, 1985 U.S. Claims LEXIS 914
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedSeptember 23, 1985
DocketNo. 223-85C
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 8 Cl. Ct. 718 (Myers v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Myers v. United States, 8 Cl. Ct. 718, 1985 U.S. Claims LEXIS 914 (cc 1985).

Opinion

ORDER ON DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

WHITE, Senior Judge.

On June 17, 1985, the defendant filed a document entitled “Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss, or in the Alternative, for Summary Judgment.” As the defendant augmented the motion by attaching to it numerous documents of an evidentiary nature, the motion will be treated as one for summary judgment.

The plaintiff has not submitted any materials to discredit the accuracy or the rele-[719]*719vanee of the documents attached to the defendant's motion. Consequently, such documents, together with other matters of record in this court, will be accepted as establishing facts to be considered by the court in passing upon the pending motion.

Background Information

After previous military service, the plaintiff reenlisted in the Army on August 19, 1977, as a Specialist Four for a period of 4 years. Following his reenlistment, the plaintiff completed Advanced Individual Training; and he was then reassigned to Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as a Bridge Specialist on or about October 27, 1977.

Because of what the plaintiff’s Unit Commander regarded as sporadic bizarre behavior on the plaintiff’s part, the Unit Commander referred the plaintiff to the Community Health Activity at Fort Belvoir on July 7, 1978, for a psychiatric evaluation. Some days later, on July 27, 1978, the plaintiff was referred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, with a diagnosis of paranoid personality.

The psychiatric examination and evaluation of the plaintiff at Walter Reed Army Medical Center resulted in a diagnosis of “passive-aggressive personality, with paranoid features, manifested by multiple interpersonal conflicts and adjustments to military life in difficult conditions.”

On August 8, 1978, the plaintiff was returned to duty, with a recommendation that his future conduct be scrutinized in the Mental Health Clinic, as it seemed likely that similar problems would develop in the future.

On the basis of the papers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Chief of the Community Health Activity at Fort Bel-voir recommended that the plaintiff be administratively separated from the service under the provisions of paragraph 13-4b of Army Regulation 635-200.

The plaintiff’s Unit Commander, after notifying the plaintiff of his intention to do so, recommended that the plaintiff be discharged under the provisions of Army Regulation 635-200 for unsuitability, due to his personality disorder. A few days later, on November 3, 1978, the Brigade Commander approved the plaintiff’s separation and directed that he be furnished an Honorable Discharge Certificate. The plaintiff was honorably discharged on November 9,1978.

On November 14, 1978, the plaintiff filed with the Army Board for Correction of Military Records an application asking that he be retroactively reinstated in the Army and that he receive back pay for the period subsequent to his discharge.

In a decision dated February 27, 1980, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records recommended that the plaintiff’s record be corrected to show that his discharge for unsuitability on November 9, 1978, was void and of no force or effect, that he was placed on excess leave from November 9, 1978, to February 27, 1980, and that he was honorably discharged for the convenience of the Government on February 27, 1980. The findings, conclusions, and recommendation of the Board were approved on May 14, 1980, by a Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, who directed that the plaintiff’s military record be corrected in the respects recommended by the Board. The correction was subsequently accomplished.

On August 15, 1980, the plaintiff filed an action against the Secretary of the Army in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, alleging in part that, before November 9,1977, the plaintiff had been serving in the Army under an “enlistment contract,” and that he was discharged from the military service on November 9, 1977 “without just cause and without regard for established Army procedures * * * and without regard to plaintiff’s rights in such matters, thereby prohibiting plaintiff from completing his obligation under the aforementioned enlistment contract.” The plaintiff sought a judgment for damages because of “this breach of contract.” Some months later, on May 18, 1981, the District Court transferred the case to this court’s predecessor, the United States Court of Claims.

[720]*720The plaintiff then, on July 15, 1981, filed a new complaint (No. 344-81C) in the Court of Claims, naming the United States as the defendant and setting out allegations similar to those contained in the complaint previously filed with the District Court.

On or about July 28, 1981, the plaintiff initiated settlement negotiations with Lori F. Fischler, the then attorney of record for the Government. The plaintiffs first proposal was an offer to settle the litigation for $35,616.10. Thereafter, the settlement negotiations continued through the remainder of 1981 and into 1982. On March 18, 1982, Ms. Fischler advised the plaintiff in a telephone conversation that she was willing to recommend approval of a settlement in the amount of $15,000, which would cover the plaintiffs pay and allowances that would have accrued from the date of his invalid discharge on November 9, 1978, to the date of his ultimate discharge, as recommended by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records and approved by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army, plus some compensation for the plaintiffs litigation expenses.

In a letter dated March 19, 1982, from the plaintiff to Ms. Fischler, the plaintiff stated in part as follows:

This is to confirm our conversation on March 18, 1982 during the morning hours. Tony L. Myers * * * being of excellent health and sound mind agrees to the settlement offer of fifteen thousand no/100 dollars (15,000) therefore, releasing and dropping all charges concerning Tony L. Myers vs United States in the case no. # 344-81C in the Court of Claims. * * *

On May 10, 1982, the plaintiff and the Government entered into a “Stipulation for Entry of Judgement.” This document provided in part as follows:

2. Under the terms hereinafter stated, defendant consents to the entry of judgment for plaintiff in the amount of $15,000.00 in full satisfaction of any and all claims (including any costs, attorney fees or other expenses) arising out of, resulting from, or related to, the matters involved in this suit which include and are not limited to plaintiff’s discharge and the subsequent decision of the Army Board for the Correction of Military Records.
3. Plaintiff warrants and represents that no other action with respect to its claim herein is pending or will be filed in any other court, legislative body, or administrative body, and that should there be any violation of this warranty and representation, all monies paid herein will be promptly refunded to defendant together with interest thereon at the rate of 6 percent per annum.

On May 14, 1982, the trial judge recommended that the Court of Claims enter an order incorporating and approving the stipulation. On May 18, 1982, “based on the stipulation of the parties,” the Court of Claims entered an order of judgment for the plaintiff in the amount of $15,000.

On September 4, 1984, the plaintiff filed another action (No. 453-84C) in this court.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Lewis v. United States
99 Fed. Cl. 772 (Federal Claims, 2011)
Pueblo of Santo Domingo v. United States
16 Cl. Ct. 139 (Court of Claims, 1988)
Zinger Construction Co. v. United States
34 Cont. Cas. Fed. 75,411 (Court of Claims, 1987)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
8 Cl. Ct. 718, 1985 U.S. Claims LEXIS 914, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/myers-v-united-states-cc-1985.