Read Aageson Grain & Cattle v. US Dep't of Agric., 05-36172

In proceedings arising after farmers successfully challenged denials of claims under the 2003 Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, an order remanding the case to the National Appeals Division (NAD) of the USDA to determine eligibility for an attorney's fees and costs award under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) is affirmed as: 1) the statutory scheme that creates and implements the NAD satisfies all three procedural protections stated in APA section 554; and 2) thus, adversarial proceedings before the NAD are "subject to" APA section 554, and the EAJA applies.

Appellate Information

• Argued 08/08/2007
• Submitted 08/08/2007
• Decided 08/31/2007
• Published 08/31/2007

Judges

• CALLAHAN, Circuit Judge:, Before:  WILLIAM C. CANBY, JR., CYNTHIA HOLCOMB HALL, and CONSUELO M. CALLAHAN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• John S. Koppel (argued), William Kanter, Assistant United States Attorneys for the Civil Appellate Division for appellant United States Department of Agriculture.


• For Appellees:
  
• Beth Angus Baumstark (argued), Sarah Voegl Law Firm, P.C., Bismarck, ND, and Floyd D. Corder, Corder & Allen, Great Falls, MT, for appellees Aageson Grain & Cattle, et. al.