William Mcneil v. United States (508 U.S. 106)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided May 17, 1993 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 508 U.S. 106 · 113 S. Ct. 1980
- Decided
- May 17, 1993
- Term
- October Term 1992
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Stevens
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
Opinion excerpt
Justice Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court. The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) provides that an “action shall not be instituted upon a claim against the United States for money damages” unless the claimant has first exhausted his administrative remedies. The question presented is whether such an action may be maintained when the claimant failed to exhaust his administrative remedies prior to filing suit, but did so before substantial progress was made in the litigation. I On March 6, 1989, petitioner, proceeding without counsel, lodged a complaint in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging that the United States Public Health Service had caused him serious injuries while “conducting human research and experimentation on prisoners” in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections. He invoked the federal court’s jurisdiction under the FTCA and prayed for a judgment of $20 million. App. 3-7. Four months later, on July 7,1989, petitioner submitted a claim for damages to the Department of Health and Human Services. The Department denied the claim on July 21, 1989. On August 7,1989, petitioner sent a letter to the District Court enclosing a copy of the Department’s denial of his administrative claim and an affidavit in support of an earlier motion for appointment of counsel. Petitioner asked that the court accept the letter…
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