Muntz v. Lensing

Mar 8, 1996
No. 96-CP-0230
Reporters:
, ,
PER CURIAM.

In this administrative proceeding relating to the Department of Safety and Corrections’ alleged failure ‍​‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‍to provide relator with needed medical treatment, relator seeks review of the district court’s dismissal, and the appellate court’s affirmation of that dismissal, of his application for ‍​‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‍judicial review as untimely.

The application for judicial review, although incomplete, was filed within thirty days of the notice of denial of relief and was timely. La.Rev.Stat. 15:1177 A. The ‍​‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‍district court erred in allowing its clerk of court to return the incomplete application rather than filing the application and requiring supplementation within a specified reasonable period ‍​‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‍of time.

Accordingly, the application is granted, the judgments of the lower courts are set aside, the exception of prescription is overruled, and the case is remanded to ‍​‌​​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‍the district court to consider the merits of relator’s timely filed application, as supplemented.