Last Updated on: 28th July 2023, 07:18 pm

The U.S. government performs audits and investigates allegations of violations in order to assure the integrity of the SNAP program. When they believe a business has committed food stamp fraud, they can take steps to disqualify the business from participating in the SNAP program. When this happens, you have a right to a judicial review of the Food and Nutrition Service’s action against you.
What is a judicial review?
A judicial review is your right to have a neutral third party examine the allegations against you and determine if disqualifying you from the snap program is the appropriate remedy. In this case, the third party that conducts the review is a federal judge. They don’t work for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) or any division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Your judicial review is a lawsuit. You file a summons and complaint in a federal court. The case functions like any other lawsuit. The case may proceed to trial. After hearing the evidence, the judge may affirm the decision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, they may throw it out completely, or they may order a different penalty.
How do you preserve your right to a judicial review?
There are a lot of things that need to happen in order for you to have the right to a judicial review. Preserving your right to appeal begins long before you file the case in district court. In fact, you need to begin preparing for your judicial review as soon as you receive a charging letter from the FNS.
When you first receive a charging letter, you have only 10 days to respond. You need to prepare documents that show the FNS why they’re wrong about the allegations against you. This response need to be detailed, and it needs to be carefully crafted to respond to the allegations. From there, you can ask the U.S. Department of Agriculture to review the claim. Again, you have only 10 days to demand the review.
Once you’ve exhausted your right to an administrative review, you have thirty days to ask for a judicial review. To get a judicial review, you file a summons and complaint in the appropriate U.S. district court. This is a civil lawsuit much like any other lawsuit in a federal court. You need to prepare court filings and serve the other party.
You have only 30 days to prepare the lawsuit and get it filed. This time limit begins when you receive the final decision from the administrative review. If your lawsuit isn’t timely, you’ll likely lose your opportunity to have a judge review the penalties against you.
Does the opinion of the FNS matter?
When you exercise your right to a judicial review, the district court judge conducts their case on a de novo basis. That means, they don’t have access to any kind of record from the administrative proceedings. They don’t start with the presumption that the person who conducted the earlier review made the correct choice. Instead, they conduct their own trial with an open mind. They admit evidence and they make their own determination from scratch.
How can a judicial review help my business?
If you believe that the person reviewing the case didn’t reach the correct conclusion, a judicial review is a way to get a neutral third party to review the case. You have the opportunity to participate in the discovery process. This process allows you to request documents from the government, conduct depositions and otherwise prepare your case.
The judicial review also gives you the opportunity to ask the court for a stay of the action against you. The court must review the case for whether they think it’s likely that you’ll succeed on the merits of your case. If the court believes that you have a good case, and they believe that someone’s likely to suffer permanent harm by the action against you, they can put the action on hold while you wait for trail.
Can I appeal?
If you’re unhappy with the decision of the federal district court, you can bring an appeal. That appeal goes to the U.S. Court of Appeals in your circuit. In the appeal, the court reviews the record from the lower court. They don’t conduct a completely new trial, but they review the district court’s decision for mistakes. If they believe the district court made errors that prevented you from having a fair trial on the issues, they can vacate the decision of the district court.
From there, the next court to hear an appeal is the U.S. Supreme Court. To have the Supreme Court hear your case, you must apply for a writ of certiorari. Very few food stamp fraud cases go to the Supreme Court. However, bringing a writ of certiorari is an option if that’s what it takes to get justice for you.
How can an attorney help?
If you’re facing an allegation of food stamp fraud and disqualification of your participation in snap or another SNAP penalty, an attorney can help you skillfully prepare your case. A judicial review is a court case just like any other court case. An experienced attorney can accurately prepare court documents in order to meet the deadlines and preserve your claims. An attorney knows the rules of evidence. This can help you prepare your case with admissible and convincing evidence, so that you can present the facts to the judge in the best light possible.
An experienced snap attorney can give you guidance based on their years of working in this area of law. They know what evidence the court needs to see in order for your judicial review to succeed. Their experience with evidentiary rules mean that you arrive at your trial date prepared and confident. They can tactfully and skillfully approach the government’s attorney to see if there’s a non-trial resolution that might work for you. This guidance can make a significant difference when it comes to protecting your rights and your business.

Fight Food Stamp Fraud Allegations with a Judicial Review

Imagine the U.S. government accusing your business of food stamp fraud, threatening disqualification from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as a result. The charges feel like a death sentence for your business, but remember that you have the right to a judicial review of the Food and Nutrition Service’s (FNS) action against you. This article will guide you through the process of a judicial review and how it can help save your business from these allegations.

Understanding Judicial Reviews

A judicial review is the opportunity for an unbiased third party to thoroughly examine the accusations against you and determine whether disqualifying you from SNAP is fair. This third party is a federal judge not associated with the FNS or any division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

This judicial review functions like a lawsuit, with the filing of a summons and complaint in a federal court. The process may proceed to trial, where the judge weighs the evidence and ultimately decides to affirm the decision, throw it out completely or order a different penalty.

Preserving Your Right to a Judicial Review

Proper preparations for a judicial review are imperative in order to exercise your right to appeal. As soon as you receive the FNS charging letter, you have a mere 10 days to respond with a detailed response countering the allegations against you. After which, you have another 10 days to demand a review from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Upon exhausting your right to an administrative review, the clock starts ticking again – this time, you have 30 days to request a judicial review by filing a summons and complaint in the appropriate U.S. district court. Failure to meet these strict deadlines may jeopardize your chance for a judicial review of the penalties against your business.

The Weight of FNS Opinion

When the district court judge conducts the judicial review, they do so on a de novo basis and do not rely on any record from the previous administrative proceedings. The judge begins the trial with a fresh, open perspective and makes their own determination based on the evidence and testimony presented.

How a Judicial Review Can Help Your Business

If you question the accuracy of the conclusion from the initial case review, the judicial review offers a second chance for a neutral party to examine the allegations. It also grants the opportunity to participate in the discovery process, allowing the request for documents from the government, depositions, and overall case preparation. Additionally, a stay of action can be requested from the court to put the imposed penalties on hold while awaiting trial.

Appealing the Decision

Unsatisfied with the outcome in the federal district court? Appeal your case to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which reviews the lower court’s decision for potential errors. If they decide that missteps took place that hindered a fair trial, they can vacate the decision of the district court.

In extremely rare cases, disqualification/SNAP penalty cases may be taken to the U.S. Supreme Court by applying for a writ of certiorari.

How an Attorney Can Help You

Having an experienced attorney by your side when facing allegations of food stamp fraud and potential SNAP penalties is crucial in navigating the complex world of judicial reviews. An attorney assists in accurately preparing court documents, adhering to strict deadlines and preserving your claims. Furthermore, they understand the rules of evidence, allowing you to build a convincing case for the judge by presenting the facts in the best light possible.

With extensive experience in SNAP law, an attorney can guide you through the judicial review process and ensure you arrive at your trial date prepared and confident. They can also negotiate with the government’s attorney to explore alternative, non-trial resolutions. The expertise of a SNAP attorney can make a significant difference in safeguarding your rights and protecting your business from the devastating effects of food stamp fraud allegations.