WPC  
      b:     Rh,7KǞ:k}
(7]F15~W=oe$,%^Fɚ+'hPj\P%Wl~kQ?WgAӡXn^aAݩ8mο9P5obҖr7e!iȒShVU`ku(5d>P(aSVE>x).])&$M} R+ačT.[SQ>ߔN>oPTEfF@Ϻ	UJb'ƷR?&(l]AH{\XYrm)T*YH\DT8aDqZE'z^` Oxn=buZ]CK36s~jGG
Y?TTlB0Fh
1S             U   .     	%         U   >     #     $  n   X  /  0         	      #        )   U   N   5           !         !     #   !     3	   !     C
   !     S  	)      c        o  "   ]  ~                  w   @   n  4                	      D  0      J            J   	                 U   .      	        < 6X  9   ` (   C o u r i e r           X) \	  	   `   & T m s R m n       L e g a l   P r o    H P   L a s e r J e t   5 P / 5 M P   ( H P )                             HPPCL5G      , ,,,,, 0                                                                                                                                                             nLhΫ < 6X  9   ` (   C o u r i e r                                                                                                         Xx 6X   @ 8; X@) \	  	   `   & T m s R m n       L e g a l   P r o                                                                                   XXt \	    P PU XP    (   t               ,$                  7    X  X       d                     7     f              ȿ  >   m5  N8 ( hH  	   Z  6 T i m e s   N e w   R o m a n   R e g u l a r         3| S        " @ H O Z q    E? 0 0 004      /N                    mpϟ	 @      2RQ@LL        "     ^4@@d0LLd0@0ddddddddddd88dĘ|HXxlĘ@d@dd0dlXld@`l84h8llllLL@l\XXXddd/                                               d )     dd            d  ll               d $                                    @            "     ^4<Dd0LLd0D0ddddddddddd88\Č|LLxl||TdTdd0hhXhX<Tl48d4lhhd@H8lXTPPddd/                                               d )     dd            d  ll               d $                                    @            "     ^4@@d4LLd0@0ddddddddddd88`ĀxPd|t|TdTdd4hlXpX@`p<@l<pdplTTDp\`XXddd/                                               d )     dd            d  ll               d $                                    @            "     ^,44P(@@P(8(TPPPPPPPPPP,,P|pttd<Hxh|d|Xl|||t4T4PP(PXHXP4PX,,T,XXXX@@4XHpHHHTPT/                                               P  )     PP            P  dd               T $                                    4                < 6X  9  ` +   C o u r i e r          * \	  	 p`   T m s R m n     P r o     ( *f9	 p` & T m s R m n   I t a l i c   P r o     i* 4	  	 p  " T m s R m n   B o l d   P r o     ) \	  	 p`   T m s R m n     P r o     B  ? x x x , ,    Xx (  7 T C T , , / XT Q q  5 P C P , , b  XP DT  7 T C T , ,   XT ,Tr y . D 8 D , ,  D Q{ d  Full-PE Land  Land  Land  Land G  H Legal H  Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro  Z Land H  G  G Land G  G  Pro   Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro  Pro Land Pro Land Pro Land Pro Land Pro Land Pro Land Pro Land Pro Land Pro La      
      
   f)                         Q   X X   #   X&  X  Q?   # 
    E      E      {   D   Z/#Z/#  |X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
            /   
 '           M U E L L J    0    M U E L L J   
 .      
       
       
                (                  3f$       
   ,!            7   & X  X       d                  d 7     f                      
      
   KV)                         E   X X   97192#   XF
  X  E?   # < 6X  9   ` (   C o u r i e r           H  
   ,!            7   & X  X       d                  d 7     f                     7   C X X       d  X  X       d 7  	  X X  X X   =    &  X   X       d                 d= @    =  @    s
s
)  UNITEDSTATESCOURTOFVETERANSAPPEALS   	    No.97192   	 `	   VirginiaD.Trilles.,         h               p Appellant,   	 @            `	 v.   	  p	   TogoD.West,Jr.,   	  P
   SecretaryofVeteransAffairs,    h               p Appellee.   	 @   @    

%  BeforeNEBEKER,ChiefJudge,andKRAMER,FARLEY,   	       HOLDAWAY,IVERS,STEINBERG,andGREENE,Judges.   	       r   @    9  ORDER   	    @    =       VirginiaD.TrillesappealsaNovember14,1996,BoardofVeterans'Appeals(Board)   	 `   decisionthatdeterminedthatnonewandmaterialevidencehadbeenpresentedtoreopenaclaimforrevocationoftheforfeitureofVAbenefits(exceptinsurancebenefits)undertheprovisionsof38U.S.C.6103.     Theappellantwasmarriedtothedecedentveteran,ZosimoTrilles,whenhediedinaJapaneseprisonerofwarcampinMay1942.In1956,theappellantfiledaclaimforbenefitsasthewidowoftheveteran,andshereceiveddependencyandindemnitycompensationastheveteran'sunremarriedwidow.     InApril1988,theVeterans'Administration(nowDepartmentofVeteransAffairs)CompensationandPensionServiceissuedadecisionthatinviolating38U.S.C.3503(a)(now38U.S.C.6103(a))theappellanthad"forfeitedallrights[,]claimsandbenefitstowhichshemightotherwisebeentitled."In1989,theappellantfiledanappealwiththeBoard.A1990Boarddecisionfoundthat"theappellant,beyondareasonabledoubt,knowinglyanddeliberately,madeandsubmittedto...VAfalsestatementsconcerninghermaritalrelationshipwith[anotherman]inobtainingVAbenefitstowhichshehadnolegalentitlement,"concludedthat"theappellanthadforfeitedallrights,claimsandbenefitsunderalllawsadministeredby...VA(exceptlawspertainingtoinsurancebenefits),"anddeniedrevocationofforfeiture.     TheBoard,intheNovember1996decisiononappeal,determinedthatnonewandmaterialevidencehadbeenpresentedtoreopenherpreviouslyandfinallydisallowedclaimforrevocationofforfeiture.Thisappealfollowed.Theappellantisnotrepresented.    -@),                           OnMay19,1998,thecasewasassignedtoapanel.OnAugust5,1998,therewasacallforenbancreview.Uponfurtherconsideration,theCourthasdeterminedtheneedforadditionalbriefingaddressingthefollowingquestions:8         `	 (1)WhetheraVAbenefitsrecipient,residingoutsidetheUnitedStates,whoisfoundbyVAunder38U.S.C.6103(a)tohavecommittedfraudorsubmittedafalsestatementinconnectionwithreceiptofbenefits,ispermanentlybarredfromallrights,claims,andbenefitsunderalllawsadministeredbytheSecretary(exceptlawspertainingtoinsurancebenefits).        8         `	 (2)Ifpermanentlysobarred,mayoneneverthelessseekreadjudication--throughreconsideration,reopening,orsomeotherprocess--oftheforfeituredecisionafterthedecisionhasbecomefinal?Ifso,whatprocedureisavailable,if38U.S.C.6103(a)otherwiseforfeitsallrightsandclaimsunderallsuchlawsadministeredbytheSecretary?        8         `	      (a)Currentcaselawidentifiesaforfeitedrecipientasonewhoisnolongerabenefitseligibleclaimant.Villezav.Brown,9Vet.App.353,357(1996).   	    Thus,onewhohasforfeitedbenefitsundersection6103(a)mustestablish"status"anew.Ifoneispermanentlybarred,howcanthatburdenbemet?SeeVilleza,supra;   	    cf.Tulinganv.Brown,9Vet.App.484,487(1996)(forfeitureunder38U.S.C.   	 p   6104(a)).SeegenerallyLaruanv.West,11Vet.App.80,86(1998)(enbanc)   	 `   (holdingthatpreponderanceofevidenceisnecessarytoproveveteranstatus).        8         `	      (b)Whatistheauthorityforthecurrentprocedurethatallowsonewhohasforfeitedbenefitsundersection6103(a)tofileaclaimforrevocationofforfeiture?Anapplicationtoreopenapreviousforfeituredecision?Aclaimbasedonclearandunmistakableerror?WhyisthedecisiononwhetheraforfeitureshouldberemittedorrevokednotreviewedbytheDirector,CompensationandPensionService,thepersonwhomadetheinitialforfeituredecision?        8         `	 (3)Whatistheanswertoeachoftheforegoingquestionsintermsoftheprocessforimposingandrevokingbarstobenefitsunder38U.S.C.5303baseduponthecircumstancesspecifiedin38U.S.C.5303(a),which"barallrights...underlawsadministeredbytheSecretarybasedontheperiodofservicefromwhich[thepersonis]dischargedordismissed?"             Further,twojudgesoftheCourtwishthepartiestoaddressthefollowingmatter:8         `	 TheCourtstatedinVilleza,9Vet.App.at357,thatapersonseekingtorestore   	 @)$'   statusasa"benefits-eligibleclaimant"afteraforfeiturehasbeenimposedunder38U.S.C.6103(a)mustdoso"byapreponderanceoftheevidence."ThisevidentiarystandardwasdrawnfromAguilarv.Derwinski,2Vet.App.21,23(1991)   	 ,`'*   (holdingthatpurportedwidowofveteranmustestablish"survivor"statuswith"preponderatingevidence"),andSarmientov.Brown,7Vet.App.80,84(1994)   	     (applyingAguilartodeterminationof"veteran"status).Thosetwocaseswere   	    recentlyreaffirmedbythefullCourtinLaruanv.West,11Vet.App.80,86(1981)   	    (enbanc).Toassistinthedeterminationofwhatapplicationthepreponderance-of-the-evidenceburdenofproofshouldhavetothequestionofstatusasa"benefits-eligibleclaimant"forpurposesbothofchallengingaproposedforfeitureunder38U.S.C.6103,6104,or6105(oraproposedbartobenefitsunder38U.S.C.5303)andofseekingtorevokeaforfeiture(orabar)soimposed,pleaseprovideananalysisofthebasisfortheburdentopresentpreponderanceoftheevidenceintermsofallapplicablelaw,regulation,legislativeandregulatoryhistory,andhistoricalprecedentinconnectionwiththeVAbenefitsadjudicationsystem(andthatofallpredecessoragencies)andtheextenttowhichthisanalysissupportsordoesnotsupportapplicationofapreponderance-ofthe-evidenceburdentoestablishing"veteran"status(includingstatusasa"veteran"byvirtueof"activemilitary,naval,orairservice"duringaperiodofactiveorinactivedutyfortrainingasdefinedin38U.S.C.101(24)and38C.F.R.3.6(a)(1998)),"survivor"status,and"dependent"status(includingstatusasaso-called"helplesschild"under38U.S.C.101(a)(4)(A)(ii)and38C.F.R.3.356(1998)),aswellasstatusasa"benefitseligibleclaimant,"Villeza,supra.SeeLaruan,11Vet.App.at8691   	    (KramerandSteinberg,JJ.,dissenting).             Accordinglyitissuasponte     ORDERED ,%     that hithiscasewillbedecidedbythefullCourt.Itisfurther %          ORDEREDthat,notlaterthan60daysafterthedateofthisorder,theSecretaryfileamemorandumontheissuesstatedabove.Itisfurther     ORDEREDthat,notlaterthan60daysafterserviceoftheSecretary'smemorandum,theappellantmayfileamemorandumaddressingthesameissuesstatedabove.Itisfurther     ORDEREDthat,notlaterthan30daysaftertheSecretary'smemorandumisfiled,anyinterestedindividualorentitymaysubmitamemorandum,asamicuscuriae,ontheissuesstatedabove.AnyamicuscuriaeinterestedinsubmittingamemorandumshouldfilewiththeCourt,andserveontheparties,anoticeofsuchintentionnotlaterthan15daysaftersubmissionoftheSecretary'smemorandum.DATED: DecemberDecember8,1998                     %              h           PERCURIAM.   	 @)$'       	 ,`'*    %     