June 1, 2026·26-1608·Panel Decision·By Maria Santos
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit dismissed an appeal due to the appellant's failure to pay the required docketing fee. This nonprecedential order addresses a procedural default rather than the merits of the underlying claim.
Background
The appellant, Zachary E. Keefe, filed an appeal from the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The appeal originated from case number twenty-five-four-thousand-one before Judges Margaret C. Bartley, Coral Wong Pietsch, and Scott Laurer.
The court’s reasoning
The court found that the appellant failed to pay the docketing fee required by Federal Circuit Rule fifty-two subsection d within the time permitted by the rules. Consequently, the court ordered the notice of appeal dismissed for failure to prosecute.
What it means going forward
The dismissal terminates the appellate proceedings without a decision on the underlying administrative review, leaving the Veterans Court’s decision in place.
