Case Explained: Non-Argument Calendar ANDREW W. BELL v. MERIT SERVICE PROTECTION BOARD U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit Filed: 2026-06-29 Docket: 1:24-cv-04098-SEG The eleventh-circuit dismissed the appeal sua sponte as moot because the district court subsequently granted the appellant’s motion for reconsideration, vacated the original dismissal order, and reopened the case. The court applied the doctrine that federal courts lack authority to adjudicate moot controversies, citing *Mobley v. Palm Beach Cnty. Sheriff Dep’t* and *Brooks v. Ga. State Bd. of Elections*, which establish that an appeal becomes moot when the underlying order being challenged is vacated and the case is reinstated. As a result, the appeal was terminated without a decision on the merits, and all pending motions were denied as moot. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.