Coats v. State

This case presents the question whether, in a breach of contract action, a circuit court has subject matter jurisdiction to review the validity of agency rules that the parties have incorporated as contract terms. The Court of Appeals assumed without discussion that the circuit court has such jurisdiction. Coats v. ODOT, 170 Or App 32, 11 P3d 258 (2000). We conclude that, although the circuit court in this case had jurisdiction to consider plaintiffs claims that defendant breached the parties’ contract, it lacked jurisdiction over plaintiffs rule challenges. We therefore vacate the Court of…