Justices Side With Rights Plaintiffs in State Sovereignty Case

The US Supreme Court sided with civil rights plaintiffs in a case that pitted concerns over state sovereignty against fairness to the parties.

In a ruling Friday the justices said plaintiffs don’t have to “exhaust” their available remedies in a state agency before suing that agency in state court, even if the state law requires it.

During arguments Oct. 7, several justices were concerned that they’d upset the longtime rule that states generally get to set the rules for their own courts.

However, the 5-4 ruling by Justice Brett Kavanaugh said the state “rule would create a catch-22 preventing adjudication of, and in effect immunizing state officials.” Justice Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett dissented.

The case was brought by Alabama residents who sued the state for failure to timely consider their unemployment claims.

Filed during the pandemic, plaintiffs said it took months for an initial determination with some never even getting that far.

Requiring them to seek relief from the very agency they were suing for inaction would be too burdensome, the plaintiffs argued.

The case is Williams v. Reed, U.S., No. 23-191.