Keith Haywood v. Curtis Drown, et al. (556 U.S. 729)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided May 26, 2009 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 556 U.S. 729 · 129 S. Ct. 2108
- Decided
- May 26, 2009
- Term
- October Term 2008
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority author
- Justice Stevens
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
- Constitutional ruling
- State/territorial law held unconstitutional
Opinion excerpt
Justice Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court. In our federal system of government, state as well as federal courts have jurisdiction over suits brought pursuant to 42 U. S. C. § 1983, the statute that creates a remedy for violations of federal rights committed by persons acting under color of state law. While that rule is generally applicable to New York’s supreme courts — the State’s trial courts of general jurisdiction — New York’s Correction Law §24 divests those courts of jurisdiction over § 1983 suits that seek money damages from correction officers. New York thus prohibits the trial courts that generally exercise jurisdiction over § 1983 suits brought against other state officials from hearing virtually all such suits brought against state correction officers. The question presented is whether that exceptional treatment of a limited category of § 1983 claims is consistent with the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution. I Petitioner, an inmate in New York’s Attica Correctional Facility, commenced two § 1983 actions against several correction employees alleging that they violated his civil rights in connection with three prisoner disciplinary proceedings and an altercation. Proceeding pro se, petitioner filed his claims in State Supreme Court and sought punitive damages and attorney’s fees. The trial court dismissed the actions on the ground that, under…
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