Underwriters National Assurance Co. v. North Carolina Life & Accident & Health Insurance Guaranty Assn. et al. (455 U.S. 691)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided March 24, 1982 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 455 U.S. 691 · 102 S. Ct. 1357
- Decided
- March 24, 1982
- Term
- October Term 1981
- Vote
- 9–0
- Majority author
- Justice Marshall
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Justice Marshall delivered the opinion of the Court. In this case, the North Carolina Court of Appeals held that an Indiana court was without jurisdiction to adjudicate the rights of various parties in a $100,000 deposit held in trust by certain. North Carolina officials. Because it found that the Indiana court did not have jurisdiction, the North Carolina court refused to recognize the Indiana court’s prior ruling that all claims to the deposit were compromised, settled, and dismissed by the final order entered by that court during a rehabilitation proceeding. We granted certiorari to decide whether, by refusing to treat the prior Indiana court judgment as res judicata, the North Carolina court has violated the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution and its implementing federal statute. 451 U. S. 982 (1981). For the reasons stated below, we reverse the decision of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. I Petitioner Underwriters National Assurance Co. (Underwriters) is an Indiana stock insurance corporation specializing in life and disability insurance for certain high-income professional groups. In 1973 Underwriters was licensed to do business in 45 States, including North Carolina, and was administering over 50,000 policies. To qualify to do business in North Carolina, Underwriters was required to join respondent North Carolina Life and Accident and Health Insurance…
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