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SCOTUS Invalidates NY Law that Strips Trial Courts of Jurisdiction over Suits against State Correctional Officers

The Supreme Court decided the following case today (per BNA's U.S. Law Week - Supreme Court Today):

Haywood v. Drown, No. 07-10374. A New York law that strips the state's trial courts of jurisdiction to hear suits for damages, including federal civil rights actions under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, brought against state correctional officers, but not similar actions against other state officials, violates the supremacy clause of the Constitution. The New York statute does not qualify as a neutral rule of judicial administration that would be permissible and states do not have authority to nullify a federal right or cause of action they find inconsistent with their local policies.

Download the opinion from Cornell's LII here.

Full post as published by Federal Civil Practice Bulletin on May 26, 2009 (boomark / email).