U.S. Supreme Court Notebook

Justices reject appeal in ­California police shooting lawsuit


WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal in the case of a California police officer whose 2012 killing of an Anaheim gang member sparked riots and protests.

The justices on Monday let stand a lower court ruling that ordered a new trial in the lawsuit brought by the mother of Manuel Diaz.

She sued the city of Anaheim and Officer Nick Bennallack for excessive force in the fatal shooting. Diaz was unarmed, but Bennallack said he thought the man had a gun and was preparing to shoot after a brief foot chase.

A jury ruled in favor of the city and the officer, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the judge allowed irrelevant inflammatory evidence to be presented at the trial.

 

Supreme Court: Cities can sue banks under fair housing law
 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled that cities may sue banks for predatory lending practices among minority customers that lead to foreclosures, declines in property taxes and dips in property values.

The justices’ 5-3 ruling Monday validates a novel approach by Miami and other cities to try to hold banks accountable under the federal Fair Housing Act for the wave of foreclosures during the housing crisis a decade ago.

But the court still threw out an appellate ruling in Miami’s favor and ordered a lower court to re-examine the city’s lawsuit against Wells Fargo and Bank of America to be sure that there is a direct connection between the lending practices and the city’s losses.

 

Justices side  with Venezuela in ­dispute over seized oil rigs


WASHINGTON (AP) — A unanimous Supreme Court on Monday gave the government of Venezuela another chance to fend off a lawsuit alleging the country illegally seized 11 oil drilling rigs from an Oklahoma-based company in 2010.

The justices ruled that lower courts had set the bar too low in allowing the lawsuit brought by Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Company to move forward.

Foreign countries are generally immune from lawsuits in the U.S., but a federal statute makes an exception in certain cases when private property is seized.

Writing for the court, Justice Stephen Breyer said companies must make a stronger argument at the outset of a case that property was actually taken in violation of international law. He said such cases must be more than just “non-frivolous” to avoid being tossed out.

If cases against foreign governments are allowed too easily to proceed in American courts, it could “create friction with other nations and reciprocal actions against this country,” Breyer said.

The U.S. government had sided with Venezuela, arguing that ruling for the company could harm foreign relations and lead other countries to retaliate against American interests.

The case began after Venezuela’s former president Hugo Chavez issued a decree seizing control of the oil rigs owned by U.S. driller Helmerich & Payne International Drilling Co. The company refused to operate them after Venezuela’s state-owned oil company fell more than $100 million behind in payments.

Chavez said the “forced acquisition” was necessary to put the idled rigs back to work.

Venezuela argued that the seizure did not violate international law because the rigs were owned by a Venezuelan subsidiary of Helmerich & Payne. But a federal appeals court sided with the company, ruling that it could move ahead with a lawsuit claiming the move harmed U.S. shareholders.

Justice Neil Gorsuch did not take part in the case, which was argued before he took his seat on the court.


 

Justices won’t hear challenge over Alaska polar bear habitat


WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal from Alaska and oil and gas industry groups protesting the government’s designation of more than 187,000 square miles in the state as critical habitat for threatened polar bears.

The justice on Monday left in place an appeals court ruling that said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service followed the law when it authorized the massive habitat in a coastal area larger than the state of California.

Alaska officials, the American Petroleum Institute and others said the designation was too extensive and accused the agency over overreaching.

A federal judge had rejected the plan, saying the agency had not shown that certain areas on land and barrier islands were appropriate for polar bear dens. But a federal appeals court overturned that ruling last year.