All articles tagged with #sovereign immunity
A New York judge has set the trial of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on weapon and drug charges to begin June 1, 2027, after their January capture in Caracas. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for November 17 as Maduro’s lawyers plan to invoke sovereign immunity to shield the former president.
The U.S. Supreme Court appears skeptical about allowing Holocaust survivors to sue Hungary in American courts for property stolen during World War II. The case hinges on a narrow exception to sovereign immunity, which generally protects foreign nations from being sued in U.S. courts. Justices expressed concerns about the broader implications of such a decision, including potential foreign policy repercussions and the possibility of reciprocal lawsuits against the U.S. A decision in the case, Hungary v. Simon, is expected next year.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that it will no longer defend former President Donald Trump in the defamation lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of rape. The DOJ's decision means that Trump will no longer be shielded from civil liability under the doctrine of sovereign immunity. The move comes after a federal appeals court suggested that Trump could be personally sued if his statements about Carroll were not made in service of the U.S. government. Carroll's lawsuit is set for trial in January 2024.
The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages the state's power supply, is protected by sovereign immunity and cannot be sued for damages resulting from the 2021 winter storm that left more than 200 people dead. The 5-4 decision will likely dismiss thousands of lawsuits filed against ERCOT by Texans for deaths, injuries, and damages. The court's majority opinion stated that ERCOT qualifies for immunity because it provides an essential governmental service and should be held accountable by state regulators or the Legislature, not the courts.