The requests targeted North Carolina’s most urban and non-white counties, seeking documents that can contain birth dates, addresses, partial Social Security numbers, and even copies of birth certificates and passports.
[co-author: Jonathan McKay - Articling Student]
In a 7-1 ruling
in
BP PLC et al v Mayor and City Council of Baltimore (19-1189), the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals did not fully analyze whether a climate change tort lawsuit seeking damages against several energy companies operating in the United States should be heard in federal court, instead of in state court.
The decision is a welcome reprieve for energy companies facing potential litigation across a multitude of jurisdictions in the United States, as it could potentially result in climate change claims falling under the jurisdiction of federal courts instead of state courts, and under federal law rather than state law.