Group lawsuits in federal court
Mississippi, ex rel. Jim Hood v. AU Optronics
In brief
The Supreme Court ruled Mississippi’s suit was not a CAFA mass action and overturned the Fifth Circuit’s ruling.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 9-0 · January 14, 2014 · Opinion by Justice Sotomayor
- What it’s about
- Mississippi sued LCD manufacturers, alleging price-fixing had harmed its residents; the companies moved the case to federal court under a law for cases involving at least 100 plaintiffs.
- Who it affects
- The manufacturers cannot use CAFA’s mass-action rule to keep this suit in federal court because Mississippi was its only named plaintiff.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court ruled that Mississippi, as the only plaintiff named in the suit, did not make it a “mass action,” overturned the appeals court, and sent the case back to the lower court (remanded).
Mississippi, represented by Attorney General Jim Hood, sued LCD manufacturers, alleging their price-fixing harmed state residents.
CAFA allows defendants to move certain suits involving at least 100 plaintiffs from state to federal court.
Question presented
Was the case properly removed to federal district court as a mass action under the Class Action Fairness Act (CAFA)?
What the Court decided
Holding
Because Mississippi is the only named plaintiff, this suit does not constitute a mass action under CAFA. 701 F. 3d 796, reversed and remanded.
- Result
- Reversed
The Court's reasoning
The Court said Mississippi was the only named plaintiff, so the suit did not meet CAFA’s definition of a mass action.
The vote
What's next
The Fifth Circuit will handle the case again under the Supreme Court’s ruling. The Supreme Court did not decide Mississippi’s underlying price-fixing allegations.
Documents
Opinions
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Impact Analysis
AI analysis generated: Opinion Summary
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AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Opinion added: Opinion
More questions
- Did the Court decide whether the manufacturers fixed prices?
- No. The ruling addressed whether Mississippi’s suit qualified as a CAFA mass action, not the price-fixing allegations.
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.