No. 19-789October Term 2019Decided Apr 27, 2020Updated Sep 3, 2026
Maghreb Petroleum Exploration, S.A. v. Dejoria
The Court declined review, leaving the Fifth Circuit’s result in place without deciding the legal question.
Case status
Decided · April 27, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- What it's about
The Supreme Court declined to review the case, leaving in place the Fifth Circuit’s ruling that denied recognition of the Moroccan money judgment against John Paul DeJoria. The result favored DeJoria, while the Court did not issue a merits ruling on the due-process standard for foreign judgments.
Question presented
Whether the "systemic" due process exception to the recognition of foreign-country money judgments—which requires a court to deny recognition if the judgment was "rendered under a system which does not provide impartial tribunals or procedures compatible with the requirements of due process of law"—requires a showing that the specific judgment at issue was the product of a lack of due process?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit / Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Decision
What the Court decided
The Court declined review, leaving the Fifth Circuit’s result in place without deciding the legal question.
Impact
The action left the Fifth Circuit’s result in place for Maghreb Petroleum Exploration and John Paul DeJoria, who disputed recognition of a Moroccan $122.9 million judgment. It also affects people seeking to enforce foreign money judgments in Texas.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
The Supreme Court declined to review Maghreb Petroleum Exploration’s case on April 27, 2020. It did not decide the merits of whether a foreign judgment can be rejected because the foreign court system allegedly lacks due process protections.
Impact
The action left the Fifth Circuit’s result in place for Maghreb Petroleum Exploration and John Paul DeJoria, who disputed recognition of a Moroccan $122.9 million judgment. It also affects people seeking to enforce foreign money judgments in Texas.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its action in this case. The parties remain bound by the lower-court result.
What did the Supreme Court do in Maghreb Petroleum Exploration v. Dejoria?
The Court declined to review the case. It did not decide the dispute over recognition of the Moroccan money judgment.
Who is affected by the outcome in this case?
Maghreb Petroleum Exploration and John Paul DeJoria are directly affected. The case also matters to parties seeking to enforce foreign money judgments in Texas.
What happens next in Maghreb Petroleum Exploration v. Dejoria?
The Supreme Court has completed its action. The Fifth Circuit’s result remains in place.
Timing
Decided April 27, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 27, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 3, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Dec 16, 2019 | Court records
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Sep 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology