Albrecht v. Albrecht
In brief
The Supreme Court refused to hear the case, leaving the lower-court ruling in place without deciding whether the state courts violated one Albrecht’s constitutional rights.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided · May 18, 2020
- What it’s about
- The Court denied review of a family-law dispute in which the petitioner claimed that state courts violated his Fourteenth Amendment due process rights in custody-related proceedings.
- Who it affects
- The lower-court ruling remained in place in the Albrecht dispute, while one Albrecht’s constitutional claims remained unresolved.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The denial left the lower court’s ruling in place and did not resolve the petitioner’s constitutional claims on the merits.
The dispute arose from family-law proceedings involving custody. One Albrecht alleged that the trial court lacked authority over his separate property and denied him a fair hearing before an impartial judge.
The filing focused on three alleged trial-court problems: authority over one Albrecht’s separate property, an impartial judge, and a meaningful chance to be heard.
Question presented
1. Whether the South Dakota Supreme Court violated the Petitioner's 14th Amendment Due Process rights by failing to address the trial court's lack of subject matter jurisdiction over the Petitioner's separate property? 2. Whether the South Dakota Supreme Court violated the Petitioner's 14th Amendment Due Process rights by failing to address the trial court's violation of the Petitioner's right to a fair trial before an impartial judge? 3. Whether the South Dakota Supreme Court violated the Petitioner's 14th Amendment Due Process rights by failing to address the trial court's violation of the Petitioner's right to be heard at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner?
What the Court decided
Holding
Petition DENIED.
What's next
The Supreme Court docket action is finished. The lower-court ruling remains in place, and this Court did not decide the constitutional claims.
Documents
Docket activity
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AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
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More questions
- Was there a Supreme Court opinion deciding the constitutional claims?
- No. The Court’s order only refused review and did not issue a decision on those claims.
- Did the Supreme Court approve the lower court’s reasoning?
- No. It left the ruling in place without endorsing either side’s position on the constitutional questions.
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.