What did the Supreme Court decide in Caperton v Massey Coal Co?

A.T. Massey Coal Co. was a 2009 United States Supreme Court case in which the court held that the 14th Amendment Due Process Clause requires judges to recuse themselves from cases that represent a probability of bias.

How did the court rule in Caperton VAT Massey Coal Company?

On June 8, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Caperton v. Massey. In a 5-4 opinion written by Justice Kennedy, the court concluded that, given the “serious risk of actual bias,” the Due Process Clause required the recusal of Judge Brent Benjamin.

What was the importance of Caperton v Massey Coal Co on judicial independence?

Caperton v. Massey was a case raising the question of whether the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause requires an elected state judge to recuse himself when a litigant appearing before him has made substantial contributions to the judge’s election campaign.

Who owned Massey Energy?

Alpha Natural Resources
On June 1, 2011, shareholders of Alpha Natural Resources agreed to buy Massey Energy for $7.1 billion, making it the nation’s largest metallurgical coal company.

What is the power to hear a case first?

Original Jurisdiction
Original Jurisdiction: the authority of a court to hear and decide a case in the first instance over the authority of other courts. For example, trial courts are courts of original jurisdiction in many cases.

What is one way a state can remove a judge that is the subject of numerous ethics complaints?

California judges may be removed in one of three ways: Judges may be impeached by the assembly and convicted by two thirds of the senate.

What happened Massey coal?

Massey Energy owned and operated Upper Big Branch Mine where 29 miners were killed in April 2010….Massey Energy.

Type	Public
Industry	Coal
Founded	1920 (Richmond, Virginia)
Fate	Acquired by Alpha Natural Resources
Headquarters	Richmond, VA

How long was Blankenship in jail?

On December 3, 2015, Blankenship was found guilty of one misdemeanor charge of conspiring to willfully violate mine safety and health standards in relation to the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion, and was sentenced to one year in prison.

What determines the court that will hear the case?

Assuming the case is capable of being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, the first step, most of the time, is to file a lawsuit in your local state or federal court. The trial judge would hear evidence and consider legal arguments from each side before making a decision.

Can you sue a judge for abuse of power?

Judges are typically immune from a lawsuit. You cannot sue judges for actions they took in their official capacity. For example, a judge who decides a case against you cannot be sued.

What was the outcome of Caperton v.massey?

After a West Virginia jury found respondents, a coal company and its affiliates (hereinafter Massey), liable for fraudulent misrepresentation, concealment, and tortious interference with existing contractual relations and awarded petitioners (hereinafter Caperton) $50 million in damages, West Virginia held its 2004 judicial elections.

Why was Hugh Caperton forced to declare bankruptcy?

Hugh Caperton was forced to declare bankruptcy after A.T. Massey Coal Co. canceled a contract with him. Caperton was awarded $50 million in compensatory and punitive damages, based on a jury finding that Massey had engaged in fraudulent misrepresentation, concealment, and tortious interference with existing contractual relations.

Who was the CEO of Massey Coal Company?

An appeal of the verdict was pending during the judicial elections in West Virginia in 2004. Massey’s chairman, CEO, and president, Don Blankenship, supported candidate Brent Benjamin.

What was the case of Larkin v.massey?

Larkin, 421 U. S. 35, 47. Two such instances place the present case in proper context. Pp. 6–11. (1) The first involved local tribunals in which a judge had a financial interest in a case’s outcome that was less than what would have been considered personal or direct at common law.