UPDATE: US Supreme Court Blocks Class Action Against AT&T Unit

[alp227]

Source: Dow Jones Newswires

WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that AT&T Mobility can enforce a cellphone contract provision that requires customers to arbitrate their disputes individually instead of filing class-action lawsuits.

The 5-4 ruling, which fell along the court's ideological divide, blocked a class-action lawsuit alleging the AT&T Inc. (T) wireless subsidiary acted fraudulently by charging sales tax on cellphones that it advertised as free.

The case was considered a test of the enforceability of arbitration agreements that bar individuals from pooling their claims together in a class action.

Two federal courts in California had ruled that the arbitration agreement included in AT&T Mobility's wireless contracts was not enforceable because it barred class actions.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110427-714539.html

---

Thom Hartmann discusses this case on today's show.

[xchrom]

1. ...

:mad:

[jaysunb]

2. Elections, really really matter

especially the one coming up.

[IScreamSundays]

6. you mean like the ones that were stolen in 2000 and 2004

Seems to me that they really didn't matter.

[jaysunb]

30. Evidently you haven't noticed the results of those election.

In this case, think Roberts & Alito.

ELECTIONS MATTER !

[damntexdem]

3. The SCOTUS majority: friend to the perpetrators, enemy of the people.

[Bozita]

4. Thom Hartmann is having a lawyer who was in the court for arguments

Coming up after the break.

[alp227]

33. that'd be Jay Goodman Tamboli

of Talk Radio News Service, interview at video starting 1 hr 6 min mark, case is named AT&T v. Concepcion

[SoapBox]

5. Of course...the Radicalized-Activist Judges side against Americans...

and America.

Amazing how they hate the citizens of this country.

[MaineDem]

7. Companies can block customers' class-action lawsuits, Supreme Court rules

Source: MSNBC

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court gave corporations a major win Wednesday, ruling in a 5-4 decision that companies can block their disgruntled customers from joining together in a class-action lawsuit. The ruling arose from a California lawsuit involving cellphones, but it will have a nationwide impact.

In the past, consumers who bought a product or a service had been free to join a class-action lawsuit if they were dissatisfied or felt they had been cheated. By combining these small claims, they could bring a major lawsuit against a corporation.

But in Wednesday's decision, the high court said that under the Federal Arbitration Act companies can force these disgruntled customers to arbitrate their complaints individually, not as part of a group. Consumer-rights advocates said this rule would spell the end for small claims involving products or services.

In the case before the court, a Southern California couple complained about a $30 charge involving their purchase of cellphone service from AT&T Mobility. The California courts said they were entitled to join with others in bringing a class-action claim against the cellphone company.

Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42785845/ns/local_news-anchorage_ak/

[Lint Head]

8. Typical fascism at work.

[inna]

21. took the words out of my mouth.

damn kleptocrats.

[Autumn]

9. Those five whores need to be impeached.

What a disgrace.

[xchrom]

10. ...

:grr:

[xxqqqzme]

11. The US will not survive this court.

The rabid corporate loving RWers are shredding the Constitution faster than I thought possible.

[asjr]

17. It would not surprise me to learn

they are poised to overturn Roe. Little by little we are going to lose all our rights. The Republicans are going to end up owning us.

[diane in sf]

22. They won't overturn Roe v. Wade--they couldn't wave abortion around any more

to get the goobers to vote against their own own financial interests.

[Kolesar]

28. I rather agree...eom

[asjr]

29. You're right. They will hold on to that.

[24601]

32. Sure they could - overturning Roe just makes it a state by state

issue. Some states would prohibit it, some would fund it, and some wouldn't regulate it at all.

[slay]

19. The amount of 5-4 decisions shows just how wrong things are - how 5 people can hand corporations

EVERYTHING. It is soooo wrong. Fuck you Thomas, Scalia, Roberts, Alito and the other one.

[Scuba]

20. Bingo.

[Ed Suspicious]

12. Every level and institution of government

working toward the same goal of creating division among people while granting unrestrained powers to corporations. Fuck this country. We need a revolution. Them keeping us separated and and working for ourselves will certainly help kill any momentum behind that idea.

We need to drive the fascists out.

[MaineDem]

13. This just makes me crazy. n/t

[bongbong]

14. Ironic & easy solution

Stop buying anything from large companies.

[villager]

18. That's the *only* thing that's going to work -- yet many are afraid to withhold their economic

"enabling" of the ruling classes...

[valerief]

15. Can't have the "union" version of lawsuits against them. That would be democracy in action.

Instead of fascism, which is what we have in action.

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. This doesn't sound constitutional.

[appal_jack]

23. agreed.

I haven't yet read the opinion, but it seems like the 'Supremes' (i.e.- the five 'Mediocres') are abridging the 1st, 7th, and 9th Amendments, at the very least.

Let's do a quick review:

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law... abridging... the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition
the Government for a redress of grievances.


Amendment VII
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty
dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved...


Amendment IX
The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed
to deny or disparage others retained by the people.


Is it too much to ask that Supreme Court justices uphold the Constitution?

-app

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[KoKo]

25. K&R... Hopefully some folks will see this...once they get past Trump and Birther News...

[CreekDog]

26. companies can band together to fight consumers

but people can't join together to fight companies.

the new order, thanks to the Supreme Court.

[Coyote_Bandit]

27. Supreme Court Appointments

Probably the single best reason to vote to retain Obama in office.

[Marblehead]

31. Yikes!!

Things are changing fast, citizens united now this. These are scary and depressing times. I wish americans would wake the F up.

[Zorra]

34. Hopefully, very soon, a relatively benign "Act of God" will make

one of these corporate whores unfit to legislate from the bench, and Obama can appoint another human being to the SC.

I'm sending my energy that way.

[Nossida]

35. Ahhhh

So the Corporate Fascist Oligarchs
had their sock puppets on the Sold
Out Supreme Court give them even
more inventive 'legal' ways to bleed
the American People into Indentured
Servitude. Bravo Justice Roland
Freisler Roberts/Alito/Scalia.

I've always said America has the best
Democracy/Justice System money can buy.

Thank you Supreme Court for confirming it for us all.

[happyslug]

36. Here is the Actual Opinion, I suspect it upholds the 1920 era Federal Arbitration law

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-893.pdf