Was there any case decided by the US Supreme Court regarding jurisprudence from 2008 - 2009?

Answer 1

The US Supreme Court issued opinions for 92 cases during the 2009-2010 Term; they heard arguments and wrote full opinions for 73 of them. The final docket originally included a few more cases, but some were dismissed as moot due to settlement or changing circumstances.

The Court issued 83 opinions in its 2008-2009 Term.

Answer 2

Caperton v. Massey Coal, 556 US ___ (2009)

In 2002, a West Virginia jury found Massey Coal guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation, concealment, and tortious interference with its existing contractors. Massey's intentional actions resulted in crippling or destroying the four plaintiff companies, Hugh Caperton, Harman Development Corp., Harman Mining Corp., and Sovereign Coal Sales. The jury awarded the plaintiffs (identified as Caperton) $50 million dollars in actual and punitive damages. Massey twice filed post-trial motions with the trial court, challenging the damages and award in the original case.

In both instances, the Court denied Massey's motion, stating: "[Massey] intentionally acted in utter disregard of [Caperton's] rights and ultimately destroyed [Caperton's] businesses because, after conducting cost­ benefit analyses, [Massey] concluded it was in its financial interest to do so."

West Virginia held its next judicial elections in 2004. Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey, planned an appeal of the trial court ruling and decided his chance of a favorable outcome would improve if the incumbent appeals court justice was unseated. Blankenship actively supported the opposing candidate, Brent Benjamin, by contributing $3 million toward his campaign, an amount in excess of the combined contributions of all Benjamin's other supporters, and $1 million more than the total spent by both candidates' campaign committees combined. Benjamin won the election by 50,000 votes.

Before Massey could file his appeal, Caperton filed a motion to disqualify Justice Benjamin under the Fourteenth Amendment Due Process Clause as well as West Virginia's Code of Judicial Conduct, based on the conflict of interest arising from Massey's exorbitant campaign contribution.

Justice Benjamin denied Caperton's motion, and the West Virginia State Supreme Court of Appeals subsequently reversed the lower court ruling by a vote of 3-2, with Benjamin finding in Massey's favor. The case was approved for rehearing, and Benjamin refused twice more to recuse himself, claiming the ruling showed no bias for or against either litigant. In 2007, the Court upheld its earlier decision reversing the jury award.

In a dissenting opinion, West Virginia Justice Starcher stated that the "majority's opinion is morally and legally wrong."

Four months later, a month after a petition for a writ of certiorari was filed with the US Supreme Court, Benjamin belatedly filed a concurring opinion defending the court's decision and his personal decision not to recuse himself.


Supreme Court Decision

In a 5-4 decision opposed by the conservatives, Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia, Thomas and Alito, the Supreme Court held that in all circumstances, due process required Benjamin recuse himself.

In the opinion of the Court, Justice Kennedy cited as precedent Tumey v. Ohio, 273 US 510 (1927) that "concluded that the Due Process Clause incorporated the common-law rule that a judge must recuse himself when he has "a direct, personal, substantial, pecuniary interest" in a case."

The Court stated that it was not necessary to prove actual bias, only that the probability of actual bias was high enough to be intolerable.

The Tumey Court articulated the controlling principle:

"Every procedure which would offer a possible temp­tation to the average man as a judge to forget the burden of proof required to convict the defendant, or which might lead him not to hold the balance nice, clear and true between the State and the accused, de­nies the latter due process of law."

The West Virginia Supreme Court's decision was reversed, and the case remanded for appropriate resolution.

Answer 3

You can read all opinions from the 2008 and 2009 Terms on the Supreme Court website, via the Related Link, below.