Baker v. General Motors Corporation case brief summary
522 U.S. 222 (1998)
CASE FACTS
The company settled an employment action against it in a Michigan state court by paying money to its former engineering analyst in exchange for an injunction prohibiting the analyst from testifying against the company in subsequent litigation without its consent, unless he was court-ordered to do so. The survivors sued the company for wrongful death in Missouri state court, later removed to federal court. Over the company's objections based on the Michigan injunction, the survivors were allowed to subpoena the analyst for deposition and trial testimony. Judgment was subsequently entered for the survivors, but the court of appeals reversed, ruling that the Full Faith and Credit Clause, U.S. Constitutional art. IV, § 1, required enforcement of the Michigan injunction, such that the analyst's testimony should have been excluded.
DISCUSSION
The judgment of the court of appeals was reversed.
Recommended Supplements for Civil Procedure
522 U.S. 222 (1998)
CASE SYNOPSIS
Petitioner survivors were granted
certiorari to review the judgment of the United States Court of
Appeals for the Eighth Circuit reversing a judgment against
respondent company in a wrongful death action. The Court of Appeals
ruled that the testimony of a certain witness should not have been
admitted because the district court should have given full faith and
credit to a court order from another state enjoining his testimony
against the company.CASE FACTS
The company settled an employment action against it in a Michigan state court by paying money to its former engineering analyst in exchange for an injunction prohibiting the analyst from testifying against the company in subsequent litigation without its consent, unless he was court-ordered to do so. The survivors sued the company for wrongful death in Missouri state court, later removed to federal court. Over the company's objections based on the Michigan injunction, the survivors were allowed to subpoena the analyst for deposition and trial testimony. Judgment was subsequently entered for the survivors, but the court of appeals reversed, ruling that the Full Faith and Credit Clause, U.S. Constitutional art. IV, § 1, required enforcement of the Michigan injunction, such that the analyst's testimony should have been excluded.
DISCUSSION
- In reversing, the Supreme Court ruled that, although the injunction was claim preclusive between the company and the analyst, it had no control over others.
- The full faith and credit provision did not apply to evidentiary rulings and did not bar the survivors, non-parties to the Michigan action, from obtaining the analyst's testimony in their Missouri action.
The judgment of the court of appeals was reversed.
Recommended Supplements for Civil Procedure
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