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Constitutional Law Keyed to Farber
Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Company, Inc.
Citation:
Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Company, Inc., 556 U.S. 868, 129 S.Ct. 2252, 173 L.Ed.2d 1208 (2009)Facts
Caperton sued A.T. Massey Coal Company, Inc. for tortious interference and fraudulent misrepresentation. The trial court in West Virginia ruled for Caperton and found the coal company liable for $50 million. The Supreme Court of West Virginia heard the appeal, but prior to the hearing of the case, Caperton asked Justice Benjamin to recuse himself of the case on the basis that A.T. Massey donated $3 million to Justice Benjamin’s campaign to win his seat on the court. Justice Benjamin denied the request and Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia reversed the trial court ruling and ordered the case to be dismissed.
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