Wal-Mart asks Supreme Court to deny class-action suit by female workers

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

Like the retail behemoth at its center, everything about the Supreme Court extravaganza known as Wal-Mart v. Dukes is super-sized.

The number of women who could be included in the sex discrimination class-action suit is measured in millions. The amount of damages for which the nation’s largest private employer could be liable is estimated in billions.

If the Supreme Court agrees the case can move forward, it would be the largest employment discrimination class-action suit in American history. As Wal-Mart likes to point out, the suit could include more people than the number now serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard combined. Oral arguments are scheduled for Tuesday.

The prospect of such a massive lawsuit or, alternatively, a ruling that hobbles workers from mounting class-action suits against large, national employers — has drawn an outpouring of competing briefs from corporate America and the nation’s leading civil rights groups.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/wal_mart_asks_supreme_court_not_to_allow_class_action_suit_by_female_employees_alleging_discrimination/2011/03/25/AFTMXokB_story.html

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. AKA: "Mr. Scalia, she's picking on me!"

:argh:

[sofa king]

2. Do I even need to predict 5-4 on the money side?

[Rage for Order]

3. I wouldn't be so sure...

Thomas and Scalia will definitely side with Wal Mart, but it seems that Alito and Roberts have actually ruled based on law versus ideology in several cases. I could see 7-2 or 6-3 against Wal Mart

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

4. In several cases.

Well, isn't that heartening?

[Rage for Order]

7. I hear you, but at this point I'll take what I can get

Especially given the dour predictions that were made shortly after Roberts & Alito were confirmed

[bongbong]

8. Doubtful

I cannot emphasize how much Alito & Roberts will side with the corporation - ANY corporation. Their ideology & agenda will always go for the money and against Democracy & America.

[sofa king]

13. Fingers crossed, then!

[rurallib]

5. This be be the SCOTUS chance to really squash class-actions

which is something the money people want squashed.
Could be another Citizens United.

[glinda]

9. I am in the Pet-Food Class Action. Would that affect me since they have have

not settled up yet but it has been moving though the Courts. I think they are on their final part of it now.

[unblock]

6. the breadth of the complaint is a good argument FOR class-action status

if there's a reasonable basis for the argument that wal-mart has done a civil wrong to a huge number of people, trying the cases individually is ridiculously impractical. that's the usual argument FOR handling it as a single class-action case.

it's odd that wal-mart would cite the size of the case as an argument against class-action status. the size of it helps this argument only if they can show that it's simply ridiculous on its face that THAT many people were wronged. and even that doesn't argue against class-action status, it only argues for a tighter definition of the affected class.

[crickets]

12. +1

[glinda]

10. Am in the Pet Food Class Action Lawsuit. Could it affect it? They are in the final part

of proving costs of people who submitted claims as well as fees for Lawyers.

[madrchsod]

11. a ruling for wal mart would mean no more class action law suits

[RedCloud]

14. Wal mart donated heavily to repugs last election. They'll expect obedience.

[AlinPA]

15. No progress for women: The republicans control the SC. It's that simple. nt

[sarcasmo]

16. Walmart can't loose they are in bed with the Federal Government. Hope they loose, but I

wouldn't bet against these Greedy corporate whores. Who knows how many politicians they have in their back pocket.

[Kingofalldems]

17. Freepers love their Wal Mart

[defendandprotect]

18. kick

[gtar100]

19. Corporations will do anything to avoid responsibility. Now what does that sound like?

A selfish child? A psychopath? A sociopath? Some sort of animal that has no sense of right and wrong - only living by the instinct to survive?

Wal-Mart is showing it's real face. And it's worse than Frankenstein. We have created monsters.

[Keith Bee]

20. View all

[martin12]

21. k

me totally agree