Conflict of Laws.docx
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Conflict of Laws.docx
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ConflictofLaws
NEWYORKCONFLICTS
JoeTomEasley
jteasley@aya.yale.edu
Conflictsisaboutclashesbetweenthesubstantivelawsoftwodifferentstates,notclashesofinconsistentlawsofasinglestate.Thefactpatternwillincludemultiplestatesandincludethesubstantivelawofanotherstate,sothesequestionsareeasytospot.Usuallycombinedintortsquestion.Rarelytested–10timesinlast45exams.Knowthekeyrules.Ifarisesprobablywillbeinconjunctionwithatort.Alsointhemultiplechoice.
THECONFLICTSROADMAP,orhere'swherewe'reheading
1.RecognitionandEnforcementofJudgments.
2.Domicile.
3.ChoiceofLaw.(mostimportant).
I.RECOGNITIONANDENFORCEMENTOFJUDGMENTS
Situation:
Factsshowajudgmentrenderedinanotherstateorcountry,outsideofNewYork.
Question:
ShouldthatjudgmentberecognizedandenforcedbyNewYorkcourts?
HYPO:
MarylivedonherfarminColumbiaCountyintheHudsonValleyofNewYorkState.ShetookatemporaryjobinAustin,Texasandrentedherfarmandfurnishedfarmhousetoafriend.WhileinAustinsheborrowedmoneyfromabank.Whenshefailedtopaytheloanwhendue,thebankproperlysuedMaryintheTexascourtsandreceivedajudgmentagainstMaryintheamountoftheunpaidloan.ThebanknowisattemptingtoenforcethatjudgmentinNewYorkandforceasaleofMary’sNewYorkpropertytosatisfythatjudgment.
Canthebankdoit?
Yes.
Thestatehandingdownthejudgmentistherenderingstate.
Thestatecalledupontorecognizeandenforcethejudgmentistherecognizingstate.
Twosituationstoconsider:
1.Wasthejudgmentrenderedbyasisterstatecourt?
2.Wasthejudgmentrenderedbyaforeigncountrycourt?
SISTERSTATEJUDGMENTS
Isthejudgmententitledtofullfaithandcredit?
TwoRequirements:
1.Judgmentmustmeetthethreefullfaithandcreditrequirements;AND
2.NOvaliddefensesapply.
FULLFAITHANDCREDITREQUIREMENTS
1.ValidJurisdiction:
intherenderingcourtoverboththepartiesandthesubjectmatterofthelitigation.
*Jurisdictionoftherecognizingstateovertheoriginaldisputeisimmaterial.
2.FinalJudgment:
Thejudgmentwasafinaljudgment.
Note:
Ifajudgmentismodifiable,itisnotafinaljudgmentandgetsnofullfaithandcredit,BUTitwillusuallystillbeenforcedunderprinciplesofcomity(礼譲(権利に基づかない措置)).
Thetwomodifiablejudgmentstoremember:
a)Futurealimony.
b)Futurechildsupport.
Note:
Judgmentsforamountsalreadyaccruedandinarrears(i.e.,delayinpayment)areconsideredfinaljudgments.
HYPO:
JohnandMarshaweremarriedinNewYorkandsoonmovedtoNewJerseywheretheylivedfor15years.Duringthattimetheyhadonechild,Mark.MarshaobtainedadivorcefromJohninNewJerseyandaspartofthatdivorcewasawarded$3000amonthalimonyand$500permonthchildsupport.Johnneverpaidanyalimonyorchildsupport,andmovedbacktoNewYorkayearafterthedivorce.MarshareturnedtoNewYorkandnowseekstohavethedivorcedecreeenforcedinNewYorkagainstJohn.
IstheNewJerseyjudgmentfinalastothealimonyandchildsupport?
Yes,butonlyfortheoneyearaccruedbutnotpaid.
3.JudgmentontheMerits:
Thejudgmentmusthavebeenrenderedonthemerits(=dismissisnotincluded).
HYPO:
RalphandSam,Michiganresidents,weredrivinginPennsylvaniawhentheircarveeredofftheroadandstruckatree.Sam,thepassengerinRalph’scar,suedRalphinPennsylvania.ThePennsylvaniacourtdismissedtheactionsincethePennsylvaniatwo-yearstatuteoflimitationsintorthadrunout.SamthensuedRalphinMichiganwheretheirthree-yearstatutehadnotyetrun.RalphsoughttohavethePennsylvaniajudgmentgivenfullfaithandcreditbytheMichigancourt.
IsthePennsylvaniajudgmentdismissingSam’scauseofactionentitledtofullfaithandcreditbytheMichigancourts?
No,becausethePennsylvaniajudgmentwasnotonthemerits.
Twosituationsthatareonthemeritsforfullfaithandcreditpurposes:
a)Defaultjudgments
b)Consentjudgments
Sincethepartiesinthesetwosituationshadtheopportunitytogotoajudgmentonthemerits,theyaresoconsideredhere.
DEFENSES
MostattempteddefensesdoNOTwork(theso-called“non-defenses”),butyoumusttalkaboutthemiftheyappearinthefacts.
Onlytwodefensesaregoodtoday:
1.PenalJudgment:
Courtswillnotenforcethiskindofjudgment.
Definition:
Penaljudgmentisajudgmentrenderedforanoffenseagainstthepublic.
NOTE:
Punitivedamagesarenot“penaljudgment.”
HYPO:
Enrique,aVermontresident,suedaNewYorkcorporation,ThirdWorldLaborExploitation,Inc.,inVermontforgrossnegligenceinthesaleofflammablecottonpajamasforchildren.Attrialitwasshownthatthecompanyknewthattheirpajamaswerelikelytoinjurechildreniftheycaughtfire,andthecompanyhadsuppressedreportsofdeathsofnumerouschildrenbecauseoftheirdangerousproduct.Thejuryawardedtheplaintiff$125,000inactualdamagesformedicalexpensesrelatingtoEnrique’sinjuredchild,and$87milliondollarsinpunitivedamages.WhenEnriqueseekstohavetheNewYorkcourtsrecognizeandenforcetheVermontjudgment,thedefendantassertsthatthe$87millioninpunitivedamagesconstitutesapenaljudgmentandforthisreasonisnotentitledtofullfaithandcredit.
Isthisagooddefense?
No,punitivedamagesarenot“penal,”becausethesedamagesareawardedforprivateinjury.
ExamplesofPenalJudgment:
Criminalsanctionorcivilfine.
Winnermustbethegovernment,notaprivatepersonorentity.
2.ExtrinsicFraud(notintrinsicfraud)
Intrinsicfraudisfraudthatcouldhavebeendealtwithduringthelitigation,anditisNOTagooddefensetofullfaithandcredit.
e.g.Perjury
HYPO:
SusanlostacaseagainstherbroughtbyaformerfriendwhowasinjuredwhenSusanbackedhercaroutofherfriend’sdrivewayinConnecticut.AjudgmentwasrenderedagainstSusaninConnecticutfor$50,000.BeforethisjudgmentwassoughttobeenforcedagainstSusaninNewYork,Susanobtainedevidencethattestimonyofapurportedeyewitnesstotheincidenthadcommittedperjuryattherequestoftheplaintiff.
WhentheplaintiffseekstohavetheConnecticutjudgmentenforcedinNewYorkagainstSusan,shepleadsthedefensethatthejudgmentwasprocuredbyfraud.
DoesSusanwin?
No,thatisintrinsicfraud.Perjuryistheclassicexample.Couldhaveattackedwitness’scredibilitybutdidn’t.Thatistoobad.
Extrinsicfraud:
iffraudthatcouldNOThavebeencopedwithintheearliertrial.
Onlyexampleofextrinsicfraudtoworryabout:
Bribingofajudge.
“Non-Defenses”:
won’twork,butyoumusttalkaboutthemiftheyappearinthefacts:
1.Thejudgmentisataxjudgment.TodaytheseareOKandcanbeenforced.
2.Thejudgmentisbasedonacauseofactionthatviolatesforum’s(recognizingstate’s)publicpolicy.
HYPO:
HenryandSuehadbeenmarriedforfiveyearswhenHenry’swanderingeyeledhimtoBobbie,anoften-divorcedsocialitewhowasattractedtoHenry’sgoodlooksandlargeincome.WhenHenryleftSueforBobbie,SuesuedBobbieinastatethatallowsalienationofaffectionsasacauseofaction.Shewonasubstantialjudgment.NowSueseekstohavethatjudgmentrecognizedandenforcedinastatethatdoesnotallowsuchsuits.
CanBobbiedefendbyclaimingthatthestate’spublicpolicyagainstsuitsforalienationofaffectionspreventstherecognitionandenforcementofthisjudgment?
No.Thoughtheunderlyingcauseofactionisnotinaccordancewithrecognizingstate’spolicy,thisisimmaterial.
3.Mistakesbythejudgeintheearliertrial.Theremedyforsuchmistakesistoappealtheincorrectjudgment;itistoolatetoraisethisissueattherecognitionofjudgmentsstage.
4.Inconsistentjudgments.Alaterjudgmentcanbeenforcedeventhoughitisinconsistentwithavalidearlierone.
HYPO:
JanesuedJillinStateA;StateArenderedajudgmentinJill’sfavor.JanethenwenttoStateBwiththesamecauseofactionagainstthesamepartyandStateBrenderedajudgmentinJane’sfavor.StateBdidthiseventhoughtheStateAjudgmentwasentitledtofullfaithandcredit.JanenowgoestoStateCseekingtoenforcetheStateBjudgmentagainstJill.
CanJaneenforcethisjudgmentinStateC?
Yes.StateBshouldhavedismissed(whichwouldgivefullfaithandcredittothejudgmentinStateA).ButthatisnotStateC’sproblem.JillshouldhaveappealedinStateBonthefullfaithandcreditgrounds.
Ruleofthumb:
enforcethelastjudgmentintime.
FOREIGNCOUNTRYJUDGMENTS
Thesecanberecognizedandenforced,ifatwo-partcomitytestissatisfied:
1.Jurisdictionmusthavebeenproper,and
2.Fairproceduresmusthavebeenusedintheforeigncountryproceeding.
Todeterminewhethertheforeigncountryjudgmentmeetsthistest,usetherecognizingstate’slaw,andthismeansthatstate’sideasofdueprocess:
Ask:
Werethereenoughcontactswiththelitigationorthepartiestomakejurisdictionfair?
(fundamentalfairnesstest)
SPECIALSITUATION:
FAMILYLAWJUDGMENTS
Recognitionandenforcementoffamilylawjudgmentsinvolvesconsiderationofjurisdiction,bothsubject-matterandpersonal.
Threetypesofjudgments,eachwithitsownjurisdictionalrequirements:
1.Theterminationofthemaritalstatus,thatis,thedivorcedecree.
2.Propertyawards,suchasalimonyandchildsupport.
3.Childcustodyawards.
Judgmentsmaybeofallthreetypes(e.g.,divorcewithalimony,childsupportandchildcustody),soyoumayhavetoconsiderjurisdictionforeach.
DIVORCE
Avaliddivorcerequirespropersubject-matterjurisdiction,andthisrequiresthatoneofthetwospouses(NOTboth)bedomiciledinthestaterendering
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