No. 23-973

Randy Tarum, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Robert L. Lindsay, et al. v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2024-03-06
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Tags: certification-of-state-law-questions comity cooperative-federalism divergent-decisions diversity-jurisdiction efficient-federal-practice erie-doctrine federal-procedure first-impression judicial-comity lehman-bros-v-schein state-law-certification
Key Terms:
DueProcess ClassAction Jurisdiction JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2024-05-09
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Should cooperative-federalism, comity, efficient-federal-practice, divergent-decisions, lehman-bros-v-schein, certification-of-state-law-questions

Question Presented (from Petition)

Questions Presented 1. Should cooperative federalism, comity, efficient federal practice, and the divergent decisions in the Circuits prompt the Court in the wake of Lehman Bros. v. Schein, 416 U.S. 386 (1974) to clarify and update the procedure for certifying questions of state law in diversity actions so that it is a predictable, if not mandated, process when the question is one of “first impression,” significantly affecting the welfare of citizens in the state, and determinative of the cause of action in the federal forum? 2. Were petitioners denied a fair hearing in this diversity action when after acknowledging that a state-law insurance issue is one of “first impression” in Montana, the Panel refused to certify the question to the state’s highest court, relegating petitioners to an inappropriate “Erie guess” in an unpublished memorandum?

Docket Entries

2024-05-13
Petition DENIED.
2024-04-17
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/9/2024.
2024-03-25
Supplemental brief of petitioners Randy Tarum, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Robert L. Lindsay, et al. filed.
2024-03-04
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due April 5, 2024)

Attorneys

Randy Tarum, as Personal Representative of the Estate of Robert L. Lindsay, et al.
Lonnie J. DaleMilodragovich, Dale, Steinbrenner, P.C., Petitioner
Lonnie J. DaleMilodragovich, Dale, Steinbrenner, P.C., Petitioner