Skip to content

Ford Motor Company v. Montana Eighth Judicial District Court

Consolidated with:

Docket No. Op. Below Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
19-368 Mont. Oct 7, 2020 Mar 25, 2021 8-0 Kagan OT 2020

Holding: The connection between plaintiffs' product-liability claims arising from car accidents occurring in each plaintiff's state of residence and Ford's activities in those states is sufficient to support specific jurisdiction in the respective state courts, even though the automobiles involved in the accidents were manufactured and sold elsewhere.

Judgment: Affirmed, 8-0, in an opinion by Justice Kagan on March 25, 2021. Justice Alito filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. Justice Gorsuch filed an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which Justice Thomas joined. Justice Barrett took no part in the consideration or decision of this case.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

DateProceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
07/24/2019Application (19A103) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from August 19, 2019 to September 18, 2019, submitted to Justice Kagan.
07/25/2019Application (19A103) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until September 18, 2019.
09/18/2019Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due October 21, 2019)
09/26/2019Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, Ford Motor Company.
10/01/2019Motion to extend the time to file a response from October 21, 2019 to November 20, 2019, submitted to The Clerk.
10/04/2019Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including November 20, 2019.
10/21/2019Brief amici curiae of The Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, et al. filed.
10/21/2019Brief amicus curiae of The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers filed. VIDED.
11/20/2019Brief of respondent Charles Lucero, personal representative of the Estate of Markkaya Jean Gullett in opposition filed.
12/04/2019DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/10/2020.
12/04/2019Reply of petitioner Ford Motor Company filed.
01/13/2020DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/17/2020.
01/17/2020Petition GRANTED. The petition for a writ of certiorari in No. 19-369 is granted. The cases are consolidated, and a total of one hour is allotted for oral argument. VIDED.
01/17/2020Because the Court has consolidated these cases for briefing and oral argument, future filings and activity in the cases will now be reflected on the docket of No. 19-368. Subsequent filings in these cases must therefore be submitted through the electronic filing system in No. 19-368. Each document submitted in connection with one or more of these cases must include on its cover the case number and caption for each case in which the filing is intended to be submitted. Where a filing is submitted in fewer than all of the cases, the docket entry will reflect the case number(s) in which the filing is submitted; a document filed in all of the consolidated cases will be noted as “VIDED.”
01/27/2020Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, Ford Motor Company.VIDED.
02/21/2020SET FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, April 27, 2020. VIDED.
02/26/2020Record requested from the Supreme Court of Montana.
02/28/2020Joint appendix filed (statement of costs filed). VIDED.
02/28/2020Brief of petitioner Ford Motor Company filed. VIDED.
03/04/2020The record of the Supreme Court of Montana is available on its' website (www.supremecourtdocket.mt.gov).
03/05/2020Brief amicus curiae of Product Liability Advisory Council, Inc. filed. VIDED.
03/06/2020Brief amicus curiae of Washington Legal Foundation filed. VIDED.
03/06/2020Brief amicus curiae of United States filed. VIDED.
03/06/2020Brief amici curiae of The Alliance for Automobile Innovation, et al. filed. VIDED.
03/06/2020Brief amici curiae of The Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America, et al. filed. VIDED.
03/06/2020Brief amici curiae of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) filed. VIDED.
03/06/2020Brief amicus curiae of Institute of International Bankers filed. VIDED.
03/06/2020Brief amicus curiae of DRI - The Voice Of The Defense Bar filed. VIDED.
03/19/2020CIRCULATED
03/30/2020Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed. VIDED.
03/30/2020Brief of respondents Charles Lucero, personal representative of the Estate of Markkaya Jean Gullett, et al. filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/02/2020Brief amicus curiae of Professor Jonathan R. Nash filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/02/2020Brief amicus curiae of Civil Procedure Professors filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/03/2020ORAL ARGUMENT POSTPONED. VIDED.
04/03/2020Brief amici curiae of Civil Procedure and Federal Courts Professors filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/03/2020Brief amicus curiae of The Center for Auto Safety filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/06/2020Motion of Minnesota, et al. for leave to participate in oral argument as amici curiae and for divided argument filed. VIDED.
04/06/2020Brief amici curiae of Professors of Jurisdiction filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/06/2020Brief amici curiae of Civil Procedure Professors Pamela K. Bookman, et al. filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/06/2020Brief amicus curiae of Foundation for Moral Law filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/06/2020Brief amicus curiae of National Association of Home Builders filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/06/2020Brief amicus curiae of Main Street Alliance filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/06/2020Brief amici curiae of American Association for Justice and Public Justice, P.C. filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/06/2020Brief amici curiae of Minnesota, Texas, 37 Other States and The District of Columbia filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
04/13/2020Argument to be rescheduled for the October Term 2020. VIDED.
04/20/2020Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument DENIED. VIDED.
04/20/2020Motion of Minnesota, et al. for leave to participate in oral argument as amici curiae and for divided argument DENIED. VIDED.
04/29/2020Reply of petitioner Ford Motor Company filed. VIDED. (Distributed)
07/13/2020SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, October 7, 2020. VIDED.
10/07/2020Argued. For petitioner: Sean Marotta, Washington, D.C. For respondents: Deepak Gupta, Washington, D. C. VIDED.
12/16/2020Record from the 8th Judicial District Court of Montana electronically received.
03/25/2021Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Kagan, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kavanaugh, JJ., joined. Alito, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. Gorsuch, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment, in which Thomas, J., joined. Barrett, J., took no part in the consideration or decision of the cases. VIDED.
04/26/2021MANDATE ISSUED.
04/26/2021JUDGMENT ISSUED.