Relitigation Exception Does Not Apply, High Court Rules

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - A federal court exceeded its power in refusing to allow two members of a Baycol putative class to relitigate class certification in West Virginia state court, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled, finding that the Anti-Injunction Act's relitigation exception does not apply. In re Baycol Products Litigation, No. 09-1205 (U.S. Sup. Ct.).

On June 16, the high court ruled that the exception is inapplicable because the issue presented in the federal court was not the same as the one presented in state court and the state court plaintiff was not a party to the federal action. …