Nevada gamblers can’t sue Georgia officer over cash seizure

The title of this thread is misleading. This was a question of jurisdiction.
The SCOTUS found that the Georgia officer can't be sued in Nevada. They can sue in Georgia.
9-0 decision.

The title is a little deceiving. They can sue the officer, just not in the Nevada court system. I remember hearing about this case a few months ago. They have to file the suit in Georgia. Although it is mildly disappointing, I figured that is the way it would turn out. It adds to the cost of getting your money back and increases the inconvenience factor. I also gives officer more incentive to confiscate smaller amounts of money from travelers in the airport because the inconvenience and costs may out weigh the amount taken.

DM

The title is somewhat misleading in theory. But, in practice, it is costly and difficult to sue in a state 2,000 miles distant. Worse, you are bringing suit against a Georgian official in a Georgian court from out of state, which may lead to bias problems.

Some years back, a friend was asked to evaluate a blackjack strategy. He said OK. He then was asked to sign an NDA, and agree that any possible violation would only be adjudicated in another country, 7,000 miles away. Obviously, he declined.

I'm surprised the couple got their money back. As many horror stories that I have been hearing and reading about airports/airport security I would have tried to wire the money back to forsake the headache from the airport goon squad.

This was Bob N's case.

Norm: there would be federal "diversity" jurisdiction in this case, so it could still be brought in federal court, but it would have to be a federal court sitting in Georgia. It is still less convenient for the plaintiff for it to litigated in Georgia than in Nevada (especially since Bob is licensed by the Nevada bar and the Florida bar does not allow reciprocity with any other state), but federal jurisdiction is supposed to reduce much of the bias against out of state litigants.

Thanks for the comment. Lack of bias is certainly a plus. But, how long does it take to get a definitive hearing in federal court?

Actually, I misspoke: Bob should still be able still argue the case in Georgia without having to gain reciprocity, since admission to federal court doesn't require state bar certification. I'm sure he knows that, though, and will proceed to argue the case himself if the statute of limitations didn't run out while arguing the jurisdictional issue. But you are correct that getting into federal court can take a long time. I know in some parts of the country it can be longer than three years for civil suits! It varies by region.