DIRECTV, Inc. v. Imburgia

DIRECTV, Inc. v. Imburgia, 577 U.S. ___ (2015), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States clarified when arbitration provisions in contracts are governed by the Federal Arbitration Act. In a 6–3 opinion written by Justice Stephen Breyer, the Court reversed a decision by the California Court of Appeal that refused to enforce an arbitration agreement between DIRECTV and its customers. The California Court had ruled that the arbitration agreement was unenforceable because, under applicable California law, a class action arbitration waiver between DIRECTV and its customers was unenforceable. However, the Supreme Court of the United States held that the California Court of Appeal's interpretation was preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act, and the California Court of Appeal was therefore required to enforce the arbitration agreement.

DIRECTV, Inc. v. Imburgia
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued October 6, 2015 Decided December 14, 2015
Full case name	DIRECTV, Inc., Petitioner v. Amy Imburgia, et al.
Docket no.	14-462
Citations	577 U.S. ___ (more) 136 S. Ct. 463; 193 L. Ed. 2d 365
Opinion announcement	Opinion announcement
Case history
Prior	On Writ of Certiorari to the Court of Appeal of California, Second Appellate District
Holding
Because the California Court of Appeal’s interpretation is preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act, that court must enforce the arbitration agreement.
Court membership
Chief Justice John Roberts Associate Justices Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy Clarence Thomas · Ruth Bader Ginsburg Stephen Breyer · Samuel Alito Sonia Sotomayor · Elena Kagan
Case opinions
Majority	Breyer, joined by Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Alito, Kagan
Dissent	Thomas
Dissent	Ginsburg, joined by Sotomayor
Laws applied
Federal Arbitration Act

Justice Clarence Thomas filed a dissent, restating his view that the Federal Arbitration Act does not apply to proceedings in state courts. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, also filed a dissent, writing that the majority's decision "again expanded the scope of the FAA, further degrading the rights of consumers and further insulating already powerful economic entities from liability for unlawful acts".

See also

• List of United States Supreme Court cases
• Lists of United States Supreme Court cases by volume
• List of United States Supreme Court cases by the Roberts Court

External links

• Text of DIRECTV, Inc. v. Imburgia, 577 U.S. ___ (2015) is available from: Google Scholar Justia Oyez (oral argument audio) Supreme Court (slip opinion) (archived)