SCOTUS Invalidates NY Law that Strips Trial Courts of Jurisdiction over Suits against State Correctional Officers

The Supreme Court decided the following case today (per BNA's U.S. Law Week - Supreme Court Today):

Haywood v. Drown, No. 07-10374. A New York law that strips the state's trial courts of jurisdiction to hear suits for damages, including federal civil rights actions under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, brought against state correctional officers, but not similar actions against other state officials, violates the supremacy clause of the Constitution. The New York statute does not qualify as a neutral rule of judicial administration that would be permissible and states do not have authority to nullify a federal right or cause of action they find inconsistent with their local policies.

Download the opinion from Cornell's LII here.