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Judith Kerns, et al. v. Caterpillar, Inc.

Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, No. 18-5384 · judgment November 13, 2019


Certiorari denied · June 8, 2020
Pre-decision estimate: 1% cert probability

Before the decision, well below the 4.1% base rate, with no standout signals pointing toward a grant.

Question presented

With respect to the surviving spouse class members whose retiree-spouses died on or after January 10, 2005 (after expiration of the 1998 contracts) (“Group 2”), did the Sixth Circuit misapply M&G Polymers USA, LLC v. Tackett, 135 S.Ct. 926 (2015), and related cases and misconstrue the applicable collectivelybargained agreements to find Group 2 surviving spouses have no right to healthcare benefits after the expiration of the agreements?

Counsel of record

For petitioner
Lisa Maureen Smith
McKnight, Canzano, Smith, Radtke & Brault, P.C.

For respondent
Linda T. Coberly
Winston & Strawn, LLP

Case

Conference history
Distributed for 1 conference

Linked docket
19A870

Proceedings

  1. Jun 08 2020
    Petition DENIED.
  2. May 19 2020
    DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/4/2020.
  3. May 13 2020
    Waiver of right of respondent Caterpillar, Inc. to respond filed.
  4. Apr 13 2020
    Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due May 18, 2020)
  5. Mar 02 2020
    Application (19A870) granted by Justice Sotomayor extending the time to file until April 13, 2020.
  6. Feb 20 2020
    Application (19A870) to extend further the time from March 18, 2020 to April 11, 2020, submitted to Justice Sotomayor.
  7. Feb 04 2020
    Application (19A870) granted by Justice Sotomayor extending the time to file until March 18, 2020.
  8. Jan 30 2020
    Application (19A870) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from February 11, 2020 to March 18, 2020, submitted to Justice Sotomayor.