Hillman v. Maretta
| Docket No. | Op. Below | Argument | Opinion | Vote | Author | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11-1221 | Va. S. Ct. | Apr 22, 2013 | Jun 3, 2013 | 9-0 | Sotomayor | OT 2012 |
Holding: The Federal Employees’ Group Life Insurance Act (FEGLIA), which establishes a life insurance program for federal employees, allows an employee to designate a beneficiary to receive the proceeds of the policy when the employee dies. That law preempts a Virginia law that allows the family of a deceased employee to sue the designated beneficiary for the proceeds if the beneficiary happens to be the employee’s former spouse.
Judgment: Affirmed, 9-0, in an opinion by Justice Sotomayor on June 3, 2013. Justice Scalia joins the opinion except as to footnote 4. Justice Thomas and Justice Alito filed opinions concurring in the judgment.
SCOTUSblog Coverage
- Opinion analysis: States can’t override federal employees’ life insurance designations (Tejinder Singh, June 3, 2013)
- Argument recap: Looking for the less wrong answer (Tejinder Singh, April 22, 2013)
- Argument preview: Divorce, death, and preemption (Tejinder Singh, April 21, 2013)
- Petition of the day (Matthew Bush, May 24, 2012)
| Date | Proceedings and Orders |
|---|---|
| Apr 11 2012 | Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due May 14, 2012) |
| Apr 18 2012 | Order extending time to file response to petition to and including May 31, 2012. |
| May 18 2012 | Brief of respondent Judy A. Maretta in opposition filed. |
| May 29 2012 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 14, 2012. |
| May 29 2012 | Reply of petitioner Jacqueline Hillman filed. (Distributed) |
| Jun 18 2012 | The Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States. |
| Dec 14 2012 | Brief amicus curiae of United States filed. |
| Dec 14 2012 | Letter proposing a lodging of the government's group life insurance contract with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company received from the Solicitor General. |
| Dec 26 2012 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of January 11, 2013. |
| Jan 11 2013 | Petition GRANTED. |
| Feb 11 2013 | SET FOR ARGUMENT ON MONDAY, April 22, 2013 |
| Feb 22 2013 | Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed) |
| Feb 22 2013 | Brief of petitioner Jacqueline Hillman filed. (Distributed) |
| Mar 1 2013 | CIRCULATED. |
| Mar 7 2013 | Record received from Supreme Court of Virginia. (1 Box) |
| Mar 25 2013 | Brief of respondent Judy A. Maretta filed (Reprinted). (Distributed) |
| Apr 1 2013 | Brief amicus curiae of Association of Federal Health Organizations filed. (Distributed) |
| Apr 1 2013 | Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed. |
| Apr 1 2013 | Brief amicus curiae of United States filed. (Distributed) |
| Apr 12 2013 | Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED. |
| Apr 15 2013 | Reply of petitioner Jacqueline Hillman filed. (Distributed) |
| Apr 22 2013 | Argued. For petitioner: Daniel H. Ruttenberg, Vienna, Va. For respondent: Steffen N. Johnson, Washington, D. C.; and Elaine J. Goldenberg, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) |
| Jun 3 2013 | Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Sotomayor, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, and Kagan, JJ., joined, and in which Scalia, J., joined as to all but footnote 4. Thomas, J., and Alito, J., filed opinions concurring in the judgment. |
| Jul 5 2013 | MANDATE ISSUED. |
| Jul 5 2013 | Record returned to Supreme Court of Virginia. |
