United States Sixth Circuit

Under circumstances where defendants raise sovereign immunity as an "alternative" ground for rejection of claims and under any circumstances in which a state (or the U.S.) declines to raise sovereign immunity as a threshold defense, federal courts have discretion to address the sovereign immunity defense and the merits in whichever order they prefer.

Appellate Information

• Decided 04/04/2006
• Published 04/04/2006

Judges

• Before:  GUY, SUTTON, and McKEAGUE, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Sixth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Barry S. Fagan, Dib, Fagan & Brault, Royal Oak, Michigan, for Appellant.  Eileen K. Husband, Cummings, McClorey, Davis & Acho, Livonia, Michigan, for Appellees.   ON BRIEF:  Barry S. Fagan, Dib, Fagan & Brault, Royal Oak, Michigan, for Appellant.  Eileen K. Husband, Thomas J. Laginess, Cummings, McClorey, Davis & Acho, Livonia, Michigan, for Appellees.