9/11 decision allows judges to toss civil suits they disfavor

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http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/07/21/911-decision-allows-judges-to-toss-civil-suits/

By Stephen C. Webster

Published: July 21, 2009
Updated 6 hours ago

Report: Iqbal case cited by lower courts 500 times in just two months

In just two short months, a little-noticed case involving a former detainee’s lawsuit against two Bush administration officials may have become what one attorney called “the most significant Supreme Court decision in a decade” affecting U.S. civil litigation.

Decided in May, Ashcroft v. Iqbal has already been cited over 500 times by lower courts, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.

The lawsuit, which named former Attorney General John Ashcroft and former FBI Director Robert Mueller, stemmed from the alleged torture and humiliation of a Pakistani man, arrested in New York City in November, 2001. In a 5-4 decision, the court found that the two Bush administration officials could not be sued without evidence that they ordered the abusive treatment.