First American Financial Corp. v. Edwards
Headline: Court ends its review of a dispute between a financial corporation and Denise Edwards, dismissing its earlier grant of review and stopping further Supreme Court consideration of the case.
Holding:
- Ends Supreme Court review of this dispute.
- No Supreme Court merits opinion issued by this order.
Summary
Background
This order involves First American Financial Corporation and an individual, Denise P. Edwards. The Supreme Court had previously agreed to hear the case, but on June 28, 2012 the Court issued a short per curiam order in the matter. The published slip opinion identifies the parties and the procedural posture without describing the underlying facts or legal questions that led to the appeal.
Reasoning
The Court’s entire written action is two sentences: a per curiam statement that “The writ of certiorari is dismissed as improvidently granted,” followed by “It is so ordered.” The opinion gives no additional explanation, analysis, or reasoning about why the Court decided to dismiss its earlier grant of review. Because the order is per curiam and very brief, the Court did not publish a signed majority opinion explaining its legal view.
Real world impact
By dismissing the writ of certiorari as improvidently granted, the Supreme Court ended its own review in this matter and did not issue a decision on the merits of the dispute between the parties. The short order leaves no Supreme Court opinion resolving the legal issues presented in the case. The action is purely procedural and does not, in itself, announce substantive legal rules or provide a reported rationale that lower courts or the public can rely on.
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