Vermont v. New York

Background

The Court granted a motion to file a bill of complaint and appointed retired Justice R. Ammi Cutter to serve as Special Master. The appointment gives the Special Master authority to manage supplemental proceedings in the case and to handle additional filings and procedures.

Reasoning

The order authorizes the Special Master to fix the time and conditions for filing additional papers, to direct subsequent proceedings, to summon witnesses, to issue subpoenas, and to take evidence as it is introduced or as he deems necessary. The Master must submit reports the Court finds appropriate. The Master may be reimbursed for actual expenses, and the Court directed that those costs, plus assistants’ pay and printing, be charged to the parties in proportions the Court will later set. The order also allows the Chief Justice to name a replacement if the Special Master position becomes vacant while the Court is in recess.

Real world impact

As a result, the parties in this dispute can expect further fact-gathering and formal evidence collection overseen by the Special Master. Parties may be required to respond to subpoenas and to bear portions of the Master’s expenses and support costs. This is a procedural step, not a final decision on the merits, and the Court may change details or allocate costs differently later.