Texas v. California

Summary

Justice Alito, joined by Justice Thomas, dissents from the Supreme Court’s denial of Texas’s motion to file a bill of complaint against California, arguing that the Court should not decline to exercise its exclusive original jurisdiction over disputes between states. He contends that the Court’s practice of refusing such cases lacks a convincing justification and conflicts with the Constitution’s grant of jurisdiction. The dissent emphasizes historical authority that courts must exercise jurisdiction when given, and warns that the majority’s approach threatens the role of the Court in adjudicating inter‑state conflicts.