Gintis, et al v. Bouchard Transportation Co., et al

Filing 920100223

Opinion

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var WPFootnote1 = ' The Hon. David H. Souter, Associate Justice (Ret.) of the\
Supreme Court of the United States, sitting by designation.\
'

var WPFootnote2 = ' Despite the late date of certification, it appears that\
there were no documented closures of recreational areas following\
the spill.\
'

var WPFootnote3 = ' Bouchard argues for affirmance on grounds of issue\
preclusion, invoking the judgment of the Massachusetts state court\
certifying a class limited to owners of property in Mattapoisett,\
instead of the baywide class originally requested by the named\
plaintiffs. But that judgment has no preclusive effect against\
these plaintiffs, who were neither parties to the state action nor\
in privity with those who were. See Migra v. Warren City Sch.\
Dist. Bd. of Educ., 465 U.S. 75, 81 (1984) (preclusive effect in\
federal court of state-court judgment is determined by state law);\
Sena v. Commonwealth, 629 N.E. 2d 986, 992 (Mass. 1994); Mass.\
Prop. Ins. Underwriting Ass’n v. Norrington, 481 N.E.2d 1364, 1366-67 (Mass. 1985) (“A nonparty to a prior adjudication can be bound\
by it only where the nonparty’s interest was represented by a party\
to the prior litigation.” (internal quotation marks omitted)).\
'

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