Williams v. Reed (Civil Rights)

Supreme Court Decision Syllabus (SCOTUS Podcast)

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In Williams v. Reed, the Supreme Court rejects Alabama’s administrative-exhaustion rule, holding that states cannot require claimants to complete an allegedly delayed administrative process before filing a 42 U.S.C. §1983 lawsuit challenging that very delay. Writing for the Court, Justice Kavanaugh explains that the Alabama Supreme Court’s decision effectively immunized state officials from §1983 claims, contradicting prior precedents such as Felder v. Casey and Haywood v. Drown. The ruling clarifies that a state law cannot shield officials from federal civil rights litigation by erecting procedural roadblocks. The Court reverses and remands, rejecting arguments that alternative remedies like mandamus petitions justify Alabama’s exhaustion requirement. Justice Thomas dissents, joined in part by Justices Alito, Gorsuch, and Barrett, arguing that the Court improperly disregards Alabama’s jurisdictional framework.

Read by RJ Dieken.