Appealed From: U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit
Subjects: Jury Instruction; Product Safety and Liability; Punitive Damages; Testimony

Decision: In a unanimous decision, the justices ruled that a court ruling in one state cannot keep a witness from testifying in a separate lawsuit on the same issue in another state.

• Read the full text of the Baker v. General Motors Corp. decision at the Findlaw Internet Legal Resources Web site. In addition, the 1996 lower court decision is available there, as well as the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

• Listen to the Baker v. General Motors Corp. oral argument in RealAudio at the Oyez Oyez Oyez Web site.

Sources: The Washington Post, Supreme Court, The United States Law Week (a Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. publication)