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WASHINGTON (AP) - A divided Supreme Court made it easier Thursday to bring lawsuits in federal court. Justices said that people whose claims independently are too small to qualify for federal court may still be allowed if they allege the same basic facts as other people who do qualify.
Justices used cases involving a child's injury from a tuna can and a gas station promotional program to clarify when lawsuits belong in federal or state court. The threshold for federal court is a claim of at least $75,000.
Exxon Mobil Corp. had been ordered to pay $500 million to about 10,000 current and former station owners. Dealers claimed that a program intended to encourage customers to pay at the pump cheated them. Not all of the dealers met the threshold required for federal court jurisdiction, but the court's 5-4 ruling, authored by Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, allows smaller claims too.
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