Latest 2 Cases: Solo v. United Parcel Service Co. (Arbitration & Mediation), United States v. Libbey-Tipton (Criminal Law)

The Unacknowledged Clash Between the Supreme Court’s Interpretation of the Religion Clauses and the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment

VIKRAM DAVID AMAR, ALAN E. BROWNSTEIN

Illinois law dean Vikram David Amar and UC Davis law professor emeritus Alan Brownstein comment on a largely unacknowledged clash between religious accommodations and exemptions on the one hand, and core free speech principles which the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized, on the other. Amar and Brownstein describe this apparent conflict and suggest that the Court begin to resolve the conflict when it decides two cases later this term presenting the question of the scope of the “ministerial exception.”

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Solo v. United Parcel Service Co.

Docket: 17-2244

Opinion Date: January 23, 2020

Judge: Jane Branstetter Stranch

Areas of Law: Arbitration & Mediation, Contracts

Plaintiffs purchased liability insurance for packages shipped through UPS before December 30, 2013. The price of that insurance was set by a contract that stated that there is no additional charge for the first $100 of coverage whether or not a shipper purchases additional declared value coverage. When Plaintiffs shipped their packages, they were charged $0.85 for each hundred-dollar increment, including the first. Plaintiffs sued UPS on behalf of a proposed class. UPS argued that the controlling phrase was “total value declared” and that “total” value necessarily includes the first $100. In moving for dismissal, UPS stated that it “reserves its right to move to compel arbitration and does not by this motion in any way waive this contractual right.” UPS referenced an arbitration clause found in an amended contract that became effective December 30, 2013, after the shipments at issue were mailed. The Sixth Circuit reversed the dismissal of the suit, relying on the complaint’s allegations that UPS routinely credits customers who complain about the overcharge and “acknowledges the validity of Solo’s reading of the contractual provision.” On remand, UPS raised the obligation to arbitrate as its first affirmative defense. After discovery, UPS moved to compel arbitration. The district court denied the motion on the basis of waiver. The Sixth Circuit affirmed. The Amended UPS Agreement did not retroactively apply to the transactions at issue and, in any event, UPS waived its right to arbitrate.

United States v. Libbey-Tipton

Docket: 18-4067

Opinion Date: January 23, 2020

Judge: Martha Craig Daughtrey

Areas of Law: Criminal Law

The FBI became aware of the “Playpen” child pornography website on the dark web, gained control of the website and ran it for 13 days, tracking the registered users. The “Revenger” account accessed 205 postings, labeled: “11 YO boys fucking,” “girls changing on beach,” and “preteen videos girls hardcore.” With a warrant, the FBI traced the Revenger account to Libbey-Tipton’s IP address and computers’ MAC addresses at his Cleveland residence. A warranted search was executed. All of the seized devices showed indicia of child pornography in “previews” and were from Libbey-Tipton’s bedroom, the basement, and the garage. The previews did not find any evidence of child pornography on devices that belonged to the other residents--his mother, his brother, his girlfriend, and his brother’s girlfriend. The MAC addresses of the seized devices corresponded to images viewed by the Revenger account. Libbey-Tipton was indicted for accessing and possessing child pornography. The government was allowed to introduce evidence of Libbey-Tipton’s prior conviction of child molestation as evidence of his propensity to access and possess child pornography. Convicted, Libbey-Tipton was sentenced to 235 months in prison, 27 months below the advisory Guidelines range. The Sixth Circuit affirmed, rejecting Libbey-Tipton’s challenges to the admissibility of his prior conviction, the reasonableness of his sentence, and the effectiveness of trial counsel. The court also upheld the denial of his motion to suppress the search warrant that led to his identification as a Playpen user.