Supreme Court rules USPS cannot be sued for intentionally withholding mail, shielding government under sovereign immunity
The U.S. Postal Service is now officially immune from lawsuits when its workers deliberately refuse to deliver your mail. The Supreme Court said so Tuesday, in a 5-4 decision that shields the federal government from accountability even when postal employees act with intent rather than incompetence.The case involved Lebene Konan, a Texas landlord who alleged that postal workers in Euless, Texas, intentionally withheld and returned mail addressed to her and her tenants at two rental properties she owned. She filed administrative complaints. As reported by Fox News, she sued the United States in federal court, asserting state law claims including nuisance, tortious interference, and conversion.
A federal district court tossed her claims, citing the Federal Tort Claims Act's (FTCA) postal exception. The Fifth Circuit revived the lawsuit, ruling the exception didn't apply to intentional acts of nondelivery. The Supreme Court took the case to resolve a split among federal appeals courts.
The justices ultimately ruled against Konan.
The Majority's Logic:
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the five-justice majority. His opinion rested on a straightforward reading of sovereign immunity and the text of the FTCA's postal exception. Thomas opened with the foundational principle:
"The United States enjoys sovereign immunity and cannot be sued without its consent."Read about it...
Let's hope we have a majority of Republican postmen delivering mail.
