Sonia Sotomayor Refuses to Halt $656 Million Judgment Against Palestinian Authorities for American Terror Victims
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor refused to halt a $656 million judgment against the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization. The ruling follows a long-running lawsuit filed by American victims who were killed or wounded during Palestinian Arab terror attacks in Jerusalem during the early 2000s. While the Palestinian organizations requested an emergency stay to avoid straining government resources and jeopardizing regional security, Sotomayor's decision maintains the current award. The lawsuit was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which was revised by Congress to allow American citizens to sue international groups on U.S. soil. The legal path was complex, involving a federal court in New York initially overturning the verdict, followed by a legislative update and a subsequent reinstatement of the award by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in March. Families of the victims, including Mark Sokolow, expressed relief that the court's action allows for justice to be done after decades of legal maneuvering.