Court Opinion

ID: 9428930
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-02 23:25:10.37619+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:23:16.240914
License: Public Domain

Justice Brennan,
concurring in the judgment in part and dissenting in part.
I agree with the plurality that the Eleventh Amendment prohibited neither an execution of the warrant nor a transfer to respondents of the artifacts at issue in this case. See ante, at 699 and this page. My rationale for this conclusion differs from the plurality’s, however. Both respondents are corporations organized under the laws of the State of Florida. Thus this suit is not “commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by citizens of another State.” U. S. Const., Amdt. 11 (emphasis added). The plurality asserts that this constitutional provision “long has been held to govern” “actions brought against a State by its own citizens.” Ante, at 683, n. 17 (emphasis added), citing Hans v. Louisiana, 134 U. S. 1 (1890). I have long taken the view that Hans did not rely upon the Eleventh Amendment, and that that Amendment does not bar federal court suits against a *701State when brought by its own citizens. See Employees v. Missouri Public Health Dept., 411 U. S. 279, 309-322 (1973) (dissenting opinion); Edelman v. Jordan, 415 U. S. 651, 687 (1974) (dissenting opinion). I adhere to this view, and I therefore believe that the Eleventh Amendment is wholly inapplicable in the present case.* To this extent, I am in agreement with the plurality’s disposition.
I disagree, however, with the plurality’s conclusion that the courts below erred when they “determined the State’s ownership of the artifacts as part of [their] Eleventh Amendment analysis.” Ante, at 700. The record before us plainly indicates that the State had a full opportunity to present its arguments respecting ownership of the artifacts at issue in this case when the action was in the District Court, and that that court held a full evidentiary hearing on the merits of these arguments. See Treasure Salvors, Inc. v. Unidentified Wrecked and Abandoned Sailing Vessel, 459 F. Supp. 507, 521 (SD Fla. 1978); 621 F. 2d 1340, 1344 (CA5 1980). The State’s arguments were rejected in the District Court, and that rejection was affirmed by the Court of Appeals. The plurality today appears to agree with the courts below that the arguments available to the State on the merits were, and are, insubstantial. Ante, at 694-697. “No statutory provision has been advanced that even arguably would authorize officials of the Division of Archives to retain the property at issue,” ante, at 696 (emphasis added), and “the State does not have even a colorable claim to the artifacts” pursuant to its contracts with respondents, ante, at 694 (emphasis added). Given such legal conclusions, I fail to see any need to reverse the determination by the courts below of the State’s ownership, as the plurality prescribes, ante, at 700. *702I do understand that the plurality does not remand this action for a determination of the State’s ownership, and rather simply reverses the judgment below on this point. But the fact remains that the courts below have already determined the merits of the State’s claim: Even if they were incorrect to make that determination at the time that they did, why should that fact invalidate that determination? Why should the State now get a second bite at the apple?
In sum, I would affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals in its entirety.

 For this reason, I cannot agree with footnote 17 of the plurality’s opinion. To the extent, however, that the plurality concludes that the judgment of the Court of Appeals should be affirmed because the State of Florida does not have even a colorable claim to the artifacts, I agree with its opinion.