Chisholm v. Georgia
United States Supreme Court
2 U.S. 419 (1793)
Relevant factsFree
South Carolina citizen Chisholm (plaintiff) sued Georgia (defendant) to recover payment for goods sold to the state during the Revolutionary War; Georgia claimed sovereign immunity and refused to appear, and the Supreme Court granted certiorari to determine whether such a suit against a state by a citizen of another state was permissible.
IssueFree
Whether a state can be sued in federal court by a private citizen of another state for a debt owed by the state, or whether the state enjoys sovereign immunity from such suits.