California judge says right to jury trial overrides agreement to litigate in Delaware

Delaware Business Court Insider

A California plaintiff can’t be made to take his case to the Delaware Court of Chancery, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ruled in what that plaintiff’s attorney says is likely the first decision to address the issue.

The trial judge’s ruling in the case filed by William West against Access Control Related Enterprises LLC, issued by Judge David J. Cowan of the Los Angeles County Superior Court on July 29, stated that enforcing a forum selection clause requiring a California resident to pursue a case in the Court of Chancery violates Californians’ constitutional right to a jury trial, unless a defendant can prove doing so would not infringe on that right.

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How Delaware courts have kept running during COVID-19

Delaware Business Court Insider

More than three months since Delaware’s judiciary first declared a state of emergency, state courts have reported there likely won’t be much of a case load to catch up on as courthouse activity ramps back up.

Since courtrooms were first closed to the public March 23 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the judiciary and attorneys have been using remote methods to keep cases moving, many of which are being carried into the courts’ reopening stages.

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