Page:Bank Markazi v. Peterson SCOTUS slip opinion.pdf/10

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Cite as: 578 U. S. ____ (2016)

Opinion of the Court

basis for Iran’s liability to each suitor, the court entered judgments by default. See, e.g., Peterson v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 264 F.Supp. 2d 46, 49 (2003). The majority of respondents sought redress for injuries suffered in connection with the 1983 bombing of the U. S. Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. App. to Pet. for Cert. 21a.^[1] “Together, [respondents] have obtained billions of dollars in judgments against Iran, the vast majority of which remain unpaid.” Id., at 53a.^[2] The validity of those judgments is not in dispute. Id., at 55a.

To enforce their judgments, the 16 groups of respondents first registered them in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. See 28 U.S.C. §1963 (“A judgment...may be registered...in any other district.... A judgment so registered shall have the same effect as a judgment of the district court of the district where registered and may be enforced in like manner.”). They then moved under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 69 for turnover of about $1.75 billion in bond

tion after “informing the [District Court] that none of the plaintiffs in those actions ha[d] obtained judgments for damages against Iran.” App. to Pet. for Cert. 19a.

↑ “At approximately 6:25 a.m. Beirut time,...[a] truck crashed through a...barrier and a wall of sandbags, and entered the barracks. When the truck reached the center of the barracks, the bomb in the truck detonated....” Peterson, 264 F.Supp. 2d, at 56 (footnote omitted). “As a result of the Marine barracks explosion, 241 servicemen were killed....” Id., at 58. The United States has long recognized Iran’s complicity in this attack. See H. R. Rep. No. 104–523, pt. 1, p. 9 (1996) (“After an Administration determination of Iran’s involvement in the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut in October 1983, Iran was placed on the U. S. list of state sponsors of terrorism on January 19, 1984.”).
↑ Some of these 16 judgments awarded compensatory and punitive damages. See, e.g., Wultz, 864 F. Supp. 2d, at 42; Acosta, 574 F.Supp. 2d, at 31. Both §201(a) of the TRIA and §8772(a)(1) permit execution only “to the extent of any compensatory damages.”

[2] “At approximately 6:25 a.m. Beirut time,...[a] truck crashed through a...barrier and a wall of sandbags, and entered the barracks. When the truck reached the center of the barracks, the bomb in the truck detonated....” Peterson, 264 F.Supp. 2d, at 56 (footnote omitted). “As a result of the Marine barracks explosion, 241 servicemen were killed....” Id., at 58. The United States has long recognized Iran’s complicity in this attack. See H. R. Rep. No. 104–523, pt. 1, p. 9 (1996) (“After an Administration determination of Iran’s involvement in the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut in October 1983, Iran was placed on the U. S. list of state sponsors of terrorism on January 19, 1984.”).

[3] Some of these 16 judgments awarded compensatory and punitive damages. See, e.g., Wultz, 864 F. Supp. 2d, at 42; Acosta, 574 F.Supp. 2d, at 31. Both §201(a) of the TRIA and §8772(a)(1) permit execution only “to the extent of any compensatory damages.”

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