The Sidebar: Supreme Court of the United States

The case Williams v. Fitzgerald. The central issue is whether an Alabama state law requiring exhaustion of administrative remedies before bringing a §1983 due process claim is preempted by federal law. The petitioner argues that the state's exhaustion requirement creates an insurmountable barrier to accessing federal courts, effectively granting the state immunity. The respondent contends that the state law is a neutral rule of judicial administration and does not conflict with §1983. The justices extensively questioned both sides regarding the nature of the state rule, the availability of alternative remedies, and the implications for preemption doctrine.