⚖ Oral Arguments, with Context

The Ninth Circuit hears Lopez versus Suzuki Motor of America. Motorcycle buyers brought a proposed class action against Suzuki over allegedly defective motorcycles sold through California dealerships. Suzuki moved the suit from state to federal court under the Class Action Fairness Act, or CAFA. The district judge sent it back under CAFA's mandatory home-state exception: at least two-thirds of the proposed class, and the primary defendants, must be citizens of the state where suit was filed. The buyers relied on warranty-registration addresses and an updated address search. Suzuki challenges whether those data prove citizenship. For individuals, state citizenship requires U.S. citizenship and domicile: the permanent home where they live intending to remain or return. The court will also consider whether Suzuki's unnamed Japanese parent counts as a primary defendant. This is a dispute about which court should hear the lawsuit, not a decision on the alleged defect. Dominic Draye represents Suzuki.

Lopez, et al. v. Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. (No. 26-6306) — U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, argued October 26, 2026.