494
Opinion of the Court
Fletcher C. Alford argued the cause for respondent. With him on the brief were Stuart M. Gordon, David Collins, and David J. Bederman.*
Justice O'Connor delivered the opinion of the Court. This action, involving the adjudication of various claims to a historic shipwreck, requires us to address the interaction between the Eleventh Amendment and the in rem admiralty jurisdiction of the federal courts. Respondent Deep Sea Research, Inc. (DSR), located the ship, known as the S. S. Brother Jonathan, in California's territorial waters. When DSR turned to the federal courts for resolution of its claims to the vessel, California contended that the Eleventh Amendment precluded a federal court from considering DSR's claims in light of the State's asserted rights to the Brother Jonathan under federal and state law. We conclude that the Eleventh Amendment does not bar the jurisdiction
*Briefs of amici curiae urging reversal were filed for the State of Florida et al. by Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General of Florida, and Eric J. Taylor, Assistant Attorney General, and by the Attorneys General for their respective jurisdictions as follows: Bill Pryor of Alabama, Bruce M. Botelho of Alaska, Michael J. Bowers of Georgia, Calvin E. Holloway, Sr., of Guam, Margery S. Bronster of Hawaii, Alan G. Lance of Idaho, James E. Ryan of Illinois, Richard P. Ieyoub of Louisiana, J. Joseph Curran, Jr., of Maryland, Scott Harshbarger of Massachusetts, Frank J. Kelley of Michigan, Frankie Sue Del Papa of Nevada, Dennis C. Vacco of New York, Michael F. Easley of North Carolina, Charles Molony Condon of South Carolina, William H. Sorrell of Vermont, Richard Cullen of Virginia, and Alva A. Swan of the Virgin Islands; for the Council of State Governments et al. by Richard Ruda and James I. Crowley; and for the National Trust for Historic Preservation et al. by Robert A. Long, Jr., Paul W. Edmondson, Elizabeth S. Merritt, Thompson M. Mayes, Edith M. Shine, and Laura S. Nelson.
Briefs of amici curiae urging affirmance were filed for the American Institute of Marine Underwriters by Marilyn L. Lytle; for the Atlantic Mutual Insurance Co. et al. by Guilford D. Ware and Martha M. Poindexter; for the Columbus-America Discovery Group et al. by Richard T. Robol, Jane E. Rindsberg, Richard A. Cordray, and Alan G. Choate; and for Salvors, Inc., by Peter E. Hess.
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