High court tie lets states face lawsuits in other states

WASHINGTON (AP) — A tie vote from the Supreme Court means California officials can be hauled into a Nevada state court to face allegations in a long-running tax dispute with a Nevada inventor.

Hyatt is a former California resident who claims he moved to Las Vegas in 1991, just before collecting $40 million in patent fees for developing a computer microprocessor chip.

California officials had asked the justices to overturn a 1979 case that said one state can open the doors of its courts to a private citizen's lawsuit against another state.

Hyatt had accused the tax agency of outrageous behavior by sending officials to peer through his windows, contact estranged family members and sharing his personal information with business contacts.