Supreme Court shoots down Cingular’s move to block Calif. lawsuits

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Cingular Wireless L.L.C. lost its chance to block several class-action lawsuits in California as the U.S. Supreme Court opted to allow the suits to proceed in state court.

The Supreme Court on Monday denied Cingular’s request that it hear the case. The suits involve Cingular’s early termination fees and also accuse the carrier of locking handsets so that they cannot be used on other GSM networks. According to the Los Angeles Times, the refusal of the Supreme Court to hear the case means that a series of California court decisions will stand.