No. 25-500

George M. Tronsrue, III v. Elsa M. Tronsrue

Lower Court: Illinois
Docketed: 2025-10-22
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Experienced Counsel
Tags: disability-pay federal-preemption marital-settlement state-court-jurisdiction supremacy-clause veterans-benefits
Latest Conference: 2026-01-09
Question Presented (from Petition)

May a state court enforce a contractual agreement entered into between a disabled veteran and his former spouse, which agreement obligates the veteran to use restricted federal benefits to indemnify his former spouse, where there is no federal statute expressly authorizing the state to exercise jurisdiction or authority over such benefits; where a federal statute (38 U.S.C. § 5301) expressly prohibits the state court from using "any legal or equitable power whatever" to compel the veteran to abide by such an agreement; and where that same statute expressly prohibits and voids any and all such agreements?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

May a state court enforce a contractual agreement entered into between a disabled veteran and his former spouse, which agreement obligates the veteran to use restricted federal benefits to indemnify his former spouse, where there is no federal statute expressly authorizing the state to exercise jurisdiction or authority over such benefits; where a federal statute (38 U.S.C. § 5301) expressly prohibits the state court from using 'any legal or equitable power whatever' to compel the veteran to abide by such an agreement; and where that same statute expressly prohibits and voids any and all such agreements?

Docket Entries

2026-01-12
Petition DENIED.
2025-12-10
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/9/2026.
2025-11-20
Brief of Elsa M. Tronsrue in opposition submitted.
2025-11-20
Brief of respondent Elsa M. Tronsrue in opposition filed.
2025-10-20
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due November 21, 2025)
2025-08-14
Application (25A181) granted by Justice Barrett extending the time to file until October 19, 2025.
2025-08-11
Application (25A181) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from August 20, 2025 to October 19, 2025, submitted to Justice Barrett.

Attorneys

Elsa M. Tronsrue
Thomas E. PattersonPatterson Law Firm, LLC, Respondent
George Tronsrue III
Carson J. TuckerLex Fori, PLLC, Petitioner