User:RJaguar3/Spaccarelli v. AT&T Mobility

Spaccarelli v. AT&T Mobility is a 2012 small claims case in the Ventura Superior Court in Simi Valley, California. Spaccarelli argued that AT&T Mobility had improperly throttled the data speed of his iPhone while Spaccarelli was paying for a plan with unlimited data. The judge awarded Spaccarelli $850.

The case received national media attention. Subsequent to the decision, AT&T clarified its throttling policy. Commentary about the case also discussed the ability for consumers to obtain relief in small claims court, especially after AT&T's victory before the Supreme Court of the United States the previous year in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion, which held that states could not refuse to enforce arbitration agreements on the grounds that classwide relief would thereby be barred.

Background
In California, a party may bring a claim for up to $10,000 in small claims court.

The case
AT&T was represented by Peter Hartlove, a local sales manager. Hartlove argued that AT&T was legally entitled to throttle a user's connection if the user's data usage impairs the function of AT&T's network.