A grandstand play by the Attorney General of California against Toyota, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Chrysler, and Nissan was thrown out of court on Monday.  Jerry Brown, a Democrat who once served as Governor of California and gained the nickname “Governor Moonbeam,” had sued the carmakers, claiming that they had damaged California by building cars that contributed to global warming. 

The court ruled that any regulation of automakers was for a legislative determination, not one of the courts.  The Attorney General had claimed the courts should act because the federal and state governments have not.

Ken Alex, an attorney with the Attorney General’s office said his office may appeal, no doubt hoping to do better in the Court of Appeals.

No word on how much frivolous lawsuits such as that brought by the California Attorney General add to the cost of a car.