The Eleventh Amendment bars suits by citizens against their own state in federal court. Decided March 3, 1890 (argued January 22, 1890). Opinion of the Court: Joseph P. Bradley → go there Applied: the Eleventh Amendment → go there Topic: Federalism. Hans v. Louisiana, 134 U.S. 1 (1890), was a decision of the United States Supreme Court determining that the Eleventh Amendment prohibits a citizen of a U.S. state from suing that state in a federal court. Citizens cannot bring suits against their own state for cases related to the federal constitution and federal laws. The court left open the question of whether a citizen may sue his or her state in state courts. That ambiguity was resolved in Alden v. Maine (1999), in which the Court held that a state's sovereign immunity forecloses suits against a state government in state court. Wiki link