In the case of Verizon Maryland Inc. v. Public Service Commission of Maryland, 2001, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Verizon. The issue at hand was whether a federal district court had jurisdiction to determine if state utility commissions were enforcing federal law correctly under the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The act aimed to promote competition among local telephone service providers and required incumbent carriers like Verizon to share their networks with new entrants at reasonable rates set by state commissions but guided by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations. The Public Service Commission ordered Verizon to pay damages for breaching interconnection agreements with other companies, which led them filing suit against it in a federal district court claiming that this order violated FCC rules and thus preempted by federal law. The Supreme Court held that such cases could be heard in a federal court because they arise from laws regulating commerce or protecting civil rights - both areas where Congress has given those courts jurisdiction.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Verizon Maryland Inc. v. Public Service Commission of Maryland disagreed with the majority's interpretation of federal law and its application to state commissions. The dissent argued that under Section 252(e)(6) of the Telecommunications Act, a party may only bring an action in federal court if it is challenging whether an agreement meets requirements set by Sections 251 and 252, not for any other type of dispute arising from such agreements. They contended that this particular disagreement between Verizon and the Public Service Commission was not about whether their agreement met these requirements but rather how to interpret one provision within their already approved contract - something they believe falls outside federal jurisdiction as per Section 252(e)(6). Therefore, according to them, this matter should have been left for resolution through state mechanisms or arbitration processes outlined in existing contracts instead.