Murphy v. Florida Keys Electric Cooperative Ass'n, Inc.

CARNES, Circuit Judge:

The issue in this appeal is whether the defendant in an admiralty tort1 action who settles with the plaintiff without obtaining *1313a release from liability for other potential defendants can then be entitled to contribution from them toward the amount it paid to settle its own liability. Putting the Supreme Court’s decision in McDermott, Inc. v. AmClyde, 511 U.S. 202, 114 S.Ct. 1461, 128 L.Ed.2d 148 (1994), together with our decision in Jovovich v. Deseo Marine, Inc., 809 F.2d 1529 (11th Cir. 1987), we conclude that a settling defendant cannot bring a suit for contribution…