3.2 SITUATIONS
By: Kyon Johnson
SITUATION #1
Ms. Tant of New York City recently sued Mr.
Bloom, also of New York City. She Claimed that he
had run into and injured her while he was jogging.
She asked for $50,000 in damages. When she filed
her suit in federal district court, Mr. Bloom's
attorney immediately moved for the case to be
dismissed from the federal court for two reasons.
What were they?
SITUATION #2
Ms. Tant’s case was thrown out of federal court.
She later filed it in the New York state court solely as
a case involving Mr. Bloom’s negligent jogging.
When she lost, she appealed all the way to the
highest New York state court but still lost. She
sought to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Will the
U.S. Supreme Court hear her case?
Why or why not?
ANSWER #1
The Federal district court did not have jurisdiction
as the parties were citizens of the same state and the
amount in question did not exceed $75,000.
ANSWER #2
No. There is no federal issue (such as legal
discrimination) involved.