Laborers' International Union of North America Local 872, AFL-CIO v. John E. Stevens, III
Filing
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ORDER. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Stevens' Third Party Complaint and Counterclaim is DISMISSED without prejudice for lack of federal subject matter jurisdiction. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that 47 , 50 the Motions for Summary Judgment are DENIED as moot. Signed by Chief Judge Gloria M. Navarro on 3/25/17. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF - ADR)
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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
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DISTRICT OF NEVADA
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LABORERS’ INTERNATIONAL UNION OF )
NORTH AMERICA LOCAL 872, AFL-CIO, )
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Plaintiff,
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vs.
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JOHN E. STEVENS, III,
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Defendant.
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Case No.: 2:15-cv-00513-GMN-VCF
ORDER
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Before the Court is the Third Party Complaint and Counterclaim, (ECF No. 9), filed by
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Counter Plaintiff John Stevens (“Stevens”). For the reasons set forth herein, the Court hereby
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dismisses Stevens’ Third Party Complaint and Counterclaim without prejudice for lack of
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subject matter jurisdiction.
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I.
BACKGROUND
On March 20, 2015, Plaintiff Laborers’ International Union of North America Local
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872, AFL-CIO (“Local 872”) filed its Complaint against Stevens, asserting claims of breach of
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fiduciary duty under 29 U.S.C. § 501 and embezzlement. (Compl. ¶¶ 7–19, ECF No. 1). Local
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872 alleges the Court has federal question jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331. (Id. ¶ 4).
On April 24, 2015, Stevens filed a Third Party Complaint and Counterclaim against
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Local 872 and two supervisory employees, alleging multiple Nevada state law tort claims
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against the parties. (Counter Compl., ECF No. 9). These claims include: (1) Assault; (2)
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Battery; (3) False Imprisonment; and (4) Negligence. (Id.). Stevens alleges the Court has
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supplemental jurisdiction over these claims pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1367. (Id. ¶¶ 13, 71).
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II.
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LEGAL STANDARD
“Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. They possess only that power
authorized by Constitution and statute.” Kokkonen v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 511 U.S.
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375, 377 (1994). Therefore, before a federal court may consider the merits of a case, it must
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first determine whether it has proper subject matter jurisdiction. Scott v. Pasadena Unified Sch.
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Dist., 306 F.3d 646, 653–54 (9th Cir. 2002). As a general rule, “[t]he defense of lack of subject
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matter jurisdiction cannot be waived, and the court is under a continuing duty to dismiss an
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action whenever it appears that the court lacks jurisdiction.” Augustine v. United States, 704
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F.2d 1074, 1077 (9th Cir. 1983); see also Moore v. Maricopa Cnty. Sheriff’s Office, 657 F.3d
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890, 894 (9th Cir. 2011) (noting the court’s obligation to determine sua sponte whether it has
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subject matter jurisdiction).
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III.
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DISCUSSION
At issue here is whether the Court has supplemental jurisdiction over Stevens’ state law
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tort claims based on Local 872’s federal breach of fiduciary duty claim. A district court has
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jurisdiction to adjudicate a pendent state law claim if there is a federal claim so related to it that
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they form part of the same case or controversy. See 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a). A state law claim is
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part of the same case or controversy when it shares a “common nucleus of operative fact” with
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the federal claims. Bahrampour v. Lampert, 356 F.3d 969, 978 (9th Cir. 2004). “[A] plaintiff’s
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claims [must also be] such that he would ordinarily be expected to try them all in one judicial
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proceeding.” United Mine Workers of Am. V. Gibbs, 383 U.S. 715, 725 (1966).
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Here, Stevens’ state law tort claims do not arise out of a common nucleus of operative
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facts with Local 872’s breach of fiduciary duty claim. Local 872’s breach of fiduciary duty
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claim concerns a number of alleged wrongful acts that occurred throughout the course of
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Stevens’ employment at Local 872. (See Compl. ¶ 11) (“Stevens breached [his duties] by using
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property and funds of Local 872 for his own purposes, i.e., to drive out of State to purchase
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lottery tickets during work hours, and by failing to perform the duties of a field agent and
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protect the interests of the Union and its members.”). In contrast, Stevens’ state law tort claims
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arise out of an isolated confrontation between Stevens and two supervisors. (See Counter
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Compl. ¶ 15). This confrontation occurred shortly after Stevens’ employment had terminated.
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(See Stevens Dep. 130:9–18, Ex. 1 to Hillman Decl., ECF No. 48).
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The state and federal causes of action are therefore based upon completely different sets
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of facts. While Stevens’ state claims focus on an isolated post-termination confrontation
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between him and two other employees, the federal claim focuses on a series of unrelated
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actions by Stevens that occurred throughout the course of his employment. There exists no
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evidentiary overlap whatsoever between these claims. As these claims do not arise from the
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same case or controversy, the Court lacks supplemental jurisdiction to hear Stevens’ state law
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tort claims.1
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IV.
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Stevens’ Third Party Complaint and Counterclaim is
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DISMISSED without prejudice for lack of federal subject matter jurisdiction.
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CONCLUSION
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Motions for Summary Judgment, (ECF Nos. 47,
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DATED this _____ day of March, 2017.
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___________________________________
Gloria M. Navarro, Chief Judge
United States District Judge
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The Court notes that because jurisdiction does not exist under § 1367(a), the discretionary considerations of §
1367(c) do not apply.
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