Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_10-cv-01607/USCOURTS-cand-3_10-cv-01607-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 360
Nature of Suit: Other Personal Injury
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Personal Injury

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United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

KIRKLAND CARR,

Plaintiff,

v.

CROWN EQUIPMENT CORP., et al.,

Defendants.

NO. C10-1607 TEH

ORDER DENYING MOTION

TO REMAND WITHOUT

PREJUDICE

This matter comes before the Court on a motion to remand filed by Plaintiff Kirkland

Carr and noticed for hearing on June 21, 2010. Because it is clear from Carr’s moving

papers that the motion must be denied, the Court hereby VACATES the briefing and hearing

schedule and now DENIES Carr’s motion to remand without prejudice.

Defendant Crown Equipment Corporation (“Crown”) removed this case on the basis

of diversity. Carr does not dispute that he is diverse from Crown, nor does he contend that

the removal was otherwise improper. Instead, Carr seeks remand because he intends to name

a California citizen as one of the sued Doe Defendants as soon as he learns the relevant

individual’s name. See Carr Decl. ¶¶ 3-5 (discussing role of an unnamed Crown employee in

allegedly causing Carr’s injuries). However, as Carr acknowledges, 28 U.S.C. § 1441

provides that, “[f]or purposes of removal . . ., the citizenship of defendants sued under

fictitious names shall be disregarded.” Thus, until a non-diverse defendant is named, the

Court has no basis to remand this case.

Once Carr learns the identity of the Crown employee he seeks to sue in this case,

either through formal discovery or otherwise, he may file a motion seeking joinder of that

individual. This Court has discretion to deny joinder of a diversity-destroying defendant or

to grant joinder and remand this action. Newcombe v. Adolf Coors Co., 157 F.3d 686,

Case 3:10-cv-01607-TEH Document 13 Filed 05/25/10 Page 1 of 2
United States District Court

For the Northern District of California

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690-91 (9th Cir. 1998); 28 U.S.C. § 1447(e). The Court encourages the parties to meet and

confer, prior to the initial case management conference on July 26, 2010, to see if they can

reach agreement on whether joinder should be permitted and this case remanded.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: 05/25/10 

THELTON E. HENDERSON, JUDGE

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

Case 3:10-cv-01607-TEH Document 13 Filed 05/25/10 Page 2 of 2