Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-casd-3_08-cv-02315/USCOURTS-casd-3_08-cv-02315-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 710
Nature of Suit: Fair Labor Standards Act
Cause of Action: 29:201 Fair Labor Standards Act

---

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

- 1 - 08cv2315

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LEE WISE, an individual; MICHAEL

DIAZ, an individual; on behalf of

themselves, and on behalf of all persons

similarly situated,

Plaintiffs,

CASE NO. 08cv2315-LAB (CAB)

ORDER RE: JURISDICTION

vs.

CUBIC DEFENSE APPLICATIONS,

INC., a California Company; CUBIC

CORPORATION, a Delaware

Corporation; CUBIC APPLICATIONS,

INC., a California Company; CUBIC

DEFENSE APPLICATIONS GROUP;

and DOES 1 to 10,

Defendants.

I. Introduction

In an order entered on December 22, 2008, the Court ordered Plaintiffs to show cause

why their state law claims in this case should not be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

Plaintiffs responded with a memorandum of points and authorities the following day.

Although the Court specified in its order to show cause that no subsequent order would issue

“except to dismiss claims or order further briefing,” the Court advised the Magistrate Judge

assigned to this case to continue an Early Neutral Evaluation Conference while it considered

the jurisdictional issues it ordered briefing on. Apparently, this generated some confusion,

Case 3:08-cv-02315-LAB-CAB Document 10 Filed 02/13/09 Page 1 of 3
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

- 2 - 08cv2315

and so the Court now issues this Order to confirm that it will retain jurisdiction over the state

law claims in this case.

II. Analysis

The Court has never doubted that it has original jurisdiction over Plaintiffs’ Fair Labor

Standards Act claim. It plainly does under 28 U.S.C. § 1331, and 28 U.S.C. § 216(b) allows

that an action brought against an employer for violating § 206 or § 207 may be brought in

“any Federal or State court of competent jurisdiction.”

The Court was initially under the impression that Plaintiffs believed, problematically,

that the Court had jurisdiction over the entire action under the Class Action Fairness Act

(“CAFA”), 28 U.S.C. § 1332(d). Plaintiffs have made clear this is not so. Rather, their

position is “[t]he federal claim and state law claims are all part of the same case or

controversy involving the Defendants’ employment classification practices, and therefore,

supplemental jurisdiction over the related state law claims is proper under 28 U.S.C. § 1367.”

The Court agrees – and respects the Plaintiffs’ request that it resolve the supplemental

jurisdiction question up front “to avoid the inefficiency of dismissing state law claims after

significant litigation has occurred.”

In assuming supplemental jurisdiction over the state law claims in this case, the Court

is persuaded by Weltman v. Ortho Mattress, Inc., 2008 U.S. Dist Lexis 60344 (S.D. Cal.

2008). On a very similar set of facts, the court in Weltman retained jurisdiction over a FLSA

claim and related state law claims. The Court also finds persuasive the Ninth Circuit’s

holding in Dent v. Cox Communs. Las Vegas, Inc., 502 F.3d 1141, 1143 (9 Cir. 2007), cited th

by both Weltman and the Plaintiffs in their memorandum to the Court.

//

//

//

//

//

//

Case 3:08-cv-02315-LAB-CAB Document 10 Filed 02/13/09 Page 2 of 3
1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

- 3 - 08cv2315

III. Conclusion

The Court will retain jurisdiction over all claims in this case. The parties are ordered

to contact the assigned Magistrate Judge’s chambers to reschedule the Early Neutral

Evaluation Conference.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

DATED: February 11, 2009

___________________________________

HONORABLE LARRY ALAN BURNS

United States District Judge 

Case 3:08-cv-02315-LAB-CAB Document 10 Filed 02/13/09 Page 3 of 3