Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-ca10-91-05135/USCOURTS-ca10-91-05135-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 190
Nature of Suit: Other Contract Actions
Cause of Action: 

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FI LED 

United States Court of Appeals 

Tenth Ch:i~it 

UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS 

TENTH CIRCUIT ,_ UL 11992 

ROBERT L. HOECKER 

Clerk 

UNITED SIDING SUPPLY, an Oklahoma 

Corporation, 

Plaintiff-Appellee, 

v. 

GRADY BROTHERS, INC.; and JACK HOKE, 

Defendants-Appellants, 

and 

RANDY GRADY, 

Defendant. 

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ORDER AND JUDGMENT* 

No. 91-5135 

(D.C. No. 90-C-594-C) 

( N. D. Okla. ) 

Before MOORE, TACHA, and BRORBY, Circuit Judges. 

After examining the briefs and appellate record, this panel 

has determined unanimously that oral argument would not materially 

assist the determination of this appeal. See Fed. R. App. P. 

34(a); 10th Cir. R. 34.1.9. The case is therefore ordered 

submitted without oral argument. 

Appellant Jack Hoke appeals from a district court order 

denying his motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction. 

* This order and judgment has no precedential value and shall 

not be cited, or used by any court within the Tenth Circuit, 

except for purposes of establishing the doctrines of the law of 

the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. 10th Cir. R. 

36.3. 

Appellate Case: 91-5135 Document: 010110275183 Date Filed: 07/31/1992 Page: 1
On appeal, Hoke contends that the district court erred as a matter 

of law in concluding that it had personal jurisdiction. We 

exercise jurisdiction under 28 u.s.c. § 1291 and affirm. 

We exercise de nova review over a district court's ruling on 

a matter of jurisdiction. Rambo Y..!.. American Southern Ins. Co., 

839 F.2d 1415, 1417 (10th Cir. 1988). A district court sitting in 

diversity determines whether it has in personam jurisdiction by 

looking to the law of the forum state. Yarbrough Y..!.. Elmer Bunker 

~ Assocs., 669 F.2d 614, 616 (10th Cir. 1982). Oklahoma law 

provides that "[a] court of this state may exercise jurisdiction 

on any basis consistent with the Constitution of this state and 

the Constitution of the United States." Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 12, 

§ 2004(F). Thus, under the Oklahoma statute, it is only necessary 

to determine whether the exercise of personal jurisdiction 

comports with Due Process under the Constitution. Rambo, 839 F.2d 

at 1416. 

The key to this case is whether the plaintiff met its burden 

in establishing personal jurisdiction under the Constitution. We 

have stated that 

"The plaintiff bears the burden of establishing 

personal jurisdiction over the defendant. Prior to 

trial, however, when a motion to dismiss for lack of 

jurisdiction is decided on the basis of affidavits and 

other written materials, the plaintiff need only make a 

prima facie showing. The allegations in the complaint 

must be taken as true to the extent they are 

uncontroverted by the defendant's affidavits. If the 

parties oresent conflicting affidavits, all factual 

disputes are resolved in the plaintiff's favor, and the 

plaintiff's prima facie showing is sufficient 

notwithstanding the contrary presentation by the moving 

party." 

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Appellate Case: 91-5135 Document: 010110275183 Date Filed: 07/31/1992 Page: 2
Id. at 1417 (quoting Behagen Y..!.. Amateur Basketball Ass'n of the 

United States, 744 F.2d 731, 733 (10th Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 

471 U.S. 1010 (1985)) (emphasis added). Appellant complains that 

the district court "passed on a direct issue of material fact." 

The district court was presented with conflicting evidence of 

whether Hoke had signed the guarantee on behalf of a corporation. 

This guarantee contained a consent clause that would allow the 

district court to exercise jurisdiction. 

In light of this conflicting evidence, we conclude that the 

district court correctly applied our standard for making out a 

prima facie case and resolved all factual disputes in favor of the 

plaintiff. Resolving this dispute in favor of the plaintiff, it 

is clear that the plaintiff established a prima facie case and 

that the district court had personal jurisdiction. 

AFFIRMED. The mandate shall issue forthwith. 

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ENTERED FOR THE COURT 

Deanell Reece Tacha 

Circuit Judge 

Appellate Case: 91-5135 Document: 010110275183 Date Filed: 07/31/1992 Page: 3