Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-arwd-2_05-cv-02018/USCOURTS-arwd-2_05-cv-02018-0/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 370
Nature of Suit: Other Fraud
Cause of Action: 28:1441 Petition for Removal- Fraud

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

WESTERN DISTRICT OF ARKANSAS

FORT SMITH DIVISION 

WAYNE MINER PLAINTIFF

v. Civil No. 05-2018

ALTRIA GROUP, INC. and

PHILIP MORRIS USA, INC. DEFENDANTS

ORDER

NOW on this 23rd day of January 2006, comes on for

consideration defendants’ Motion to Renew Motion to Transfer Venue

(Doc. 12). The Court, being well and sufficiently advised, finds

as follows: 

1. Plaintiff brings this action alleging that defendants

marketed and sold their cigarettes by falsely and deceptively

representing that the cigarettes were “Lights” or contained

“lowered tar and nicotine.” (Compl. ¶ 40.) Plaintiff asserts

claims for violation of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices

Act, Ark. Code Ann. § 4-88-101 et seq., and for unjust enrichment.

Plaintiff has filed a Motion for Class Certification (Doc. 32),

seeking to bring the action on behalf of all consumers who have

purchased defendants’ Marlboro Lights and Cambridge Lights

cigarettes in Arkansas, California, Colorado, and Michigan. 

2. Defendants move to transfer the action to the Eastern

District of Arkansas, where there is a virtually identical

putative class action currently pending, Watson v. Philip Morris

Cos., Inc., Case No. 4:03-CV-519GTE. 

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3. 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a) authorizes a district court to

transfer a case “[f]or the convenience of parties and witnesses,

in the interest of justice.” The purpose of the section is to

prevent the waste of “time, energy and money” and “to protect

litigants, witnesses, and the public against unnecessary

inconvenience and expense.” Continental Grain Co. v. Barge FBL585, 364 U.S. 19, 26-27 (1960). 

4. The Watson action was filed prior to the instant action

and a motion for class certification is currently pending in

Watson. If the Court grants defendants’ motion to transfer, the

instant action is likely to be consolidated with Watson. This

would avoid duplicative litigation and conserve judicial

resources. It would also facilitate expeditious pre-trial

proceedings and discovery and avoid the possibility of

inconsistent results. 

5. While a plaintiff’s choice of forum is ordinarily given

great weight, where the plaintiff is a representative of a class,

that forum choice is of less significance. See In re Warrick, 70

F.3d 736, 741 n.7 (2d Cir. 1995). Defendants state that they are

willing to depose plaintiff in the Western District. The only

inconvenience plaintiff points to if this case were transferred is

that he would have to travel approximately 80 miles further to

attend court proceedings in the Eastern District. This slight

inconvenience is outweighed by the possibility that if the case is

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not transferred, defendants face having their witnesses deposed

and called to testify twice, producing discovery twice, and

litigating the same facts and issues twice. 

6. Based on the foregoing, the Court concludes that the

convenience of the parties and witnesses and the interest of

justice requires that defendants’ Motion to Renew Motion to

Transfer Venue (Doc. 12) be GRANTED. This case is hereby

transferred to the Eastern District of Arkansas.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

/S/JIMM LARRY HENDREN 

JIMM LARRY HENDREN

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE

 

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