Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01983/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01983-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
County of Kern
Defendant
Kern County Fire Department
Defendant
United States Department of Agriculture
Defendant
Lachana Williams
Plaintiff
Rupert Williams
Plaintiff

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United States District Court

Northern District of California

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

LACHANA WILLIAMS, et al.,

Plaintiffs,

v.

COUNTY OF KERN,

Defendant.

Case No. 13-cv-00508-JST 

ORDER OF DISMISSAL

On October 7, 2013, this Court severed Plaintiffs’ claims against the United States 

Department of Agriculture and transferred them to the Court of Federal Claims. ECF No. 30. 

Consequently, the only claims remaining in this action are Plaintiffs’ state law claims against the 

Kern County Fire Department.

Although Plaintiff Rupert Williams has variously given his residence as Florida, New 

Jersey, and California, at a case management conference held October 11, 2013, he asserted 

unequivocally that he is a resident of Richmond, California. That is consistent with the Court's 

electronic docket, which lists Mr. Williams' address as Richmond, California, as well as with the 

Court's prior Certificates of Service. See ECF No. 8. The Court finds Mr. Williams is therefore a 

citizen of the State of California.

Defendant Kern County Fire Department is also a citizen of the State of California, as it is 

a California county. 

Because Plaintiffs’ claims sound in state law, the only potential basis of federal subject 

matter jurisdiction is diversity of citizenship. The general diversity statute, however, applies only 

when there is complete diversity, i.e., "only to cases in which the citizenship of each plaintiff is 

diverse from the citizenship of each defendant." Caterpillar Inc. v. Lewis, 519 U.S. 61, 68 

(1996). Because Rupert Williams and the Kern County Fire Department are both citizens of 

Case 1:13-cv-01983-AWI-JLT Document 36 Filed 10/15/13 Page 1 of 2
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United States District Court

Northern District of California

California, complete diversity is not present. Accordingly, the Court lacks subject matter

jurisdiction over this matter.

Consequently, this action is hereby DISMISSED for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. 

The Clerk shall close the case file.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: October 15, 2013

______________________________________

JON S. TIGAR

United States District Judge

Case 1:13-cv-01983-AWI-JLT Document 36 Filed 10/15/13 Page 2 of 2