2009 D e c i sion s O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Third C ir c uit 3-3-2009 

# P hi lip J ohnson v

. S t ate of N ew Y

ork P re c e de nt i al or N on-P re c e de nt i al : N on-P re c e de nt i al D ocke t N o . 08-3419

F o llow thi s and a dd it ion al works at : http://d i git alc ommon s .l a w . vi ll anova . e du/thirdc irc uit_2009

Thi s de c i sion i s brou ght t o you for f re e and ope n a c c e s s b y the O p inion s of the U nit e d S t at e s C our t of Appe al s for the Third C irc uit at V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. It h as be e n a c c ept e d for inclusion in 2009 D e c i sion s by an authori z e d a dmini s tr at or of V i ll anova U nive r sity S choo l of L a

w Di git al Reposit ory

. F or more inform at ion, p le as e c ont a ct Be n j amin . C arl s on@l a

w . vi ll anova . e du . Re c omme nde d C it at ion " P hi l ip J o hn s on v

. S t at e of N ew Y

ork " (2009). 2009 D e cisio n s . P ape r 1784. http://d i git alc ommon s .l a

w . vi ll anova . e du/thirdc irc uit_2009/1784NOT P RE CE DE NT I AL UN I TED STATES CO UR T OF A PP EALS F O R T H E T H IR D C IR C U IT

___________ N o. 08- 3419

___________ P HI L I P J OHNS ON, A ppel l ant v. S T AT E OF NE W YOR K; CI T Y OF NE W YOR K; N. Y. ADMI NI S T RA T I ON F OR CH I L DR E N' S S E RV I CE S ; N. Y. DE P AR T M E NT OF S OC I AL S E RV I CE S ; N. Y. QUE E NS CO UNT Y F AM I L Y C OUR T ; P OL I CE DE P AR T M E NT OF T HE CI T Y OF N. Y. ; BAYSI DE HI GH SCHOOL COUNSE LOR, a / k / a J ANE DOE; P OLI CE OF F I CE R, a /k / a J ANE DOE ; P OL I CE OF F I CE R, a / k / a J OHN DO E ; QUE E NS ADMI NI S T RA T I ON F OR CH I L DR E N' S S E RV I CE S , “ c a s e wo r k e r s ” a / k / a KAGAN , POLLAC K, PI ERRE- LOU I S, SALI NA S; POLI CE O FF I CER, a / k / a J OH N D OE; N O T A R Y P U B L IC A N D D E P U T Y C L E R K O F T H E C O U R T , a/k/a E R IC P E R L M U T T E R ; C O M M I S S I O N E R A D M I N I S T R A T I O N F O R C H I L D R E N 'S S E RV I CE S , a /k a J OHN B . M AT T I NGL Y; CO M M I S S I ONE R/ CH ANC E L OR OF T HE BO AR D OF E DUC AT I ON, a / k / a J OHN DO E ; CO M M I S S I ONE R O F DEP ARTM ENT OF S OCI AL S ERVI CES , a / k / a Ve rn a Eg g l e s t o n ; F AM I LY COURT J UDGE S , a /k / a M AR YB E T H S . RI CH RO AT H, a / k / a W ANDA WARDL AW M A T T H E W S ; L E G A L A ID S O C IE T Y O F N .Y ., “ C H IL D R E N ' S L A W Y E R ” a /k /a N A D IA S E E R A T A N ; “A T T O R N E Y S ” , a/k /a M A R IS A P R E S T IA N N I, a/k /a

M AR GAR E T HUNT , a / k / a HE I DI L UNA

____________________________________ A p p ea l f rom the U n it ed S tat es D istri ct C o u rt f orthe D i s tr i ctof

N ew J er s ey ( D . C . C i vi l N o. 08- cv- 00231) D i s tr i ctJ udge: H onor abl e D enni s M . C avana ugh

____________________________________ Subm i tt ed Pur s uantt o T hi r d C i r cui tL A R 34. 1( a)

February 10, 2009 B ef or e: R E N D E L L , FU E N T E S and N Y G A A R D , C i r cui tJ udges2 Fi l ed: M ar ch 3, 2009

_________ OPI NI ON O F THE COURT

_________ P E R C UR I AM A ppel l antPhi l i p J ohns on appea l s f r om an or derof

the D i s tr i ctC our tent er ed J u ly 8 , 2 0 0 8 , d is m is s in g h is c o m p la in t s u a s p o n te fo r l a c k o f s u b je c t m a tte r j u ri s d ic tio n . Forthe r eas ons thatf

ol l ow , w e w i l l vaca t e the or derand r emand t he mat t erf orf ur ther proceed i ng s. I . B ackgr ound In Ja n u a ry 2 0 0 8 , Jo h n so n su b m itt e d a p ro se c o m p lain t p u rp o rtin g to b rin g a c iv il a c tio n a g a in st th e S tate o f N e w Y o rk , the C ity o f N e w Y o rk , an d v a rio u s N e w Y o rk c ity a n d sta te a g e n c ies a n d e m p lo y e e s. Jo h n so n a ttem p ted to in v o k e th e c o u rt’s d iv e rsity j uri sdi ct i on pu rs uan tt o 2 8 U . S . C . § 1 33 2. John son incl ud ed as his add res s only a po st of f i ce box. C oncl udi ng thata pos tof f i ce box doe s notes t abl i s h dom i ci l e orr es i dence f or di ver s i ty j ur i s di ct i on purpos es , the D i s tr i ctC our tent er ed a s ua s pont e or derdi s m i s s i ng th e c o m p lain t fo r la c k o f su b jec t m a tter ju risd ictio n . Jo h n so n n o w p u rsu e s a tim e ly a p p e a l to th is C o u rt. II. A n a ly sis A ccor di ng t o 28 U . S. C . § 1332( a) ( 1) , “The di s tr i ctcourt s s hal l have or i gi nal j ur i s di ct i on of

al l ci vi l act i ons w her e the mat t eri n contr over s y exce eds the s um orval ue of $75, 000, excl us i ve of

i nt er es tand cos t s , and i s betw een c i t i zens of di f f er entSt at es . ”3

W e exe r ci s e pl enary r evi ew overthe D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s s ua s pont e di s m i s s al of the compl ai ntf

orl ack of

s ubj ectm att erj ur i s di ct i on. See SE C v. I nf i ni ty G r oup C o. , 212 F .3 d 1 8 0 , 1 8 6 (3 d C ir . 2 0 0 0 ). T o i nvoke di ver s i ty j ur i s di ct i on, J ohns on w as r equi r ed t o pl ead thathe i s a ci t i zen of a part i cul ars t at e and thatthe def endant s ar e ci t i zens of

a di f f er ents t at e ors t at es . See 5 W r i ght& M i l l er , Fed. Pr ac. & Pr oc. C i v. 3d § 1208; s ee a l s o, e. g. , Schul t z v. C al l y, 528 F . 2 d 4 7 0 , 4 7 2 -73 (3d C ir . 1 9 7 5 ). H ere , the D istri ct C o u rtco n clud ed that Jo h n so n ’s compl ai ntw as i ns uf

f i ci entbeca us e he c i t ed a Pos tO f f i ce Box “as the s ol e bas i s of Pet i t i oner ’ s dom i ci l e orr es i dence i n thi s m att er . ” H ow ever , r equi r i ng J ohns on t o pr ovi de the “ba s i s ” of

hi s dom i ci l e orr es i dence hol ds J ohns on t o an unnec es s ar i l y hi gh pl eadi ng sta n d a rd . Jo h n so n in d ica ted o n b o th th e c iv il co v e r sh e e t an d in th e first p a ra g ra p h o f h is compl ai ntthathe i s a ci t i zen of the St at e of

N ew J er s ey. T he l i ber al not i ce pl eadi ng sta n d a rd o f F e d e ra l R u le o f C iv il P ro c e d u re 8 (a )(1 ) re q u ire s o n ly “ a sh o rt a n d p lain s t at ementof

the gr ounds f

orthe court ’ s j ur i s di ct i on, ” and a s a pr o s e pl ai nt i f f , J ohns on w as ent i t l ed t o l i ber al cons truct i on of hi s pl eadi ng. See A l s t on v. Par ker , 363 F. 3d 229, 234 ( 3d C i r . 2004) . H i s al l egat i on of N ew J er s ey ci t i zens hi p appea r s s uf f i ci entt o s ur vi ve s ua s pont e di s m i s s al pr i ort o s ervi ce. M or eover , a D i s tr i ctC our tgener al l y s houl d perm i tamendm entof a compl ai ntthat i s vul ner abl e t o di s m i s s al w her e a r es pons i ve pl eadi ng has notyetbeen f i l ed. See A l s t on, 363 F. 3d at235- 36; 28 U . S. C . § 1653 ( “D ef ect i ve al l egat i ons of

j ur i s di ct i on m ay be amended, upon t erm s , i n the tr i al orappel l at e court s . ”) ; M oor e v. C oat s C o. , 270 F. 2d4

4 1 0 , 4 1 2 (3 d C ir. 1 9 5 9 ) (“ T h e re is a m p le a u th o rity to su p p o rt th e p ro p o sitio n th a t a compl ai ntm ay be a m ended pur s uantt o Sect i on 1653 i n or dert o s uppl y al l egat i ons nece s s ary t o s us t ai n j ur i s di ct i on. ”) . I ndeed, w e have i ndi cat ed thatf eder al court s have a duty t o cons i derw hethera def ect i ve j ur i s di ct i onal al l egat i on m ay be r emedi ed thr ough amendm ent . See C hem. L eaman T ank Li nes , I nc. v. A etna C as . & Sur ety C o. , 177 F. 3d 2 1 0 , 2 2 2 n . 1 3 (3d C ir . 1 9 9 9 ); K iser v. G en . E lec. C o rp., 8 3 1 F . 2 d 4 2 3 , 4 2 7 (3d C ir . 1987) . T hus , t o the ext entthe D i s tr i ctC our tbel i eved thatJ ohns on s houl d have pr ovi ded a d d iti o n a l fa c tu a l su p p o rt fo r h is c laim o f N e w Je rse y c iti z e n sh ip , at a m in im u m , itsh o u ld h a v e p e rm itte d h im le a v e to a m e n d th e c o m p la in t. I I I . C oncl us i on W e w i l l vaca t e the D i s tr i ctC our t ’ s or derand r emand t he mat t erf orf ur ther pr ocee di ngs cons i s t entw i th thi s opi ni on. W e expr es s no opi ni on as t o w hethers ubj ect m att erj ur i s di ct i on exi s t s i n thi s cas e, bas ed on di ver s i ty of ci t i zens hi p orotherw i s e.