Source: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/F2/470/790/110873/
Timestamp: 2020-01-21 09:50:24
Document Index: 211448123

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1343', '§ 1983', '§ 1343', '§ 1343', '§ 1983', '§ 1983']

Grady Carroll Ouzts, Plaintiff-appellant, v. Maryland National Insurance Company et al., Defendants-appellees, 470 F.2d 790 (9th Cir. 1972) :: Justia
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Grady Carroll Ouzts, Plaintiff-appellant, v. Maryland National Insurance Company et al., Defendants-appellees, 470 F.2d 790 (9th Cir. 1972)
US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit - 470 F.2d 790 (9th Cir. 1972) Dec. 6, 1972
This is an appeal from the district court's dismissal of appellants' first amended complaint alleging deprivation of civil rights in two counts. The first count asserts federal court subject matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1343(3) and (4) and alleges that the claim arises under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The second count asserts such jurisdiction under the "doctrine of pendent jurisdiction" and alleges a state claim under essentially the same facts as those alleged in the first count. The district court dismissed the action with prejudice after granting appellees' motion for summary judgment on the ground that it lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the first count and therefore was exercising its discretion to refuse to take cognizance of the second count.
In reference to the district court's dismissal of the first count of appellant's amended complaint on the ground of lack of subject matter jurisdiction, if the amended complaint raises a federal question, the mere claim confers power to decide that it has no merit, as well as to decide that it has. The rule is that where a complaint is so drawn as to seek recovery for any wrong under 28 U.S.C. § 1343, the district court must assume jurisdiction over the subject matter, with the possible exceptions of (1) where the claim is clearly immaterial and alleged solely for the purpose of obtaining such jurisdiction, or (2) where the claim is wholly insubstantial and frivolous. Bell v. Hood, 327 U.S. 678, 681-683, 66 S. Ct. 773, 90 L. Ed. 939 (1946); Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. v. Northwestern Public Services Co., 341 U.S. 246, 249, 71 S. Ct. 692, 95 L. Ed. 912 (1951); Agnew v. City of Compton, 239 F.2d 226, 229 (9th Cir. 1956), cert. denied 353 U.S. 959, 77 S. Ct. 868, 1 L. Ed. 2d 910 (1957).
From appellant's allegations in the amended complaint and his affidavit in opposition to appellees' motion for summary judgment, it is readily apparent that neither of the possible exceptions is applicable in this case. Appellant specifically designated 28 U.S.C. § 1343(3) and (4) in the first count of his amended complaint to establish subject matter jurisdiction. Therefore the district court had such jurisdiction and erred in dismissing the first count on the ground that it lacked it.
The question is whether or not the first count stated a claim upon which the district court could have granted relief. A complaint cannot be dismissed on the ground of failing to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, unless it is apparent beyond a doubt that appellant cannot prove any set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief. Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46, 78 S. Ct. 99, 2 L. Ed. 2d 80 (1957); York v. Story, 324 F.2d 450, 453 (9th Cir. 1963), cert. denied, 376 U.S. 939, 84 S. Ct. 794, 11 L. Ed. 2d 659 (1964). This rule has been applied in civil rights actions by this court. York v. Story, supra; Marshall v. Sawyer, 301 F.2d 639, 647 (9th Cir. 1962); Cohen v. Norris, 300 F.2d 24, 31 (9th Cir. 1962).
For appellant's first count to state a claim entitled to relief under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, he must allege that (1) the appellees were acting under color of state law and (2) their conduct subjected or caused him to be subjected to a deprivation of some right, privilege, or immunity secured by the Constitution of the United States. DeWitt v. Pail, 366 F.2d 682, 685 (9th Cir. 1966); Lucero v. Donovan, 354 F.2d 16, 19 (9th Cir. 1965); Marshall v. Sawyer, supra, 301 F.2d at page 646.
Although appellant admitted in the affidavit that none of the appellees was a police officer of the State of California or of any of its political subdivisions, or even a licensed private detective, he persists in his view that appellees acted "under color of law" as provided in 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The basis of his persistence is the fact that appellees executed their "arrest" pursuant to Section 1301 of the California Penal Code which provides in pertinent part, as follows:
As for the second count of appellant's amended complaint, in view of our above holding that the first count fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, we are not persuaded that the district court abused its discretion by refusing to take cognizance of it under its pendent jurisdiction. Hurn v. Oursler, 289 U.S. 238, 245-246, 53 S. Ct. 586, 77 L. Ed. 1148 (1933); Gaito v. Strauss, 249 F. Supp. 923, 935 (W.D. Pa. 1966), cert. denied, 386 U.S. 977, 87 S. Ct. 1173, 18 L. Ed. 2d 139 (1967).