Opinion ID: 496994
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Dr. Wardlaw

Text: 33 While the parties have focused their attention on whether Dr. Wardlaw was amenable to the court's jurisdiction under Mississippi's long-arm statute, it nevertheless is apparently undisputed that he was served in person within Mississippi. His corporation, Gastroenterology, was served in like manner--by personal service in Mississippi on him, as the corporation's registered agent. 6 34 Under common law, a state can exercise in personam jurisdiction over any party found within its borders. International Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310, 66 S.Ct. 154, 158, 90 L.Ed. 95 (1945); Restatement (Second) Conflict of Laws Sec. 28 comment a; C. Wright & A. Miller, 4 Federal Practice and Procedure (Civil) Sec. 1064 (1969); R. Casad, Jurisdiction in Civil Actions 2-10 to 2-12 (1983). We thoroughly analyzed this transient presence basis for personal jurisdiction in Amusement Equipment, Inc. v. Mordelt, 779 F.2d 264 (5th Cir.1985), and reaffirmed its constitutionality, despite the speculations of many that the Supreme Court had cast a pall across mere presence as a jurisdictional basis in Shaffer v. Heitner, 433 U.S. 186, 97 S.Ct. 2569, 53 L.Ed.2d 683 (1977). See Holt Oil & Gas Corp. v. Harvey, 801 F.2d 773, 779 n. 4 (5th Cir.1986) (noting that Amusement reaffirmed the continuing existence of transient jurisdiction in certain cases in which the defendant is served while physically present within the forum), cert. denied, --- U.S. ----, 107 S.Ct. 1892, 95 L.Ed.2d 499 (1987). 35 We have not found any Mississippi case or statute challenging this basis for jurisdiction. We do not regard section 13-3-57 as dispositive because it speaks only to when service on or through the Secretary of State is authorized, while here there was direct personal service. Sections 13-3-33 and 13-3-49, respecting service by direct personal delivery on individuals and corporations (through their designated agents or officers), are not expressly restricted to resident defendants. We believe that Mississippi would recognize this jurisdictional basis if called upon to decide the question. Cf. Munford, Inc. v. Peterson, 368 So.2d 213, 215 (Miss.1979) ([w]here there is no statute pertaining to a subject, the common law prevails); American Cas. Co. v. Kincade, 219 Miss. 653, 69 So.2d 820, 824 (1954) (quoting with approval from Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U.S. 714, 24 L.Ed. 565 (1877), including the passage, every state possesses exclusive jurisdiction and sovereignty over persons and property within its territory, (95 U.S. at 722, 24 L.Ed. at 568)). Therefore, because Wardlaw was served while in Mississippi, the Mississippi federal court had personal jurisdiction over him.