Opinion ID: 528444
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: the lack of a hearing on defendants' motion to dismiss

Text: 26 Plaintiff also argues that the district court erred in ruling on defendants' motion to dismiss without conducting a hearing. According to plaintiff, this prevented key facts from surfacing at the time the motion was decided. Defendants point out in response that plaintiff failed to request a hearing before the district court, and they contend that this amounts to a waiver of any potential right he may have had to a hearing. 27 We note that a district court should not dismiss a complaint on the basis of a Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b) defense without affording the plaintiff some opportunity to be heard. Where the defendant has challenged the plaintiff's assertion of federal jurisdiction under Rule 12(b)(1), the court should give the plaintiff an opportunity to present facts in support of his jurisdictional contention. The facts may be presented by affidavit or by deposition or in an evidentiary hearing. The district court in the present case allowed plaintiff an extension of time in which to file an opposition to the motion to dismiss. Though the court denied a subsequent request for extension, the court indicated that it would give proper consideration to plaintiff's belated opposition. In his opposition, however, plaintiff provided no facts whatsoever to cure the jurisdictional deficiency that defendants relied on as the basis of their motion to dismiss. Plaintiff's opposition merely restated allegations already included in the Complaint. Plaintiff had the opportunity to file affidavits in opposition to the motion to dismiss, but failed to do so. Given that plaintiff was afforded an opportunity to present facts in support of his jurisdictional contention and given his failure to request a hearing, the district court did not act improperly in ruling on the motion without conducting a hearing. 4