Opinion ID: 78179
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Woodard v. STP Corp.

Text: Shortly after Druhan, this Court confronted a similar issue in Woodard v. STP Corp., 170 F.3d at 1043. Like Druhan, Woodard involved an appeal from an invited final judgment after the denial of the plaintiff's motion to remand a case to state court. Also like Druhan, Woodard did not involve an order that was case-dispositive. Specifically, the Woodard plaintiff brought a class action in state court. Id. at 1044. After a grant of conditional class certification, the defendants removed the case to federal court based on diversity jurisdiction. Id. The plaintiff moved to remand the case to state court. Id. The district court denied the motion and vacated the state court's conditional class certification. Id. The plaintiff then filed a motion for voluntary dismissal, which the defendants opposed. Id. The district court granted the plaintiff's motion and dismissed the case with prejudice. Id. The plaintiff appealed, challenging, among other things, the district court's denial of remand. Id. This Court noted that the plaintiff did not obtain § 1292(b) certification and thus could not appeal directly from the order denying remand. Id. Although the plaintiff obtained a final judgment when the court granted with prejudice his motion for voluntary dismissal, the Woodard Court concluded the judgment was not appealable because it was obtained at the request of the plaintiff and there is therefore no `case or controversy' in regard to it. Id. (citing Druhan, 166 F.3d at 1326). This Court dismissed the appeal of the remand denial for lack of jurisdiction. Id. at 1044-45.