Opinion ID: 3048284
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Dismissal of Claims Against West

Text: Sanford also challenges the district court’s dismissal of her claims against West. Her federal claim was brought under 39 U.S.C. § 3009, which prohibits “the mailing of unordered merchandise.” 39 U.S.C. § 3009(a); see also id. § 3009(c) (preventing “the mailer of any merchandise mailed in violation of subsection (a)” from billing for such merchandise). The district court dismissed Sanford’s Section 3009 claim against West on the ground that West never actually mailed any merchandise to her. Sanford does not dispute this factual finding. Rather, she argues that “mailing” should be interpreted broadly, to include those who cause an item to be mailed. 10 After compelling arbitration of Sanford’s dispute with MemberWorks, the 2002 order denied as moot MemberWorks’ motion to strike class allegations. In its June 2003 order denying reconsideration, the district court clarified that its earlier order had compelled arbitration of Sanford’s individual claim and had dismissed Sanford’s class allegations as moot. SANFORD v. MEMBERWORKS, INC. 4281 [10] This broad interpretation cannot be reconciled with the plain language of the statute. Section 3009 is part of the Chapter 30 of the Postal Reorganization Act, PL 91-375 (1970), entitled “Nonmailable Matter.” Other provisions of this statute plainly seek to reach those who cause prohibited matter to be mailed, in addition to the party actually mailing the material. See, e.g., 39 U.S.C. § 3008(a) (“Whoever for himself, or by his agents or assigns, mails or causes to be mailed any pandering advertisement . . . shall be subject to an order of the Postal Service to refrain from further mailings . . . .” ); id. § 3010(a) (“Any person who mails or causes to be mailed any sexually oriented advertisement shall place on the envelope or cover thereof his name and address as the sender thereof and such mark or notice as the Postal Service may prescribe.”). By contrast, Section 3009 reaches only “the mailing of unordered merchandise.” [11] “Where Congress includes particular language in one section of a statute but omits it in another . . . , it is generally presumed that Congress acts intentionally and purposely in the disparate inclusion or exclusion.” Keene Corp. v. United States, 508 U.S. 200, 208 (1993) (internal citation and quotation marks omitted). Congress’s use of the phrase “causes to be mailed” in other sections of Chapter 30, but its omission in Section 3009, indicates that this section was not intended to reach beyond those who actually mail unordered merchandise. Accordingly, we agree with the district court’s ruling that Section 3009 does not reach West, and affirm the dismissal of Sanford’s federal claim against that defendant. In light of this holding, it was not an abuse of discretion to dismiss Sanford’s state law claims against West without prejudice once the federal claim was dismissed. See United Mine Workers v. Gibbs, 383 U.S. 715 (1966).