Opinion ID: 737436
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: What About Chedid?

Text: 23 Finally, we consider whether we should dismiss Chedid because his presence disrupts subject matter jurisdiction. Title 28 U.S.C. § 1332 confers diversity jurisdiction in the district courts when a citizen of one State sues both aliens and citizens of a State different from the plaintiff's, § 1332(a)(3), and when a citizen of a State sues aliens only, § 1332(a)(2). See Newman-Green, Inc. v. Alfonzo-Larrain, 490 U.S. 826, 828, 109 S.Ct. 2218, 2220-21, 104 L.Ed.2d 893 (1989). However, for diversity purposes, an expatriate is deemed neither an alien nor a citizen of any State. See id. When a plaintiff sues multiple defendants in a diversity action, complete diversity must be present. That is, the plaintiff must satisfy the diversity requirements for each defendant or else encounter dismissal. Id. at 829, 109 S.Ct. at 2221; Strawbridge v. Curtiss, 3 Cranch 267, 7 U.S. 267, 2 L.Ed. 435 (1806). 24 In this case, Chedid is plainly an American expatriate who calls Saudi Arabia his domicile. 1 Chedid's stateless status upsets complete diversity under § 1332(a)(3), and his United States citizenship tarnishes complete diversity under § 1332(a)(2). The district court therefore lacked jurisdiction to rule on Hill-Rom's forum non conveniens motion because Chedid was a party to this action. An appellate court, however, has the power to dismiss a dispensable party whose presence sullies statutory diversity jurisdiction. Newman-Green, 490 U.S. at 826, 109 S.Ct. at 2218. Today, we exercise that power and dismiss Chedid. 25 An appellate court should carefully consider whether the dismissal of a non-diverse party will prejudice any of the parties in the litigation. Id. at 838, 109 S.Ct. at 2225-26. In Newman-Green, instead of dismissing the plaintiff's case, this Court granted the plaintiff's motion to amend its complaint to drop the non-diverse party, thereby creating complete diversity under § 1332(a)(2). The panel then found the non-diverse party to be dispensable and went on to decide the merits of the case, leaving damages and some minor issues to the district court on remand. Id. at 829, 109 S.Ct. at 2221. In this case, we need not fret about dismissing Chedid because this suit will not continue after his dismissal. That is, because we are dismissing Chedid only to attain subject matter jurisdiction to affirm a forum non conveniens dismissal, neither we nor the district court on remand would have to decide the merits of Kamel's case. By our affirming the dismissal of Kamel's case on the basis of forum non conveniens, Kamel necessarily will have to pursue his claims against both Hill-Rom and Chedid in a Saudi Arabian tribunal anyway. Ergo, Chedid's dismissal will not prejudice any of the parties.