Opinion ID: 1863451
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: analysis

Text: Louisiana courts lack the inherent authority to dismiss a cause of action under the doctrine of forum non conveniens and are statutorily allowed to dismiss only actions based on federal statutes. Therefore, foreign causes of action based on state law must be entertained by Louisiana courts where jurisdiction is otherwise proper, whereas a similar suit based on federal statute may be dismissed under Article 123 B with the sole difference being that the latter is based on federal statute. Thus, Article 123 B allows discrimination against federally created rights for the sole reason that they are federally created. Howlett v. Rose, 496 U.S. 356, 367-75, 110 S.Ct. 2430, 2438-42, 110 L.Ed.2d 332 (1990), and the Supremacy Clause of the Federal Constitution prohibit such discrimination. Furthermore, La.Code Civ. P. art. 123 B does not fall within the valid excuse exception recognized in Douglas v. New York, 279 U.S. 377, 49 S.Ct. 355, 73 L.Ed. 747 (1929), and in Missouri v. Mayfield, 340 U.S. 1, 71 S.Ct. 1, 95 L.Ed. 3 (1950). Unlike the state statute that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in Douglas which permitted dismissals of both federal and state claims involving nonresident defendants and plaintiffs, Article 123 allows dismissals of only federal claims. Contrary to that court's holding in Mayfield which would allow a state to dismiss a FELA action under forum non conveniens if the state would likewise dismiss a similar state law action, a Louisiana court cannot dismiss the similar state claim. Thus, absent a provision in Article 123 which would allow dismissal of state law suits based upon acts or omissions originating outside of this state, Article 123 B has no valid excuse and unconstitutionally discriminates against federal causes of action.