Opinion ID: 43341
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: whether the sanction of dismissal was appropriate

Text: 18 Although the district court's substantive holding was correct, its remedy was not. The court dismissed with prejudice Plaintiffs' complaint after determining that the Consul General could not act as Resendiz's next friend. As Plaintiffs point out, however, Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 17 provides: No action shall be dismissed on the ground that it is not prosecuted in the name of the real party in interest until a reasonable time has been allowed after objection for ratification of commencement of the action by, or ratification, joinder, or substitution of, the real party in interest. . . . 19 In accord with advisory committee notes, our case law has put a gloss on Rule 17's unqualified language. It holds that a plaintiff must have a reasonable basis for naming the wrong party to be entitled to ratification, joinder, or substitution. See Wieburg, 272 F.3d at 308 (citing Advanced Magnetics v. Bayfront Partners, 106 F.3d 11, 20 (2d Cir.1997)). Here, the Consul General has indicated his belief, not wholly unfounded, that Resendiz was incompetent. That was a reasonable explanation for Plaintiffs' failure to bring suit in the correct party's name. Under the circumstances, the district court abused its discretion by ordering dismissal with prejudice before allowing a reasonable time for ratification, joinder, or substitution. The court should have utilized those less drastic alternatives to dismissal. See id.