Opinion ID: 602903
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Lack of Personal Jurisdiction

Text: 18 Gerritsen sued the four individual Mexican defendants in both their individual and official capacities. 4 Under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(d), in order to serve the defendants properly in their individual capacity, Gerritsen was required to serve them either personally or by leaving a copy of the summons and complaint at their usual place of abode. Instead, he attempted service on Garcia and Uribe by leaving the paperwork with a co-worker at the Mexican Consulate. 19 When defendants are sued in their official capacity, service may be made personally or by leaving the summons and complaint with an authorized agent at the defendant's place of employment. Daly-Murphy v. Winston, 837 F.2d 348, 355 (9th Cir.1987). Since service was not made either personally or to an authorized agent to Garcia or Uribe, the suits against them in their official capacity must also be dismissed. Gerritsen does not refute the district court's factual conclusions regarding the manner of service.
20 Gerritsen attempted to serve the Mexican Consulate by having the district court clerk send an untranslated copy of the complaint to the President of Mexico by registered mail. Service of the Consulate is governed by the Foreign Sovereigns Immunity Act (FSIA). 28 U.S.C. § 1330 (1988). Since the consulate is a separate legal person, it is a foreign state within the meaning of the FSIA. Joseph, 830 F.2d at 1021 (citing Gerritsen I, 819 F.2d at 1517). 21 Section 1608(a) of the FSIA provides for four alternative methods of service, only one of which could apply in this case: 22 (3) if service cannot be made under paragraphs (1) or (2), by sending a copy of the summons and complaint and a notice of suit, together with a translation of each into the official language of the foreign state, by any form of mail requiring signed receipt, to be addressed and dispatched by the clerk of the court to the head of the ministry of foreign affairs of the foreign state concerned. 23 28 U.S.C. § 1608(b) (emphasis added). Even assuming that the president of Mexico is the head of the ministry of foreign affairs, Gerritsen did not perfect service because he sent only an English language version of the complaint. 24