Opinion ID: 1597995
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: whether the misjoinder of multiple plaintiffs in these cases threatens american bankers' constitutional right to a fair and impartial trial.

Text: ¶ 26. American Bankers contends that even if Rule 20(a) were completely satisfied, to allow joinder would violate its fundamental right to a fair and impartial trial. It argues that under these circumstances, considerations of convenience and economy must yield to a paramount concern for a fair and impartial trial. In re Consol. Parlodel Litig., 182 F.R.D. 441, 444 (D.N.J.1998) quoting Johnson v. Celotex Corp., 899 F.2d 1281, 1285 (2d Cir.1990), One form of potential prejudice alleged by American Bankers is the cumulative and otherwise inadmissible evidence being admitted from multiple, separate, unrelated transactions. It claims that any benefits gained by the efficiency of joinder is not worth the cost of fairness. ¶ 27. The overriding theme of American Bankers is its disagreement with the venue of the instant action in Jefferson County. [7] Miss. R. Civ. P. 82(c) provides that where several claims or parties have been joined, the suit may be brought in any county in which any one of those claims could properly have been brought. This Court has previously stated that when Rule 20 joinder of parties is involved, venue is proper wherever it is proper as to one such claim. McDonald v. Holmes, 595 So.2d 434, 436 (Miss.1992). A review of the record reveals these are all Mississippi plaintiffs with residents in the counties where suits were filed. Consequently, American Bankers' general complaints with regard to venue lack merit. ¶ 28. American Bankers' argument regarding the vast number of claims has been rejected by courts outside the jurisdiction. In Guedry v. Marino, 164 F.R.D. 181 (E.D.La.1995), the Louisiana district court, although considering the claims of seven plaintiffs, rejected the defendant's argument that the sheer number of claims coupled with the testimony to support such claims would cause prejudice and confusion. In dismissing this argument, the court held that any concerns of defendants could be addressed using appropriate instructions: For the foregoing reasons, the Court fathoms no valid notions that favor defendant's motion to sever, whether pursuant to Rule 20(a) or Rule 42(b), with compelling legal basis. To allow seven individual trials on essentially the same case, if not identical, issue could cause this matter to go on forever, case after case. Id. at 186. ¶ 29. As with all three issues under this section, there is no proof that the trial courts abused their discretion in allowing the plaintiffs' claims to remain consolidated. This especially holds true in light of the fact that American Bankers attempted to pursue an affirmative defense common to all plaintiffs. In consideration of the facts in this case and the abuse of discretion standard, the course of conduct chosen by the trial judges was not error. It appropriately precluded the possibility of numerous separate trials and inconsistent rulings on the same issues (which even American Bankers admits are common to all claims).