Opinion ID: 6159
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Applicable Law on Personal Jurisdiction

Text: Absent any dispute as to the relevant facts, the issue of whether personal jurisdiction may be exercised over a nonresident defendant is a question of law to be determined de novo by this Court.2 When alleged jurisdictional facts are disputed, we must reso lve all conflicts in favor of the party seeking to invoke the court's jurisdiction.3 A federal district court sitting in diversity may exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant if (1) the long-arm statute of the forum state confers personal jurisdiction over that defendant; and (2) exercise of such jurisdiction by the forum state is consistent with due process under the United States Constitution.4 These two steps collapse into one for our purposes because the Texas Supreme Court has established that the Texas long-arm 1 On or about October 15, 1993, the district court in this action granted summary judgment in favor of defendant Donaldson on all claims brought by plaintiff Ruston. Ruston has appealed the summary judgment to this Court, therefore the issue of personal jurisdiction over Corchran is not moot. 2 E.g., Ham v. La Cienega Music Co., 4 F.3d 413, 415 (5th Cir.1993); Command-Aire v. Ontario Mechanical Sales & Service, 963 F.2d 90, 93 (5th Cir.1992). 3 Bullion v. Gillespie, 895 F.2d 213, 217 (5th Cir.1990) ([O]n a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction, uncontroverted allegations in the plaintiff's complaint must be taken as true, and conflicts between the facts contained in the parties' affidavits must be resolved in the plaintiff's favor for purposes of determining whether a prima facie case for personal jurisdiction exists.) (quoting D.J. Investments, Inc. v. Metzler Motorcycle Tire Agent Gregg, Inc., 754 F.2d 542, 546 (5th Cir.1985).). 4 E.g., Ham, 4 F.3d at 415; Irving v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp., 864 F.2d 383, 385 (5th Cir.), cert. denied sub nom. Jugometal Enterprise for Import and Export of Ores and Metals v. Irving, 493 U.S. 823, 110 S.Ct. 83, 107 L.Ed.2d 49 (1989). statute5 extends to the limits of federal due process.6 The due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, permits the exercise of personal jurisdiction over a nonresident defendant when (1) that defendant has established minimum contacts with the forum state; and (2) the exercise of jurisdiction over that defendant does not offend traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.7 Both prongs of the due process test must be met in this case if the United States Distri ct Court for the Southern District of Texas is to exercise personal jurisdiction over Corchran.