Court Opinion

ID: 9454873
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-04 19:02:41.970324+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:34:21.631648
License: Public Domain

IRVING R. KAUFMAN,
Circuit Judge (concurring):
Although the majority opinion, after carefully canvassing the history of federal jurisdictional statutes in search of an explicit exception to the $10,000 jurisdictional amount, found none, I concur dubitante. What was created here, was the familiar “whipsaw” pattern in which separate jurisdictions press diametrically opposed claims on one individual. Cf., e. g., Murphy v. Waterfront Commission, 378 U.S. 52, 84 S.Ct. 1594, 12 L.Ed.2d 678 (1964) (a state witness may not be compelled to give testimony that would subject him to federal prosecution). The existence of conflicting commands to an individual by differing sovereigns may raise severe constitutional due process objections.
Thus I find King v. Smith, 392 U.S. 309, 88 S.Ct. 2128, 20 L.Ed.2d 1118 (1968), particularly troublesome. The Court there invalidated a State “man in the house” rule on the basis of inconsistency with the federal statute under which the AFDC program was administered. The Court found jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1343(3) (“deprivation * * * of any right * * * secured by the Constitution * * * or by any Act of Congress providing for equal rights”) and 28 U.S.C. § 1343(4) (“to secure * * * relief under any Act of Congress providing for the protection of civil rights, including the right to vote”). Although basing its exception to the jurisdictional amount on constitutional claims the Court decided the case on the sole ground of supremacy of the federal statute. I note therefore, that while it took jurisdiction on a constitutional ground, the Court’s ultimate decision was based solely on statutory construction. If this be a basis for jurisdiction, without regard to amount in controversy, then appellant’s due process “whipsaw” claim arguably suffices in this action. I would prefer, however, to await a clear declaration by the Supreme Court before holding in effect that any welfare recipient may obtain federal court review by urging what may be no more than a colorable constitutional claim, joined to a substantial statutory issue.