Jesue Garcia v. Vesco and Associates, LLC

Summary

The court issued an order to show cause regarding whether to decline supplemental jurisdiction over the plaintiff’s California Unruh Civil Rights Act claim in an action also asserting an Americans with Disabilities Act claim. The court directed the plaintiff to explain why the Unruh Act claim should not be dismissed without prejudice under 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c)(4), including providing information concerning requested statutory damages and high-frequency litigant status.

Holdings

1. Because the Unruh Act claim was closely related to the ADA claim, the court had authority to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over it under 28 U.S.C. § 1367(a).
2. The court should consider declining supplemental jurisdiction over the Unruh Act claim because the case was at a sufficiently early stage and the systemic impact of ADA-based Unruh Act claims could create exceptional circumstances affecting federal-state comity.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the court had authority to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiff's related Unruh Civil Rights Act claim.
2. Whether exceptional circumstances and federal-state comity concerns warranted declining supplemental jurisdiction over the Unruh Act claim under 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c)(4).

Disposition

other