Miriam Maldonado v. Megdal Downey LLC

Summary

The United States District Court for the Central District of California ordered the plaintiff to show cause why the court should exercise supplemental jurisdiction over claims under California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act and related state-law claims. The court directed the plaintiff and counsel to identify the statutory damages sought and provide declarations addressing whether they qualify as high-frequency litigants, warning that failure to respond could result in dismissal of the state-law claims.

Holdings

1. Supplemental jurisdiction over state-law claims is discretionary rather than a plaintiff's right, and the court may decline jurisdiction under the circumstances specified in 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c), while weighing judicial economy, convenience, fairness, and comity.
2. Plaintiff must show cause in writing why the court should exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the Unruh Act claim and related state-law claims, identify the statutory damages sought, and provide declarations addressing the high-frequency-litigant criteria.

Questions Presented

1. Whether the court should exercise supplemental jurisdiction over Plaintiff's Unruh Civil Rights Act claim and any related state-law claims.
2. What information Plaintiff and counsel must provide for the court to evaluate whether declining supplemental jurisdiction is warranted under 28 U.S.C. § 1367(c).

Disposition

other