Summary
The United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri denied Plaintiff Fredric Darnell Travis’s pro se motion to remove a Missouri state-court action involving replevin and breach-of-contract claims brought by Joplin Metro Credit Union. The court held that the state-law claims did not support federal-question jurisdiction or supplemental jurisdiction, particularly because the state court had already entered judgment and the matter was on appeal. The order also states in its conclusion that a motion to file an amended petition under seal was denied.
Court
United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Southwestern Division
Jurisdiction
United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Southwestern Division
Decision date
April 21, 2026
Docket number
3:25-cv-05103-MDH
Disposition
other
Questions Presented
- Whether the plaintiff could remove the Missouri state-court action to federal district court.
- Whether the federal court had original jurisdiction over the state-court action based on the state-law replevin and breach-of-contract claims.
- Whether the federal court could exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the state action in connection with Travis's separate Fair Credit Reporting Act claim.
Holdings
- Removal was improper because the federal district court did not have original jurisdiction over the state-court action.
- Supplemental jurisdiction did not support removal or federal consideration of the state action because the state-law claims were not sufficiently related to Travis's Fair Credit Reporting Act claim and the state court had already entered judgment while the matter was on appeal.
Court Document
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