Rogers v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Rogers v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 230 F.3d 868 (6th Cir. 2000),[1] was a case decided by the 6th Circuit that held that remand to a state court cannot be achieved after removal to a federal court by lowering the damages sought to fall below the amount in controversy requirement.[2]

Rogers v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
CourtUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Full case name Shirley K. Rogers v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
ArguedSeptember 13, 2000
DecidedOctober 26, 2000
Citation230 F.3d 868
Case history
Prior historyMotion to remand denied by U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, June 23, 1999
Court membership
Judges sittingRalph B. Guy Jr., Karen Nelson Moore, David D. Dowd, Jr. (N.D. Ohio)
Case opinions
MajorityDowd, joined by a unanimous court
Laws applied
28 U.S.C. § 1441

Decision

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The plaintiff sued Walmart in state court for a state law negligence action, seeking $950,000 in damages. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1441,[3] the defendant removed to federal court on the basis of diversity jurisdiction. The plaintiff reduced the damages sought to less than $75,000 and petitioned for remand to state court because the amount in controversy requirement was no longer met. The 6th Circuit upheld a denial of the petition for remand, holding that the amount in controversy at the time of removal was what mattered.[4]

References

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  1. ^ Rogers v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 230 F.3d 868 (6th Cir. 2000).
  2. ^ Yeazell, S.C. Civil Procedure, Seventh Edition. Aspen Publisher, New York, NY: 2008, p. 218
  3. ^ 28 U.S.C. § 1441
  4. ^ Yeazell, p. 218
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