Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Rose v. Giamatti Case Brief

District Court, S.D. Ohio1989Docket #886226
721 F. Supp. 906 1989 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 8600 1989 WL 117401 Federal Courts Civil Procedure Contracts

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
4 min read

tl;dr: Pete Rose sued the MLB Commissioner and others in Ohio state court. The Commissioner removed the case to federal court. The court denied Rose’s motion to remand, finding that the non-diverse defendants, the Cincinnati Reds and MLB, were improperly joined nominal parties, thus preserving federal diversity jurisdiction.

Legal Significance: This case is a leading example of a federal court piercing the pleadings to disregard the citizenship of nominal and fraudulently joined parties to find diversity jurisdiction. It demonstrates how a party’s unique contractual structure can insulate its members from being considered real parties in interest.

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Plaintiff Pete Rose, the manager of the Cincinnati Reds and a citizen of Ohio, filed suit in Ohio state court to prevent a disciplinary hearing regarding his alleged gambling. He named as defendants the Commissioner of Baseball, A. Bartlett Giamatti (a citizen of New York), the Cincinnati Reds (an Ohio citizen), and Major League Baseball (MLB), an unincorporated association with an Ohio member, making it an Ohio citizen for diversity purposes. Rose’s complaint alleged that Giamatti was biased and could not provide a fair hearing. While Rose alleged no wrongdoing by the Reds, he claimed they had a contractual duty to ensure the Commissioner followed fair procedures. Defendant Giamatti removed the case to federal court, asserting diversity jurisdiction. Rose filed a motion to remand, arguing the presence of Ohio defendants (the Reds and MLB) destroyed the complete diversity required under 28 U.S.C. § 1332. Giamatti countered that the Reds and MLB were nominal parties who were fraudulently joined solely to defeat federal jurisdiction.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: For the purpose of establishing diversity jurisdiction upon removal, should the citizenship of non-diverse defendants be disregarded when the plaintiff has no viable cause of action against them and they are not real parties to the central controversy?

Yes. The court denied the motion to remand, holding that the Cincinnati Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillu

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Legal Issue

For the purpose of establishing diversity jurisdiction upon removal, should the citizenship of non-diverse defendants be disregarded when the plaintiff has no viable cause of action against them and they are not real parties to the central controversy?

Conclusion

The case stands as a significant precedent for the doctrines of fraudulent Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco

Legal Rule

A federal court must disregard nominal or formal parties and rest jurisdiction Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ip

Legal Analysis

The court's analysis focused on identifying the 'real parties to the controversy' Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in re

Flash-to-Full Case Opinions

Flash Summary

  • The court denied Pete Rose’s motion to remand, finding federal diversity
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur

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