McLaughlin v. Western Union Telegraph Co.

7 F.2d 177, 1925 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1210
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Louisiana
DecidedJuly 9, 1925
Docket17953
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 7 F.2d 177 (McLaughlin v. Western Union Telegraph Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McLaughlin v. Western Union Telegraph Co., 7 F.2d 177, 1925 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1210 (E.D. La. 1925).

Opinion

BEATTIE, District Judge.

Plaintiff brought suit in the state district court for the parish of St. Mary. Defendant duly obtained an order to remove same to this court on the ground of diversity of citizenship. Plaintiff thereupon appeared in this *178 court and prayed that the suit be remanded to the district court for the parish of St. Mary.

The basis of this latter motion is that the plaintiff’s cause of action is under the Workmen’s Compensation Law of Louisiana (Act No. 20 of 1914), and that this law is not enforceable irl any federal court, because the methods of enforcing that law .are not adaptable to the machinery and methods used in this court.

In support of the motion to remand, the plaintiff further alleges that the defendant waived his right to remove this ease from the state court by certain pleadings filed by the present defendant, in a suit by the plaintiff against the same defendant, on the same cause of action, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, in which pleadings plaintiff contends that the defendant averred that this cause of action could only be tried in the state court of St. Mary parish, La.; and plaintiff contends that, as a result of said pleading and contention, as made in the United States District Court in Texas, the plaintiff took a nonsuit, and thereafter filed this suit in the state court of Louisiana. Plaintiff contends that the defendant is estopped to assert the right to remove this ease to this court by reason of the pleading filed in the United States District Court in Texas, wherein the nonsuit was taken.

The questions presented for decision involve questions of fact and of law. The questions of -fact are: What pleading defendant filed in Texas, what judgment was rendered in Texas, and whether the judgment was rendered as a result of the plea by whieh the defendant is now sought to be estopped.

The question of law presented is whether or not — whatever may be the facts — the defendant can be estopped by his pleadings in Texas from obtaining an order to remove this ease from the district court for St. Mary parish to this court.

The copy of the plaintiff’s petition in Texas shows that it was in the alternative, claiming: First and primarily, damages for personal injury (that is, damages for a tort); second, and in the alternative, and in the event that it be found that he is mistaken in his claim for damages for tort, and in that event only, and as an alternative plea, he asked the court to establish his claim under the Workmen’s Compensation Law of Louisiana.

■The defendant filed in the Texas court a plea of abatement and a plea to the jurisdiction, alleging that at the time of the injury to plaintiff, he was working under and subject to the terms of said Compensation Law, and that he and the defendant were entitled to the privileges of said act, and subject to the requirements of said act any action brought by plaintiff against the defendant because of said injury “must have been brought and must be brought in the state of Louisiana, and subject to the terms and provisions of said” Compensation Law. Defendant further pleaded the statute of limitations as fixed by said Compensation Law.

To the other cause of action in plaintiff’s petition, based upon tort, the defendant pleaded in the Texas court that the plaintiff was injured through no fault or negligence of the defendant, but solely through his own negligence and carelessness.

The judgment of the United States District Court in Texas was prefaced with a statement that all matters of fact and law were submitted, and that the court was of the opinion that the law was with the defendant, and that the plaintiff requested a nonsuit, and “it is therefore ordered, adjudged, and decreed by the court that the plaintiff, Thomas H. McLaughlin, be granted a nonsuit without prejudice herein, upon payment of all costs incurred herein for which execution may issue.”

It will be noted that the judgment does not state whether or not it was based in any way upon the plea of the defendant that plaintiff’s action, being based upon the Workmen’s Compensation Law, could only be brought in the state of Louisiana.

Affidavits are submitted by the attorneys that represented the plaintiff and the defendant in Texas. Plaintiff’s attorney swears that, before he knew or had reason to know what the court’s decision would be, he requested the court to permit the plaintiff to take a nonsuit without prejudice, and this request was granted. He further says that at one time during the course of the trial the judge said substantially that he believed the plaintiff had been hurt and should be paid, but that he wanted to hear a discussion of the law, and particularly the law on the question of limitation, and' thereupon some Louisiana decisions were read by the plaintiff’s attorney, which seemed to satisfy the judge on the question of limitation in favor of plaintiff, and that later, before the judge had announced his decision, or made any remark as to what it would be, the affiant stated that there was some doubt in his mind as to whether or not *179 he was in tho right court, and thereupon asked for a nonsuit without prejudice, which was granted.

Affiant further says that it was after the taking of the nonsuit that the judge, just as he left the bench, stated that he was afraid he would have had to sustain the plea of limitation. Affiant further says that his reason for taking tho nonsuit was not based upon anything tho court said or indicated, but rather upon his conclusion that the interests of his client would be sub-served in the state court of Louisiana, thus removing all question as to the jurisdiction of the court, and further, because of the pleadings filed and the contentions of the defendant, the ease should and could only be filed in tho state court of Louisiana. Affiant further says that the order entered in said cause was not prepared by him, and that the portion thereof, to the effect that “the court being of tho opinion that tho law is with the defendant,” is not in line with the real facts, and that, if the court ever expressed an opinion in favor of the defendant, it was after the nonsuit was taken and not before.

On tho other hand, defendant’s counsel, in Ms affidavit, says that it was defendant’s contention, under the Louisiana Compensation Law, that, if the federal court had jurisdiction at all, the jndge could exercise such jurisdiction only in conformity with tho provisions of the law, and must hear the ease sitting, not in his usual capacity as a court, but sitting as an arbiter, and that it was ruled by the court that the federal court was a court of competent jurisdiction to hear the plaintiff’s cause, but that, because of the provisions of the law, the judge must hear the suit sitting- as an arbiter and not in his usual capacity as a court.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
7 F.2d 177, 1925 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1210, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mclaughlin-v-western-union-telegraph-co-laed-1925.