State of Louisiana v. i3 Verticals, No. 22-30553 (5th Cir. 2023)
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This is a class action brought by Louisiana sheriffs and Louisiana law enforcement districts against purveyors of software. The sheriffs and law enforcement districts allege that the software purveyors sold them defective software and then failed to administer the software properly.
Defendants include both in-state and out-of-state software purveyors. The Class Action Fairness Act excludes federal jurisdiction over class actions with “less than 100” plaintiff class members. However, from 2015 to late 2018, only in-state Defendants were responsible for the alleged wrongdoing. An out-of-state defendant bears responsibility for the alledged conduct after 2018.
Plaintiffs sued in Louisiana state court. Defendants removed to federal district court. Plaintiffs then sought remand to Louisiana state court, arguing that the local controversy exception to the Class Action Fairness Act applied. The magistrate recommended remand under the local controversy exception. The district court adopted the magistrate’s report. Defendants appeal.
To be heard in federal court, a class action must have at least a hundred plaintiff class members. Plaintiffs argued that this class action is not removable to federal court because it has fewer than a hundred class members. The Fifth Circuit held that the law enforcement districts are separate entities from the sheriffs under 28 U.S.C. 1332(d)(5)(B).
However, the Fifth Circuit remanded to state court on alternate grounds. The Class Action Fairness Act establishes a local controversy exception to federal jurisdiction. 28 U.S.C. 1332(d)(4). This exception requires at least one in-state defendant “whose alleged conduct forms a significant basis for the claims asserted” and “from whom significant relief is sought.”
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