United States Third Circuit

Plaintiffs in a state action for defamation, sounding entirely in Pennsylvania law, do not confer subject matter jurisdiction on a federal court by raising a first amendment issue in response to an anticipatory defense.

Appellate Information

• Decided 07/15/2002
• Published 07/15/2002

Judges

• ROSENN, Circuit Judge., BEFORE:  ROTH, RENDELL, and ROSENN, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• H. David Rothman, Pittsburgh, PA, for appellants.


• For Appellees:
  
• John W. Murtagh, Jr., Murtagh & Cahill, Wexford, PA, Mary Kate Coleman, Riley, McNulty, Hewitt & Sweitzer, Pittsburgh, PA, for appellee, Panorea Matgouranis., W. Thomas McGough, Jr., John C. Unkovic, Roy W. Arnold, Reed Smith, Pittsburgh, PA, for appellees, Dianna C. Wyrick, Reed Smith, Shaw & McClay., Louis C. Long, Meyer, Darragh, Buckler, Bebenek & Eck, Pittsburgh, PA, David B. White, Carol L. Hesz, Jennifer H. Guinee, Burns, White & Hickton, Pittsburgh, PA, for appellees, William J. Wyrick, Meyer, Darragh, Buckler, Bebenek & Eck.