United States Sixth Circuit

The Class Action Fairness Act prevents plaintiffs from artificially structuring their suits to avoid federal jurisdiction. There is no colorable basis for dividing this suit into five separate water-pollution nuisance claims, each covering a successive six-month time period and seeking 4.9 million dollars in damages, other than to frustrate CAFA.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/29/2008
• Published 12/29/2008

Judges

• Before: DAUGHTREY, ROGERS, Circuit Judges, and RESTANI, Judge.

Court

• United States Sixth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellees:
  
• ARGUED:  Linda J. Hamilton Mowles, Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop, P.C., Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellant.  Gordon Ball, Ball & Scott Law Offices, Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellee.   ON BRIEF:  Linda J. Hamilton Mowles, Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop, P.C., Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellant.  Gordon Ball, Ball & Scott Law Offices, Knoxville, Tennessee, for Appellee.