Johnson v. Better Materials Corp.

Full title: MARY L. JOHNSON, ADMINISTRATRIX AD PROSEQUENDUM AND GENERAL ADMINISTRATRIX…

Court: United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit

Date published: Nov 23, 1976

556 F.2d 131 (3d Cir. 1976)

Opinion

No. 76-1185.

Argued September 14, 1976.

Decided November 23, 1976.

James E. Franklin, II, Lloyd, Megargee, Steedle Connor, Pleasantville, N. J., for appellant.

Gerald M. Eisenstat, Shapiro, Eisenstat, Capizola, O'Neill, Lisitski Gabage, P. A., Vineland, N. J., for plaintiffs-appellees.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey.

Before SEITZ, Chief Judge, and ALDISERT and GIBBONS, Circuit Judges.

OPINION OF THE COURT

PER CURIAM.

The question raised on this interlocutory appeal is whether plaintiffs may assert a state-law claim against Atlantic City Electric Company, a third-party defendant, when plaintiffs and Atlantic City are all citizens of New Jersey. On the basis of our precedents, we conclude that they may not. E. g., Rosario v. American Export-Isbrandtsen Lines, Inc., 531 F.2d 1227 (3d Cir. 1976); Patton v. Baltimore Ohio R. R. Co., 197 F.2d 732 (3d Cir. 1952).

The order allowing plaintiffs to amend their complaint to include Atlantic City as an original party defendant will be reversed.