Opinion
Civil Action No. 09 0970.
May 7, 2009
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the Court on plaintiff's pro se complaint and application to proceed in forma pauperis. The Court will grant plaintiff's application and dismiss the complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction.
The subject matter jurisdiction of the federal district courts is limited and is set forth generally at 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331 and 1332. Under those statutes, federal jurisdiction is available only when a "federal question" is presented or the parties are of diverse citizenship and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000. A party seeking relief in the district court must at least plead facts that bring the suit within the court's jurisdiction. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 8(a). Failure to plead such facts warrants dismissal of the action. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(h)(3).
Plaintiff, a resident of College Point, New York, sues a defendant based in New York for negligence and defamation. She demands $10 million in monetary damages. The complaint neither presents a federal question nor provides a basis for diversity jurisdiction because the parties are not of diverse citizenship. Accordingly, the complaint will be dismissed. A separate Order accompanies this Memorandum Opinion.