Opinion
CIVIL NO. 07-429-GPM.
July 25, 2007
ORDER OF REMAND
This matter is before the Court on the motion for remand to state court brought by Plaintiffs John Wiese, Bryan Williams, Lorraine Thurmond, Kathleen Kaplan, and Diane Ribbentrop (Doc. 4). Having reviewed carefully the submissions of the parties regarding subject matter jurisdiction, the Court concludes that Defendants Pfizer, Inc., Pharmacia Corporation, Monsanto Company, and G.D. Searle, LLC, have failed to satisfy their heavy burden to show that Defendant Walgreen Co. has been fraudulently joined to defeat federal diversity jurisdiction. See Sanders v. Merck Co., Civil No. 07-64-GPM, 2007 WL 924497 (S.D. Ill. Mar. 27, 2007); Vogel v. Merck Co., 476 F. Supp. 2d 996 (S.D. Ill. 2007); Smith v. Merck Co., 472 F. Supp. 2d 1096 (S.D. Ill. 2007); Nicol v. Merck Co., No. 06-926-GPM, 2006 WL 3804887 (S.D. Ill. Dec. 22, 2006); Mannings v. Merck Co., No. 06-634 GPM, 2006 WL 3366457 (S.D. Ill. Oct. 12, 2006); Hardaway v. Merck Co., Civil No. 06-465-GPM, 2006 WL 2349965 (S.D. Ill. Aug. 11, 2006); Brooks v. Merck Co., 443 F. Supp. 2d 994 (S.D. Ill. 2006); Bavone v. Eli Lilly Co., Civil No. 06-153-GPM, 2006 WL 1096280 (S.D. Ill. Apr. 25, 2006); Riddle v. Merck Co., Civil No. 06-172-GPM, 2006 WL 1064070 (S.D. Ill. Apr. 21, 2006); Rutherford v. Merck Co., 428 F. Supp. 2d 842 (S.D. Ill. 2006); Rabe v. Merck Co., No. Civ. 05-363-GPM, Civ. 05-378-GPM, 2005 WL 2094741 (S.D. Ill. Aug. 25, 2005). Accordingly, Plaintiffs' motion for remand to state court is GRANTED. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1447(c), this action is hereby REMANDED to the Circuit Court of the Third Judicial Circuit, Madison County, Illinois, for lack of federal subject matter jurisdiction.