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Plaintiffs Aaron from Alaska and Carol from Colorado plan to sue defendant Dwight from Delaware. Aaron alleges damages totaling $38,000.00, and Carol alleges damages totaling $38,000.00. May Aaron and Carol file a joint suit in federal court?

(1) Answer "Yes" OR "No."
(2) Explain why or why not.

User Harry R
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Final answer:

No, Aaron from Alaska and Carol from Colorado may not file a joint suit in federal court against Dwight from Delaware because each claim is for $38,000.00 and individually does not meet the federal jurisdiction threshold of $75,000.00.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks whether Aaron from Alaska and Carol from Colorado can file a joint suit in federal court against Dwight from Delaware, where both are alleging damages totaling $38,000.00 each. The answer is No, they may not file a joint suit in federal court. This is because federal courts have jurisdiction in cases that involve "diversity of citizenship" and where the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000. Since each plaintiff's claim is for $38,000.00, the total does not meet the minimum threshold of $75,000.00 required for federal jurisdiction. Therefore, Aaron and Carol cannot combine their claims to meet this requirement because each individual claim does not satisfy the minimum amount. They would need to pursue their claims separately or in a state court unless they had other legal grounds for federal jurisdiction.

User Rueta
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