Bell-Boston v. Lamia Webster-Chapman

FILED
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
FEB - 3 2009
NANCY MAYER WHITTINGTON CLERK
U.S. DISTRICT COURT'
Kareemah Bell-Boston, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
v. ) Civil Action No.
) 09 0205
Lamia Webster-Chapman aka Quackenboss, )
)
Defendant. )
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 plaintiffs 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 Landover Hills, Maryland, sues the manager of an office in the
District of Columbia, but she does not accuse the named defendant of any wrongdoing. Besides,
the complaint does not allege a violation of either the Constitution or federal law and it does not
provide a basis for diversity jurisdiction inasmuch as plaintiff has not demanded any
amount of monetary damages. Accordingly, the complaint will be dismissed. A separate Order
accompanies this Memorandum Opinion.
-tI-
Date: January ~, 20098
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