UN I TE ST AT ES I STR I CT OU RT SOUTHERN DI STRI CT OF ORI DA NO CI V-MARRA/J OHNSON ANE DO NO Plaintiff EFF REY EPSTEI HAL EY ROB SON and SARAH KEL EN De fe nd a nts OP INION AND ORDER EMANDING CASE TO TATE COURT Def endants filed a response DE and Plaintiff subsequently replied DE The motion is now fully briefe and is ripe or re view The Court has ca ref ully revie wed a ll of the Bac kg ro und Plaintiff ane oe a/k/a Jane Doe No filed a four count complaint in the Circuit Court conspirac intentional infliction of emotional distress and civil reme dy for violation of lorida Statute Section ag ainst all three efe ndants DE The fa cts as alleg ed in the Complaint are as ollows At all relevant times Epstein wa an adult male Am Compl Case Document Entered on FLSD Docket Page of Ep ste in ng a in a pla sc he me a nd or nte rp ri se in hic a ine a ss ri ma ri ly economica lly disadvantag ed minor irls in his hom sexually assaulted these irls or coe rce or attempted to coe rce them to eng ag in prostitution and then ave the money Am Compl I a bo ut Pla int if the a rs old a me a vic tim of thi sc he me Am Co mpl De fe nd a nts Sa ra lle Ke lle a nd Ha le Rob so Rob so ru ite ir ls ostensibly to give a we althy man a massa for monetary compensa tion in his Palm Bea ch mansion Am Compl Under the plan Robson was ontacted shor tly befor or soon a fter Epstein was a his alm Be ach esidenc Epstein Ke llen or someone on the ir beha lf direc ted Robson to bring one or more unde rag irls to the residenc A Compl Robson ener ally soug ht out economically disadvantag ed under ag irls from ox ahatc hee a nd surrounding are as Am Compl Upon ar rival at Epstein?s ma nsion Robson would i ntroduce eac victim to Kellen who ather ed the irl?s persona information Am Compl Def endant Ke llen would then bring the irl up a flig ht of stairs to a bedr oom that contained a massag table Am Compl Ke lle ou ld he le a ve the ir a lon in he ro om wh re up on Ep ste in ou ld nte a ri ng on ly a towel Am Compl Epstein would then remove his towel lay down nake on the massag table a nd direc the irl to remove he clothes Am Compl Epstein would then perf orm one or mor lewd la scivious and sexual acts including masturbation touching the irl?s vag ina with a vibra tor or dig itally penetr ating the irl?s vag ina and oerc or a ttempt to coerc the irl to eng ag in either lewd ac ts or prostitution or both Am Com pl i en wi re go i an re cr i ed ai i ff gi ei a as age for moneta ry compensa tion Am Compl Robson brought Plaintiff to Epstein?s mansion Case Document Entered on FLSD Docket Page of in Palm Bea ch A Compl Plaintiff wa introduced to Ke llen who led her up the stairs to the room with the massag table Am Compl Kellen set up the ma ssag table la id out the ma ssa oil tol Pl a int if ha ps te in ou ld in ho rt ly a nd the le ft the ro om A Com pl Pl a int if a a lon in he ro om he ps te in a rr ive A omp Ep ste in told her to remove her lothes and left the oom Am Compl Epstein returne wea ring only a towel Am Compl Epstein removed his towe and laid down on his stomach on the ma ssa ta ble Am Co mpl Ep ste in a a in old Pla int if mov he lot he A Compl I shock fe ar a nd trepidation Plaintiff complied re moving he clothes cept or he a nti a nd br a Am Co mpl Sho rt ly a ft ta rt ing to ub Ep ste in a Ep ste in old Plaintiff to sit on his back A Compl Plaintiff out of fe ar a nd trepidation complied Am Compl Afte a pe riod of time Epstein ot up from the table a nd went behind the door Am Compl or seve ral minutes Plaintiff hear loud noises and moans and believes tha Epstein was masturba ting Am Compl There afte Epstein nake returne to the massag table a nd laid fac up on the table Am Compl Epstein then told Plaintiff to continue with the massag and told her to sit on op of him Am Compl Out of fe ar a nd tr pid a tio he omp lie A omp As Pla int if ub be ps te in he st Ep ste in be a to us a vib ra tor on Pla int if a ina Am Co mpl Th re a ft ps te in a to dig ita lly sti mul a te a nd a tte mpt to ne tr a te Pla int if a ina Am Co mpl At thi sa me time Epstein was masturba ting Am Compl Upon rea ching org asm Epstein ot up from the massag table told Plaintiff to write down he name and phone numbe and the left the room Am Compl Plaintiff was then a ble to et dre ssed leave the room and back dow nstairs and into the Case Document Entered on FLSD Docket Page of kit he A omp Ep ste in Rob so a nd Ke lle re wa iti ng fo la int if A Compl Epstein paid Plaintiff Am Compl Epstein paid Robson for bring ing Plaintiff to him Am Compl Robson took Pl aintiff home Am Compl As a re sult of this encounter the ear old Plaintiff experience confusion shame hu mil ia tio a nd mba rr a ssm nt a nd the a ssa ult se nt if int a do wn wa rd sp ir a Am Compl Def endants filed a Notice of Removal with this ourt on uly DE De fe nd a nts a sse rt tha th is ou rt ha ju ri sd ic tio ur su a nt th a mou nt i controve rsy exceeds De fenda nt Epstein is a citiz en of the U.S Virg in I slands and De fe nd a nt a ra lle is a iti zen of Ne or oti of Re mov a A Pla int if i a citizen of Florida omplete diversity exis ts and this Court?s jurisdiction i alleg ed to be pr oper As fo a le Rob so De fe nd a nts la im ha Ro bs on wa ra ud ule ntl joi ne to de fe a di ve rs ity jurisdiction Notice of Re moval Plaintiffs have moved to rema nd the ac tion claiming that Rob so a ot ra ud ule ntl joi ne to the a tio As su Pla int if a sse rt th a omp le te diversity does not exist and this Court does not have jurisdiction over this case Stan dard of Revie A def endant may remove any civil action broug ht in a state cour over whic a fe dera court would a lso have orig inal jurisdiction U.S.C a Howeve the burde of establishing eder al jurisdiction under re sts with the party seeking remova Carson Dunham U.S Dia heppar F.3d Cir The th rig ht of remova is strictly construed a it is considered a eder al infring ement on a sta te?s powe to adjudicate disputes in its own courts See Shamrock Oil Gas Corp Shee ts U.S Case Document Entered on FLSD Docket Page of Thus when the Court jurisdiction over a ase is doubtful doubts are resolved in favor of rema nd See Crowe Coleman F.3d Cir th Discussion Fraudulent Joinder A def endant statutory ight of remova cannot be de fea ted by a fr audulent joinder of a resident de fenda nt having no rea connec tion with the controversy Wilson Republic I ron Steel Co U.S Thus courts ha ve esta blished the doctrine of fra udulent joinder to allow the re moval of a ase to fe dera court despite the pr esenc of a non-diverse or forum-c itiz en def endant The Eleventh Circuit has pr ovided substantial uidance for the district courts in situations where a par ty remove a ca se fr om state court a lleg ing raudule nt joinder of the no div rs pa rt ie I a re moval case alleg ing raudule nt joinder the re moving pa rty has the burden of proving that either there is no possibi lity the plaintiff ca establish a ca use of a ction ag ainst the reside nt defe ndant or the plaintiff ha ra ud ule ntl ple ju ri sd ic tio na a ts ri ng the re sid nt fe nd a nt i nto state cour The burde of the re moving pa rty is a he avy one To de te rm ine wh the he a se sh ou ld re ma nd the dis tr ic ou rt mus evalua te the fa ctual alleg ations in the light most favora ble to the plaintiff and must resolve any uncer tainties about state substantive law in avor of the plaintiff Crowe 3d at I this case De fenda nts do not alleg that Plaintiff fra udulently pled jur isd ic tio na a ts ins te a De fe nd a nts a rg ue tha Pla int if a a us of a tio a a ins Robson The Ame nded Complaint alleg es three cause of ac tion ag ainst Robson civil conspirac Count intentional infliction of emotional distress Count and civil remedy for violation of Case Document Entered on FLSD Docket Page of lor ida Sta tut Se tio ou nt Th Cou rt in on sid ri ng the re ma nd mot ion mu st not weig the merits of a Plaintiffs laim bey ond deter mining whe ther a ny of the a lleg ed ca uses of ac tion is an arg uable one under state law See Crow 3d at I there is even a possibili ty that a state ourt would find that the complaint states a cause of ac tion ag ainst any one of the re sident defe ndants the fe dera court must find that joinder was pr oper a nd rema nd the case to state court I quoting Cok A moc il Co th The lorida ifth District Court of Appea ls set forth the ele ments of a ivil conspiracy as fo llo ws Th le me nts of a ivi on sp ir a a re a a on sp ir a be tw tw or pa rt ie to do an unla wful ac or to do a lawf ul act by unlawful mea ns the doing of some over act in pursuance of the onspiracy and damag to plaintiff as a result of the a cts perf ormed pursuant to the conspira cy Walters lankenship So.2d Fla 5DCA citing Florida Fe rn Grow ers Ass I nc Conce rned Citizens of Putnam ounty So.2d la 5th DCA He re Plaintiff ha alleg ed ea ch of the require elements in her Amended Com pla int a oll ow a a on sp ir a be tw th thr De fe nd a nts in lud ing Rob so Am Compl to do an unlaw ful ac that is to commi the tort of sexual assault of a minor A omp ob so omm itt a ve rt a in pu rs ua nc of the on sp ir a th a is Rob so se a lse pr te ns to lur Pla int if ps te in ome so tha ps te in ou ld xua lly assault Plaintiff Am Compl and sever and pe rmane nt traumatic injuries including mental psy cholog ical and motional damag es Am Compl Additionally an ac tionable conspira cy require an ac tionable under ly ing tor or wrong Raimi Furlong So.2d 3d DCA see Walters So.2d at Case Document Entered on FLSD Docket Page of Th11 e9 ist10 of13 a9 c9 ivi11 c9 c9 on10 sp9 ir11 a9 c9 is ot he14 c9 on10 sp9 ir11 a9 c9 its10 e9 lf11 ut c9 ivi11 wr15 on10 wh12 ic12 is12 do10 ne14 pu10 rs12 nt th13 e9 c9 on10 sp9 ir11 a9 c9 a9 nd10 wh12 ic12 e9 su9 lts10 in a9 ma12 to the plaintiff itations omi-9 tted Thus a ause of10 action for10 civil conspirac10 exis-9 ts only25 if 223the ba11 sis for the conspira12 cy34 is an independe11 nt wrong13 or tort which would constitute a ause of10 action if the w9 rong18 wer9 done by38 one per11 son Rivers Dillards De9 pt Store nc So.2d F9 la DCA quoting Bla9 tt Gree9 Rose Kahn Piotrkowski o.2d F9 la 3d DCA The)11 alleg14 ed under11 ly28 ing rong13 or tort in this case is sexual assault of a ear11 old minor Sex-10 ual assault is consider9 ed tortious conduct unde10 F9 lorida law Ma10 licki Doe So.2d F9 la see)10 also Doe Celebrity32 Cruises nc 3d 11th Cir Florida9 law equa12 tes sexual battery with an intentional tort At the ry33 least Plaintiff 2s Complaint states a ca10 use of ction for the underly35 ing tor9 of battery38 as a ear11 old child ca9 nnot consent to the alleg17 ed vag18 inal penetr9 ation by30 Epstein Fla Stat a9 se13 th13 e9 fo13 re17 oin13 th13 e9 Cou12 rt11 c9 a9 nn10 ot a9 wi10 th e9 rt11 a9 int11 tha17 no10 po10 ssi11 ity41 e9 xists that Plaintiff can stablish a cause11 of ac11 tion ag10 ainst the reside9 nt Robson in tate cour11 Se10 e9 Cr10 ow12 e9 su13 c9 the17 Cou12 rt11 c9 on10 c9 lud13 e9 th12 a9 e9 fe17 nd10 a9 nts12 ha14 no10 me15 th11 e9 ir he14 a9 vy40 bu10 rd13 e9 e9 mon13 a9 tin11 tha17 jo11 ind13 e9 he14 c9 la12 ims10 a9 a9 ins12 Ro10 on10 wa16 ra17 ud10 ule17 nt justify26 ing de12 nial of the motion to remand Conclu-9 sion Acc10 ording11 ly28 it is hereby OR10 DE9 RE9 ND14 AD14 JU12 DG20 ED a9 oll11 ow12 Pla13 int11 if11 Mo13 tio11 Re11 ma12 nd10 DE11 is RA14 NT9 ED This case9 shall be RE9 M9 AN14 DE9 to he14 Cir13 c9 uit11 Cou12 rt11 if11 te12 e9 nth13 Judic16 ia12 Cir16 c9 uit in and for Palm eac12 County25 Florida9 case11 No CA for la9 ck of subjec12 matter Case Document Entered on FLSD Docket Page of jurisdiction Th Cle rk of thi Co ur is he re by dir te to fo rw a rd a rt if ie op of thi rd i i i i i a i i i a a a Florida case No CA A i i a DE NI ED without prejudice a moot and Thi case is closed DO NE AN RD ER ED i a a a a a a Florida this day of Oc tober rd KE TD NN Un TD i ed at es Di ri ct ge Copies furnished to All counsel of ecor Case Document Entered on FLSD Docket Page of
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