Bruce Thomas v. Snap-On Incorporated

MEMORANDUM

Bruce Thomas appeals pro se from the district court’s orders denying his post-judgment requests for an early neutral evaluation and a settlement conference in his action alleging that defendant misappropriated his intellectual property. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 . We review de novo whether the district court had subject matter jurisdiction, Schnabel v. Lui, 302 F.3d 1023, 1029 (9th Cir.2002), and review for an abuse of discretion the district court’s compliance with its local rules concerning early neutral evaluation, Bias v. Moynihan, 508 F.3d 1212, 1223 (9th Cir.2007).

Contrary to Thomas’s contention, the district court had subject matter jurisdiction over his action. See 28 U.S.C. § 1331 (federal courts have “original jurisdiction of all civil actions arising under the Constitution, laws, or treaties of the United States”); 28 U.S.C. § 1332 (a)(1) (federal subject matter jurisdiction exists over disputes involving citizens of different states and an amount in controversy over $75,000.00).

The district court did not abuse its discretion in denying Thomas’s post-judgment requests for an early neutral evaluation and a settlement conference because…