Delvin Hines v. Constellis Integrated Risk Management Services

I. Background

This is a wage and hour class action brought by plaintiff Delvin Hines (“Plaintiff”) on behalf of a class of individuals employed by defendants Constellis Integrated Risk Management Services, Centerra Services International, Inc., Centerra Group LLC, and Michael Chandless (collectively “Defendants”). Defendants removed the action to this Court on July 29, 2020, pursuant to the Class Action Fairness Act (“CAFA”), 28 U.S.C. § 1332. On August 5, 2020, the Court ordered Defendants to show cause in writing why this case should not be remanded for lack of subject matter jurisdiction because Defendants have failed to show, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the amount in controversy requirement for CAFA jurisdiction has been met. (Dkt. 10.) Defendants have filed a Response, (Dkt. 12), as well as a Motion to Dismiss and/or Strike the Complaint. Plaintiff has also filed a Motion to Remand on the basis that Defendants have not satisfied the CAFA amount in controversy.

I. Legal Standard

A. Motion to Remand Federal courts are courts of limited jurisdiction, having subject matter jurisdiction only over matters authorized by Congress and the Constitution.…