The pet-food companies pushed for the case to be heard in federal court, while the pet owners fought to bring it back to Missouri state court.
Pet food makers facing a consumer class action lawsuit argued before the Supreme Court on Oct. 7 that a lower court decision allowing the suit should be reversed. They claimed that the consumers engaged in forum-shopping, a practice frowned upon in legal circles, where litigants choose the court they believe will give them a favorable judgment.
The case, Royal Canin U.S.A. Inc. v. Wullschleger, revolves around whether a federal district court still has jurisdiction to handle the dispute even after the consumers removed the federal legal issues from the lawsuit when it was transferred out of state court.
Royal Canin, based in Missouri, and Nestlé Purina PetCare Co., based in St. Louis, are the petitioners in the case. The respondents, Anastasia Wullschleger and Geraldine Brewer, originally filed a proposed class action in a Missouri state court in February 2019.
The consumers allege that the pet food manufacturers imposed a prescription requirement to purchase their products, leading to false expectations about the food’s healing properties for sick pets and higher prices compared to regular pet food. They argue that this prescription requirement was not mandated by law.
The companies denied any wrongdoing and sought to move the case to federal court in March 2019, citing federal law implications. The pet owners opposed this move and wanted the case returned to Missouri state court. In June 2019, the federal district court granted the motion to send the case back to the state court, stating that the state-law claims did not necessarily involve substantial federal issues.
The companies appealed this decision, and in March 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit overturned the ruling, finding that the case raised federal law issues. When the case returned to the federal district court, the pet owners amended their complaint to remove federal references and questions identified by the Eighth Circuit, focusing on their claims under Missouri law to return the case to state court.
During oral arguments, Chief Justice John Roberts noted that the consumers were not engaging in forum-shopping as they were trying to return the lawsuit to its original filing court. The justices discussed the Rockwell International Corp. v. United States case, which dealt with similar jurisdiction issues.
The Supreme Court is expected to deliver a ruling on the case by June 2025. Please rephrase this sentence.
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