Infant Formula MDL Judge Remands 4 Cases, Says Snap Removals End in ‘Absurd Results’

CHICAGO –– The federal court overseeing the Preterm Infant Nutrition Products multidistrict litigation docket has remanded four of the cases, rejecting the Abbott defendants’ reliance on “snap removal” in removing the cases.

“It is not rational for federal jurisdiction to turn on the promptness of action by a third party,” the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois said in its June 22 opinion. “A few hours or even a few minutes’ difference in timing of service –– a matter wholly outside Plaintiffs’ control –– cannot be a basis for federal court action.”

The underlying four cases were …