Judge: 'Residency' not Equivalent to 'Citizenship' in Pleading Diversity

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. - A federal judge has ordered a Celebrex plaintiff to amend his pleadings against Pfizer Inc. and Pharmacia Corp. to properly invoke federal subject matter jurisdiction, saying that alleging diversity of residency is insufficient and a potential ground for dismissal of the action. Vaughan v. Pfizer Inc., et al., No. 06-379 (S.D. Ill.).

As part of an initial review of the lawsuit, Chief Judge G. Patrick Murphy of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois said on May 26 that the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has 'repeatedly warned litigants and district courts …