Long Arm Statute
Brooks v. Magna Verde Corp ., 1980 Ok. Civ. App. 40, 619 P.2d 1271, Web 1980 Okla. Civ. App. Lexis 118 (Court of Appeals of Oklahoma)
OPINION OF HONARABLE CARMON C. HARRIS This case raises the question of jurisdiction of a lawsuit in the state of Oklahoma where the alleged crime was committed. Whether it is in state or federal jurisdiction to handle an intrastate lawsuit. The judge questioned whether it was in his jurisdiction to handle this lawsuit.
Boxer Pat O’ Grady slapped famous sportscaster John R. Brooks in the face and insulted him and his mother. This was in the state of Oklahoma, but the company that represented Pat O’ Grady was in California. Brooks filed a lawsuit against the Magna Verde Corporation the company that represented Grady. They claimed that they never had involvement with Grady. However the judge determined that they had a contract with O’Grady over the payment of his fights. John R. Brooks asked for 210,000 dollars in actual damages and 300,000 in punitive damages.
The District Court of Oklahoma County deemed the case as an issue of jurisdiction. They believed that John R. Brooks didn’t have the right to sue Magna Verde because it was from a different state and was uninvolved. Magna Verde claimed that they had no relation to Pat O’ Grady during that time and requested the charges dropped. However the Appellant Brooks didn’t believe that this decision was fair and he took the case to Oklahoma Court of Appeals.
Pat O’ Grady actually had a contractual relationship with Magna Verde. Also Magna Verde was there in Oklahoma City during the time of the assault and slander. They were in a way responsible for the damages that they avoided in the first court. This proved that the original court decision had been decided prematurely and the case would need an appeal. He was there representing Magna Verde, creating minimal contact.
Part of the 14th amendment, the long-arm statute