Gibson v. Chrysler Corporation

This is a rare case. In the district court, defendants gained a dismissal with prejudice of all claims against them, which were based on federal law. Yet they complain that they were entitled to more: the right to proceed with their counterclaim seeking a declaration that their alleged conduct did not violate state law -- an issue that was pending in state court. The district court dismissed the counterclaim without prejudice. Concluding that the district courts dismissal of the counterclaim meant to convey no opinion on its merits, we decline the invitation to allow a party achieving a complete victory in federal court to seek even more.