Posted on 07/30/2007 1:54:03 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
MIAMI (AFP) - A judge in Miami on Monday dismissed a lawsuit alleging the ruler of Dubai enslaved thousands of children and forced them to work as camel jockeys, saying the suit fell outside the court's jurisdiction.
Judge Cecilia Altanoga ruled in favor of the defense, which argued that Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum did not have sufficient contacts in Florida to justify trying the suit in the southeastern US state.
"We've said from the beginning that this case doesn't belong in US Courts and were gratified by Judge Altonagas careful legal analysis and ruling," said Habib Al-Mulla, a spokesman for the Dubai ruler.
The class-action lawsuit filed by parents of child jockeys alleged Sheikh Mohammad, his brother Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashed al-Maktoum and other unnamed defendants kidnapped and enslaved children, in some cases as young as two, to be used on the camel racing circuit.
The plaintiffs argued the two defendants could be tried in Florida because corporations they own do business in that state, but the judge said this ran "contrary to well-settled principles of corporate law."
"Because the court concludes that it lacks personal jurisdiction over the identified defendants, it does not reach or address the merits of the other arguments raised," Altanoga said in the ruling.
The defense had argued the interests of former child jockeys are best served through an existing program to send them back to their home countries and compensate them there.
Sheikh Mohammad is also the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Hamdan serves as UAE finance and industry minister.
A judge in Miami on Monday dismissed a lawsuit alleging the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, pictured May 2007, enslaved thousands of children and forced them to work as camel jockeys, saying the suit fell outside the court's jurisdiction.(AFP/File/Jung Yeon-Je)
Altonaga, Cecilia M.
Born 1962 in Baltimore, MD
Federal Judicial Service:
Judge, U. S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
Nominated by George W. Bush on January 15, 2003, to a seat vacated by Shelby Highsmith; Confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 2003, and received commission on May 7, 2003.
When you are Dubai, and have ties to Clinton AND Bush, you can do no wrong.
I'm sorry about the camel-jockeys' situation, but this ruling seems like common sense.
Let’s see...They lack jurisdiction for Dubai, but they have it for Gitmo?
this camel turd pictured above also is the main owner of Dubai Ports World
Guantanamo Bay is an American military base.
Children are tied up on the neck of the camel...jocky beats the child (not the camel)...the high piched scream in the camel’s ear makes for a fast ride.....just like back in the seventh century.
Yes, that’s very sad. Even sadder than I originally thought.
However, lots of things in foreign countries are sad, without being under the jurisdiction of the United States’ courts.
Do you know that for a fact?
Then they would be tried according to the UCMJ
Since it is NOT US territory.
geez, man......as long as “the ruler of Dubai” means the same thing as it did when the DPW action occurred, yes.
The UCMJ is for American military personnel.
It’s funny that people who would probably ordinarily be against the overreaching of the U.S. courts now want them to expand their jurisdiction beyond all reason, because a government they don’t like is doing something bad.
I don’t like the government of Dubai, either.
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