Southern District says Civ. Code 1788.17’s incorporation of federal law involves no “substantial federal question”

In Murphy v. Triad Financial, Judge Benitez of USDC for the Southern District dismissed a Rosenthal Act claim as lacking federal question jurisdiction.  Judge Benitez rejected the argument that since Civil Code § 1788.17 incorporates the federal FDCPA, claims filed under that section trigger federal question jurisdiction under the “substantial federal question” doctrine.  The parties “argue that Murphy’s Rosenthal Act claim invokes federal jurisdiction because its resolution raises disputed federal questions.  They do not, however, demonstrate why the purported federal questions are substantial”.   murphy-v-triad-sdcal-2008-no-05cv1866ben-ajb murphy-v-triad-sdcal-2008-no-05cv1866ben-ajb