James F. Anderson Dorothy J. Anderson v. Farmers Home Administration Robert J. Maag Steve Magedanz Tim Potts Thomas A. Lloyd
Docket: 93-3719
Court: Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit; May 2, 1994; Federal Appellate Court
James F. and Dorothy J. Anderson, farmers from South Dakota, appealed the dismissal without prejudice of their complaint against the Farmers Home Administration and other defendants by the district court. The complaint was lengthy, comprising 138 pages filled with political statements and vague allegations of various wrongs purportedly committed against the Andersons. The district court struck the complaint based on Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 8, which mandates a “short and plain statement” demonstrating entitlement to relief. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reviewed the complaint and the record and found no abuse of discretion in the district court's dismissal decision. Consequently, the appellate court affirmed the lower court's ruling.