Read the passage from the opinion of the court in Dred Scott v. Sandford, written by Justice Taney. Upon the whole, therefore, it is the judgment of this court, that it appears by the record before us that the plaintiff in error is not a citizen of Missouri, in the sense in which that word is used in the Constitution; and that the Circuit Court of the United States, for that reason, had no jurisdiction in the case, and could give no judgment in it. Its judgment for the defendant must, consequently, be reversed, and a mandate issued, directing the suit to be dismissed for want of jurisdiction. What claim does Taney make in this passage?
Answer
A
As a citizen of Missouri, Sanford can pursue a case against Scott.
B
Scott is a citizen of the United States, but not of the state of Missouri.
C
Scott should pursue his case against Sanford in a state other than Missouri.
D
The Missouri circuit court does not have jurisdiction in the case against Sanford.
Explanation
Taney says Scott was not a citizen of Missouri in the sense required for federal diversity jurisdiction, so the federal Circuit Court had no jurisdiction and the suit had to be dismissed. Choice D is the closest match, though the passage refers to the federal Circuit Court, not a Missouri state circuit court.
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