Walmart Removes Wilson et al. Suit to Northern California Federal Court

Walmart removed a Contra Costa County Superior Court action to federal court, filing a Notice of Removal that produced U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California case no. 3:26-cv-01783 on March 2, 2026. The docket records state, "NOTICE OF REMOVAL from Contra Costa County Superior Court. Their case number is C25‑02359. (Filing fee $405 receipt number ACANDC‑21708886). Filed by Walmart." The Notice on the federal docket lists four exhibits attached to the removal.

On the day of removal Walmart also docketed a jury demand and a corporate disclosure. The record shows "DEMAND for Trial by Jury by Walmart. (Forman, Stephanie)" and a "Certificate of Interested Entities by Walmart identifying Corporate Parent WALMART INC. for Walmart. (Forman, Stephanie)." Pacermonitor and the federal docket link these filings to attorney Stephanie Forman of Tharpe & Howell, LLP as Walmart’s counsel.

The court issued an Initial Case Management Scheduling Order the next day. The order, docketed 03-03-26 as Docket No. 5, sets ADR deadlines, requires a Case Management Statement due by 5/26/2026, and schedules an Initial Case Management Conference for 6/2/2026 at 01:30 PM in Oakland - Videoconference Only; the docket entry reads, "Initial Case Management Scheduling Order with ADR Deadlines: Case Management Statement due by 5/26/2026. Initial Case Management Conference set for 6/2/2026 01:30 PM in Oakland, - Videoconference Only. (anj, COURT STAFF)."

Public records differ on the statutory basis for federal jurisdiction. An original report described the matter as "docketed as a federal‑question civil case." By contrast, Pacermonitor classifies the matter under "Nature of Suit 360 Torts - Personal Injury - Other Personal Injury" with cause "28:1332 Diversity-Personal Injury." The notice of removal itself is on the Northern District docket as Docket No. 1 and will contain the defendant’s stated basis for removal; the docket excerpt available in the public summary does not display the Notice’s full text.

Separately, Unicourt shows a distinct filing by a Jennifer Wilson in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia on 01/02/2026 — case number 4:26-cv-00001 — described there as "Civil - Constitutional and Civil Rights" with Presiding Judge R. Stan Baker and Referral Judge Christopher L. Ray. That Georgia Southern entry lists a complaint and a motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis by Jennifer Wilson, but the Northern District removal caption reads "Wilson et al v. Walmart" and the supplied Northern District docket snippets do not link the two matters.

Pacermonitor’s timestamps show the March 2 filings posted at 4:25 PM, 4:27 PM and 4:29 PM PST and note the docket was last updated on 03/05/2026. For now the federal docket identifies Walmart as defendant, Stephanie Forman as filing counsel, a $405 removal fee (receipt ACANDC‑21708886), four exhibits attached to the Notice of Removal, and the upcoming deadlines: Case Management Statement due 5/26/2026 and Initial Case Management Conference on 6/2/2026. Subsequent filings on or before those dates should reveal the plaintiffs’ full names and the underlying allegations now pending in federal court.