The Miami Marlins are claiming citizenship in the British Virgin Islands as a part of a bizarre legal strategy

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April 10, 2018 7:36 PM

Derek Jeter and the Miami Marlins are claiming citizenship in the British Virgin Islands with hopes of finding an advantage in the courtroom.

The Miami Marlins are arguing in court that the team, as a corporate entity, is based in the British Virgin Islands, rather than the United States.
The legal argument is an effort by the team to move a lawsuit filed by the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County from the county to federal court.
Lawyers for the county mocked the move, referring to the team as the Jeter Marlins throughout their response.

In what city are the Miami Marlins based?

The obvious answer — Miami — is correct, but it's not what the team's lawyers are arguing in court.

According to a report from the Miami Herald, the Marlins are now claiming corporate citizenship in the British Virgin Islands as part of a legal effort that seems bizarre in the world of professional sports.

The decision stems from the lawsuit by the city of Miami and Miami-Dade County to recover some of the profits former owner Jeffrey Loria made during the $1.2 billion sale of the team to a group led by Derek Jeter last year.

A Miami-Dade judge has already sided with

The Marlins claim to BVI citizenship feels thin, even to the casual observer. Lawyers argued that at least one of the corporations that own Marlins Teamco — the company set up to purchase the franchise last year — is based in the Caribbean, and thus the dispute should be treated as an international legal matter.

Per the Miami Herald:

Lawyers for the county were quick to dismiss the argument, saying "