Supreme Court of the United States
Harris County Commissioners Court v. Moore
February 18, 1975420 U.S. 77
Summary
The Supreme Court reversed the district court and remanded with instructions to dismiss the complaint without prejudice, holding that the federal court should have abstained under the Pullman doctrine because the constitutional claim was entangled with unsettled Texas state-law questions. The Court emphasized that abstention is appropriate only in special circumstances where state law resolution is likely to avoid unnecessary federal constitutional adjudication.
Holding
- Whether the federal district court should have abstained under the Pullman doctrine. The district court erred in refusing to abstain; the Supreme Court reversed and remanded with instructions to dismiss the complaint without prejudice.
Docket 73-1475
Cited authorities
- 122 U. Pa. L. Rev. 1071
- 28 U.S.C. § 1253
- 28 U.S.C. § 2281
- 28 U.S.C. § 2281
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- Brunson D. Moore, Plaintiff-Appellant v. El Paso County, Texas, T. Udell Moore
- William John Pacheco v. the State of Texas — Teague, J., Dissenting
- Russell v. Harris County, Texas