Moore v. Sims (1978)
- Docket
- 78-6
- Decided
- 1978-01-01
Summary
Question: Did the district court have jurisdiction to rule while there were related pending state claims? Conclusion: No. In a 5-4 decision, Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the majority opinion reversing the district court. The Supreme Court held that the federal court did not have jurisdiction while the state law claims were pending. There was no indication that the state court would be unable to reach the constitutional issues themselves. Also allowing the state case to constitute did not cause any irreparable injury to the Sims, so there was no reason for ignoring Younger . Justice Stevens wrote a dissent, stating that the Sims clearly did not have the opportunity to pursue their constitutional claims in state court, so there the district court acted properly. Justice William J. Brennan, Justice Potter Stewart, and Justice Thurgood Marshall joined in the dissent.