Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States
| Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States | |
|---|---|
| Argued January 14, 1976 Decided March 24, 1976 | |
| Full case name | Colorado River Water Conservation District, et al. v. United States |
| Citations | 424 U.S. 800 (more) |
| Case history | |
| Prior | On certiorari from the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit |
| Holding | |
| Under exceptional circumstances, a federal district court may abstain out of deference to state court proceedings to avoid duplicative or piecemeal litigation. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Brennan, joined by Burger, White, Marshall, Powell, Rehnquist |
| Dissent | Stewart, joined by Blackmun, Stevens |
| Dissent | Stevens |
| Laws applied | |
| 28 U.S.C. § 1345, 43 U.S.C. § 666 | |
Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States, 424 U.S. 800 (1976), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States extensively refined the abstention doctrine to prevent duplicative litigation between state and federal courts.