Younger v. Harris

Younger v. Harris
Argued April 1, 1969
Reargued April 29, 1970
Reargued November 16, 1970
Decided February 23, 1971
Full case nameEvelle J. Younger, District Attorney of Los Angeles County v. John Harris, Jr., Jim Dan, Diane Hirsch, and Farrel Broslawsky
Citations401 U.S. 37 (more)
91 S. Ct. 746; 27 L. Ed. 2d 669; 1971 U.S. LEXIS 136
Case history
PriorJudgment for plaintiffs, 281 F. Supp. 507 (C.D. Cal. 1968); probable jurisdiction noted, 393 U.S. 1013 (1969).
Holding
The possible unconstitutionality of a state statute is not grounds for a federal court to enjoin state court criminal proceedings brought pursuant to that statute. District Court for the Central District of California reversed and remanded.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Warren E. Burger
Associate Justices
Hugo Black · William O. Douglas
John M. Harlan II · William J. Brennan Jr.
Potter Stewart · Byron White
Thurgood Marshall · Harry Blackmun
Case opinions
MajorityBlack, joined by Burger, Harlan, Stewart, Blackmun
ConcurrenceStewart, joined by Harlan
ConcurrenceBrennan, joined by White, Marshall
DissentDouglas
Laws applied
28 U.S.C. § 2283

Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37 (1971), was a case in which the United States Supreme Court held that United States federal courts were required to abstain from hearing any civil rights tort claims brought by a person who is currently being prosecuted for a matter arising from that claim.