Con Law Flashcards
State immunity under 11th:
private citizens cannot sue in federal courts
(1) states (NOT local governments) for money or injunctions;
(2) state officials for violating state law
Exceptions to 11th Amendment
(1) CONSENT–state consents;
(2) OFFICIALS–money or injunctive relief against state officials © can’t sue for violating state law; or
(3) 13-15th–Congress authorizes to enforce 13-15th amendment rights–money damages permitted.
Not barred by 11th:
(1) against local govts
(2) P is U.S. or another state.
(3) bankruptcy proceedings that impact state finances
SCOTUS original JX:
all cases
(a) affecting ambassadors, public ministers, and
(b) cases where a State is a party.
Congress cannot modify this JX.
SCOTUS appellate JX:
- By cert (discretionary) and
- By direct appeal (mandatory).
Congress can limit this JX. © AISG
AISG
SCOTUS has no JX over a final state court judgment resting on an adequate and independent state ground.
AISG: adequate
Adequate when the state law fully resolves the matter.
(e. g. when the claimant asserting a federal right wins anyway under state law, not adequate).
(e. g. once the state court found that the ordinance violated the state constitution it becomes unnecessary to resolve the federal issue.)
AISG: independent
state law must not depend on an interpretation of federal law.
If state court decision turns on federal issue - then can review whether state court correctly decided the federal issue.
If state court decision unclear as to the basis of the decision - can review to see whether AISG or federal.
Standing:
requires injury, causation, and redressability.
Standing: Injury requirement
must be
(a) concrete and particularized (not abstract/merely ideological objection).
(b) actual or imminent
Individualized harm - prudential standing: may deny standing if generalized harm
Standing: Causation
P’s injury is fairly traceable to the challenged action
Standing: Redressability
A favorable court decision will LIKELY redress a discrete injury suffered by P (likely, not possibly)
Past injury—damages;
Future injury—only injunction
Standing: Redressability– to seek an injunction for past injury
must show that past injury will occur again.
Standing: taxpayer
Exception
A taxpayer can only challenge their own tax liability
© Establishment Clause challenge to specific congressional spending ©© The exception does not apply to executive spending
Standing: legislator
a legislator does not have standing to challenge laws they voted against
Standing: third-party standing
Generally can’t raise the rights of someone else, unless
© P can have standing if that
(1) third party is unable to assert own rights;
(2) P has a special relationship with 3rd party; or
(3) P’s injury adversely affects P’s relationship with 3rd party
Standing: organization
if (a) its members have standing and
(b) the interest at stake are germane to the organization’s purpose.
Justiciability: Ripeness
P must have suffered an actual harm or immediate threat of harm.
Justiciability: Mootness
Cases can become moot during trial or appeal, and are dismissed when moot.
Justiciability: Mootness 4 exceptions
Case is not moot if
(1) REPETITION–controversy is capable of repetition yet evading review (bc case won’t last long);
(2) CESSATION– D voluntarily ceases wrongful action upon commencement of litigation;
(3) COLLATERAL– challenged conviction can impose collateral legal consequences;
(4) CLASS ACTION – class action where P’s claim is resolved but not other Ps
Justiciability: advisory opinions
federal courts cannot give advisory opinions or rule on the constitutionality of proposed legislations
Justiciability: political question
A question is nonjusticiable if
(1) Constitution commits the decision to another branch of government or
(2) there are no judicially manageable standards for adjudication
©PQ doctrine doesn’t apply when state law is involved
Justiciability: 3 types of abstention doctrines
A federal court can abstain from deciding a claim when strong state interests are at stake.
- Pullman
- Younger
- Family law
Justiciability: Pullman doctrine
A federal court may refrain from ruling on federal constitutional claim that depends on an unsettled issue of state law
Justiciability: Younger doctrine
In the absence of bad faith, harassment, or a patently invalid state statute, a federal court will not enjoin
(1) a pending state criminal case or
(2) a civil enforcement proceeding/civil proceeding involving an order uniquely in furtherance of the state courts’ ability to perform their judicial functions, such as a civil contempt order.
(e.g. Pending criminal case: if D has not been convicted of a crime.
Civil proceeding: civil contempt order.)