Source: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/454/1022/
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 20:36:50+00:00

Document:
Justia › US Law › US Case Law › US Supreme Court › Volume 454 › BROCKETT v. SPOKANE ARCADES, INC.
either to be enforced in or construed by a Washington state court. I would abstain from decision until the Washington courts are given an opportunity to interpret the law which has been thus invalidated. This Court-and all federal courts-have enough to do without "preempting" state courts on matters initially of state concern.
I have previously outlined the concerns that should lead a federal court to stay its hand in cases such as this, when litigants have deliberately avoided resort to the courts of the state whose statute is being challenged. Vance v. Universal Amusement Co., 445 U.S. 308, 317-320, 1161-1163 (1980) (BURGER, C. J., dissenting); cf. Moore v. East Cleveland, 431 U.S. 494, 521-531, 1946-1951 (1977) (BURGER, C. J., dissenting); Wisconsin v. Constantineau, 400 U.S. 433, 439-443, 511-513 (1971) (BURGER, C. J., dissenting). The policies of federalism and comity militate in favor of affording state judges-who are as capable as are federal judges of enforcing the Constitution of the United States, and have taken the same oath to do so-the initial opportunity to consider the scope and validity of state statutes. This is particularly so when the state law under consideration has never been applied, and when its interpretation is uncertain; in such a case the state court's construction of the statute may obviate the need for adjudication of the federal constitutional issues, or the state court may resolve those issues as we would. Harrison v. NAACP, 360 U.S.
167 (1959); City of Meridian v. Southern Bell Tel. & Tel. Co., 358 U.S. 639 (1959); Railroad Comm'n v. Pullman Co., 312 U.S. 496 ( 1941).
judgment as to the validity of a state law on which the state courts have not yet had an opportunity to speak and on behalf of parties against whom the law has not yet been applied. I would reverse and remand with directions to do now what should have been done initially.

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