Opinion ID: 202772
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Younger Abstention on the Damages Claims

Text: 44 The Rossis' claims for damages present a somewhat different concern. Although the Supreme Court has not yet decided whether Younger is applicable to § 1983 damages actions, see Deakins v. Monaghan, 484 U.S. 193, 202, 108 S.Ct. 523, 98 L.Ed.2d 529 (1988) (reserving the issue), our circuit has determined that Younger can in fact be applicable to damages actions in appropriate cases. See Bettencourt, 904 F.2d at 777; Landrigan v. City of Warwick, 628 F.2d 736, 743 (1st Cir.1980); Guerro v. Mulhearn, 498 F.2d 1249, 1251, 1253-54 (1st Cir.1974). This is such a case. 45 We explained above that the three Younger requirements are met by the Rossis' equitable claims, and those requirements are met by their damages claims for the same reasons. However, the threshold Younger issue, that the requested relief interfere with an ongoing judicial proceeding, necessitates slightly more discussion in the damages context. 46 We have recognized that a § 1983 damages award may interfere with a state proceeding because it can have the same practical effect as a declaratory judgment: the federal court has produced a ruling on the merits that the federal plaintiff can then use to alter the state proceeding. See Landrigan, 628 F.2d at 743; accord Deakins, 484 U.S. at 209, 108 S.Ct. 523 (White, J., concurring). That logic applies to this case. If the Rossis obtain a § 1983 damages award based on a successful due process argument, there is little practical difference than if they had obtained a declaratory judgment based on the same constitutional claim. 47 In light of this, we think that abstention is appropriate on the § 1983 damages claims, in addition to the abstention on the § 1983 equitable claims. However, there is one important difference. When a court orders abstention on a damages claim, it ordinarily may only stay the action, rather than dismiss the action in its entirety. See Quackenbush v. Allstate Ins. Co., 517 U.S. 706, 731, 116 S.Ct. 1712, 135 L.Ed.2d 1 (1996). Without addressing whether Quackenbush governs this case, we think that a stay is appropriate here. Cf. Deakins, 484 U.S. at 202, 108 S.Ct. 523 (holding that a court cannot use Younger to dismiss a damages claim when the state proceeding cannot redress the claims for monetary relief); Bettencourt, 904 F.2d at 781 (suggesting that a stay is appropriate when the state proceeding does not actually involve a claim for damages). Accordingly, we remand the case with instructions that the district court stay the § 1983 damages actions pending the completion of state court proceedings.