Opinion ID: 674660
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Order Granting the Tribes' England Reservation Motion

Text: 55 When England reservation is granted, a party left to litigate claims in state court under Pullman may return to federal court to litigate his or her federal claims. England, 375 U.S. 411 at 421-22, 84 S.Ct. 461 at 467-68; Wicker v. Board of Educ., 826 F.2d 442, 443 (6th Cir.1987). Such an order does not end the litigation on the merits. Gulfstream, 485 U.S. at 275, 108 S.Ct. at 1136. Rather, the federal court awaits the completion of the state court litigation, and then, if necessary, decides the federal claims in light of the state court's rulings. The order is not a final judgment immediately appealable under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1291. See Goldberg v. Carey, 601 F.2d 653, 656 (2nd Cir.1979) (holding the denial of an England reservation motion is not a final decision under Sec. 1291). 3 56 As we stated previously, however, we have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1292(a)(1) to hear an appeal of a district court order that has the practical effect of granting an injunction and creates harmful consequences. Gulfstream, 485 U.S. at 287-88, 108 S.Ct. at 1142-43. Simonich argues the district court's order granting the Tribes' motion to reserve the federal issues under England has the practical effect of an injunction. He contends that, under England, the federal court will not accord res judicata effect to any state court determination of federal claims, and this effectively enjoins the state court from considering the federal claims conditionally put before it. We reject this argument. 57 The state court is not enjoined from hearing and deciding the federal claims. The England reservation order simply reserves to the federal court jurisdiction to decide the federal claims. It gives the Tribes the option of presenting all their claims to the state court or waiting and presenting their federal claims to the federal court after the state litigation ends. See Lurie v. California, 633 F.2d 786, 788-89 (9th Cir.1980), cert. denied, 451 U.S. 987, 101 S.Ct. 2321, 68 L.Ed.2d 844 (1981). 58 We conclude the district court's England reservation order does not have the practical effect of an injunction. Thus, we have no jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. Sec. 1292(a)(1) to entertain Simonich's appeal of that order. Cf. Goldberg, 601 F.2d at 658 (when a temporary injunction has been sought and a stay has been granted to permit a state court to determine pertinent issues under England, the order operates as a denial of a temporary injunction and is thus appealable under Sec. 1292(a)(1)). See also Agcaoili v. Gustafson, 844 F.2d 620, 623 (9th Cir.1988) (finding jurisdiction where the stay [was] part and parcel of the district court's order denying [a summary judgment motion for] injunctive relief), withdrawn on other grounds, 870 F.2d 462 (9th Cir.1989). 59