Opinion ID: 585461
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Do the State Proceedings Provide an Adequate Opportunity To Raise Federal Questions?

Text: 5 Lilburn does not suggest that either of the first two prongs of the three-part test is not satisfied, and there would be no basis for such a challenge. The state began prosecuting Lilburn before he filed suit in federal court, and Younger itself indicated that state prosecutions implicate important state interests. See Younger, 401 U.S. at 43-49. Thus we move to consideration of Lilburn's argument that the state proceedings will not afford him an adequate opportunity to challenge the constitutionality of the Act. 6 Insofar as Lilburn alleges that he will have recourse to the Montana state courts only by means of a discretionary appeal, he misreads the Montana Code. Under § 46-17-311, a party may appeal a decision of a Justice Court to the Montana district court, and the district court considers the case de novo. See City of Hardin v. Myers, 633 P.2d 677, 677 (Mont.1981); White Sulphur Springs v. Voise, 343 P.2d 855, 857 (Mont.1959). 7 Lilburn also suggests that the Justice Court is not competent to consider his constitutional arguments, both because of the lack of legal materials available to justices of the peace and because the informality of the Justice Court. There is no suggestion, however, that a Justice Court is incapable of considering Lilburn's constitutional claims. Moreover, Lilburn does not dispute that the Montana state courts--to which he may appeal--are competent arbiters of his constitutional claims. Thus, it seems clear that the state proceedings afford Lilburn an adequate opportunity to raise his federal constitutional claims. We find, therefore, that the three prongs of the test for application of Younger are met. 8