Court Opinion

ID: 9636177
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 14:18:47.271493+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:09:42.784223
License: Public Domain

VOGEL, Senior Circuit Judge
(concurring separately):
I agree with the court’s present opinion. I am, however, compelled to add a word to make clear my prior dissent when this case was dismissed. Once an indictment is returned, I feel the statutory mandate of 28 U.S.C.A. § 2283 and the principles of comity require a federal court to abstain. A court of competent jurisdiction then has control of the- controversy. In such cases, I believe our jurisdiction is limited only to bad faith prosecutions directly affecting the exercise of First Amendment freedoms. Cameron v. Johnson, 1968, 390 U.S. 611, 88 S.Ct. 1335, 20 L.Ed.2d 182; Dombrowski v. Pfister, 1965, 380 U.S. 479, 85 S.Ct. 1116, 14 L.Ed.2d 22. The recent pronouncement of the Supreme Court lends credence to this view. See Atlantic Coastline R. Co. v. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, No. 477, 398 U.S. 281, 90 S.Ct. 1739, 26 L.Ed.2d 234, 1970. Moreover, as a practical matter, once a state court has taken jurisdiction of a constitutional issue fully litigated before it, I have grave doubts that a Three-Judge Court may ever take the case without forcing plaintiff to waive his constitutional claims in the state courts. See England v. Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, 1964, 375 U.S. 411, 84 S.Ct. 461, 11 L.Ed.2d 440.
Prior to indictment, however, I believe the federal court is allotted more leeway to intervene. So long as the plaintiff alleges violations of federal rights coupled with irreparable harm, I see no reason to stay our hand when the state law is clear and unambiguous. See Harmon v. Forssenius, 1965, 380 U.S. 528, 85 S.Ct. 1177, 14 L.Ed.2d 50; Davis v. Mann, 1964, 377 U.S. 678, 690, 84 S.Ct. 1441, 12 L.Ed.2d 609; United Steel Workers of America (A.F.L.C.I.O.) v. Bagwell, 4 Cir., 1967, 383 F.2d 492, 495.
With these reservations and explanations, I fully concur in the present result.