Gates v. Strain

On appeal, defendant claimed that the district court erred by not enjoining the state from prosecuting him for pending misdemeanor charges. The Fifth Circuit affirmed the district court's determination that Younger abstention precluded an injunction, and dismissal of the case with prejudice. The court held that the district court correctly determined that the three criteria that generally require Younger abstention were satisfied where the federal proceeding would clearly interfere with an ongoing state judicial proceeding; the underlying state proceeding concerned the enforcement of state criminal laws, something in which the state has a strong interest; and defendant could raise his challenges to the state criminal proceedings in state court. The court rejected defendant's remaining contentions. View "Gates v. Strain" on Justia Law