Vol

Home

				USFederalCourts.Net					Constitutional Law
				Federal Court					BankruptcyCode.US
				Jurisdiction					UnitedStatesLaw.Us
				Rooker-Feldman					iLaw Dictionary

US Codes

State Codes

California State Rules of Court

California Torts

California Contracts

Immigration

Federal Court
Jurisdiction
Rooker-Feldman

Court: U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals Topic:
Civil Procedure, Civil Rights
Title of Case: SIMES v. HUCKABEE
Date: 01/13/04 Case Number: 02-3694, 02-3695
Summary:

The Rooker-Feldman doctrine "recognizes that, with the exception of habeas
corpus petitions, lower federal courts lack subject matter jurisdiction over challenges
to state court judgments." Id. The doctrine precludes district courts from obtaining
jurisdiction both over the rare case styled as a direct appeal, Rooker v. Fidelity Trust
Co., 263 U.S. 413, 416 (1923), as well as more common claims which are
"inextricably intertwined" with state court decisions. District of Columbia Court of
Appeals v. Feldman, 460 U.S. 462, 483 (1983). The doctrine has its foundation in the
Supreme Court's appellate jurisdiction statute, as well as a "concern[] with federalism
and the proper delineation of the power of the lower federal courts." Lemonds, 222
F.3d at 495; 28 U.S.C. § 1257. . . .

The Rooker-Feldman doctrine does not bar federal claims brought in federal court when a state court previously presented with the same claims declined to reach their merits. Thus the district court erred in holding it lacked jurisdiction to consider claims by five members of a Quorum Court alleging that their incarceration, following their refusal to vote in favor of a certain county ordinance, violated their federal civil rights.

SIMES v. HUCKABEE- 02-3694, 02-3695-Rooker-Feldman Doctrine