Constitutional Law: Federal Judicial Power: Judicial Review: Abstention

• Abstention: A federal court will temporarily abstain where there is an “unsettled issue of state law.”
• Pullman Doctrine: Since state court interpretation of its statute might preclude the need for federal court review, the state resolution of the issue might render federal judicial adjudication unnecessary.
• Federal court retains jurisdiction over the federal claim.
• Younger Doctrine: Federal Court review prohibited for:
• (1) Pending state criminal proceeding
• (2) Criminally related civil proceeding
• (3) Civil Contempt.

• Abstention doctrine applies to the whole federal judiciary and deals with pending proceedings.

• Adequate and independent state grounds applies only to SCOTUS and after final judgment.