Summary
The United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin dismissed Sarah Beil’s pro se lawsuit seeking a stay of ongoing Pierce County family-court custody proceedings. The court held that federal intervention was unavailable under Younger abstention principles and directed the clerk to enter judgment and close the case.
Holdings
- The federal court cannot intervene in ongoing state family-court proceedings involving a contested child-custody dispute and therefore cannot grant the requested stay.
- Leave to amend is unnecessary when the plaintiff cannot amend the complaint to obtain the relief sought because the requested federal intervention is unavailable.
Questions Presented
- Whether the federal district court could intervene in and stay ongoing state family-court child-custody proceedings.
- Whether the pro se plaintiff should be granted leave to amend before dismissal.
Disposition
dismissed
Cases Cited (4)
- Rowe v. Shake, 196 F.3d 778, 783 (7th Cir. 1999)(followed)
- J.B. v. Woodard, 997 F.3d 714, 722 (7th Cir. 2021)(followed)
- Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37 (1971)(followed)
- Felton v. City of Chicago, 827 F.3d 632, 636 (7th Cir. 2016)(followed)
Cited In (0)
No citing cases on record yet.
Court Document
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