David Meador v. John Paulson, et al

Filing 920100716

Opinion

United States Court of Appeals
FOR THE EIGHTH CIRCUIT

___________ No. 10-1481 ___________ David Meador, * * Appellant, * Appeal from the United States * District Court for the v. * District of North Dakota. * John T. Paulson and Lee Grossman, * [UNPUBLISHED] * Appellees. * ___________ Submitted: July 6, 2010 Filed: July 16, 2010 ___________ Before LOKEN, BYE, and SHEPHERD, Circuit Judges. ___________ PER CURIAM. David Meador appeals the dismissal of his 42 U.S.C. § 1985 action against a state prosecutor and state court judge. We conclude that the district court1 did not abuse its discretion in electing to abstain under Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37 (1971), because at the time of the court's order, a state criminal proceeding against Meador was ongoing; the proceeding implicated the important state interest of enforcing its criminal laws; and Meador can (and did) raise his constitutional claim in that proceeding. See Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. v. Stroud, 179 F.3d 598, 602 (8th Cir. The HONORABLE RALPH R. ERICKSON, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota.
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1999) (standard of review); Norwood v. Dickey, 409 F.3d 901, 903 (8th Cir. 2005) (factors warranting abstention). We reject Meador's arguments that an exception to Younger applied, or that the district court improperly applied a heightened standard of review to his pro se complaint. Accordingly, we affirm. See 8th Cir. R. 47B. ______________________________

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