How have courts dealt with a disparate impact disability claim between federal and state law?

MultiRegion, United States of America

The following excerpt is from Pure Wafer Inc. v. Prescott, City of, an Ariz. Mun. Corp., No. 14-15940 (9th Cir. 2017):

In Fang v. United States, the plaintiff filed federal and state law claims against the United States based on her daughter's death in a national park. 140 F.3d 1238, 1240 (9th Cir. 1998). The district court granted summary judgment on the federal claims for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under the Federal Tort Claims Act. Id. It also dismissed the state law claims for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. 1367(c)(3). Id. On appeal, after deciding to reverse the district court's dismissal of the federal claims, we considered the dismissal of the supplemental claims. Id. at 1241-43. We reasoned that, because the federal claims "were erroneously dismissed, the reason for dismissing the remaining supplemental claims no longer exist[ed]." Id. at 1244. Declining to rule on the defendants' arguments that complex state law questions and predominance of state law issues called for us to uphold the dismissal of the state law claims, we held:

Page 37

Id.

In Hunsaker v. Contra Costa County, the plaintiff brought disparate impact disability claims under both federal and state law, seeking a permanent injunction. 149 F.3d 1041, 1042 (9th Cir. 1998). The district court ordered the injunction on the federal claim. Id. This court reversed, holding that there was no violation of the federal law. Id. at 1044. Over the plaintiff's argument that we should, nonetheless, uphold the injunction under the alternative state law claim, we held, "[t]he district court did not rule on this claim, and we have nothing to review. We should allow the district court to consider this claim in the first instance or, in its discretion, decline to exercise supplemental jurisdiction." Id.

Other Questions


If a federal claim is not "adjudicated on the merits" in a state court, if the state court rejects the federal claim, what is the legal test for review of the claim? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
When a state court rejects some claims but does not expressly address a federal claim, must the federal court presume that the federal claim was adjudicated on the merits? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
When a state court rejects some claims but does not expressly address a federal claim, can the federal court presume that the federal claim was adjudicated on the merits? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
When a state prisoner has defaulted on his federal claim in a state court pursuant to an independent and adequate state procedural rule, can he seek a federal habeas review of the claim? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
When a state prisoner has defaulted on his federal claim in a state court pursuant to an independent and adequate state procedural rule, can he seek federal habeas review of the claim? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Does a state court have the authority to interpret the findings of a federal court when determining whether a federal judge has found that a state judge has jurisdiction to interpret a federal finding? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
What is the test for a federal district court to determine whether a state court or federal court has jurisdiction to rule on a federal Railroad Commission case? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
When a state court rejects a federal claim, does the federal court have any authority to review the state's record? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Can a petitioner who has had a full and fair review of his Fourth Amendment claims in state court seek to have those claims reviewed by the federal appeals court? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
Can a federal habeas court re-examine a state court's determination that a claim raised solely an issue of state law? (MultiRegion, United States of America)
X



Alexi white


"The most advanced legal research software ever built."

Trusted by top litigators from across North America.