O'Neill v. City of Philadelphia

OPINION OF THE COURT

GARTH, Circuit Judge:

This appeal requires us to determine whether the federal courts must entertain a constitutional challenge to the City of Philadelphia’s parking ticket procedures — procedures that resulted in the imposition of a $45 fine against plaintiff-appellee John O’Neill, which remains unpaid, and a $173 fine against plaintiff-appellee Samuel Goodman, which was paid. We hold that the district court should have exercised its discretion to abstain, rather than to decide the constitutionality of Philadelphia’s ticketing procedures. Thus, we will vacate the district…