A federal judge has dismissed an action brought by a lawyer challenging $5,000 in court-imposed fines that had been upheld against her by the Third Department’s Committee on Professional Standards. Northern District Judge Norman Mordue (See Profile) said his court lacks subject-matter jurisdiction to hear Tatiana Neroni’s appeal, Peters v. Neroni, 3:13-cv-180.
Mordue said he is bound by Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37 (1971), to abstain and dismiss such claims where a state proceeding is ongoing, an important state interest is implicated and the plaintiff has a state court forum in which to hear her constitutional claims. All three elements are present in Neroni’s dispute with Third Department state disciplinary officials, Mordue wrote in his ruling on Monday from Syracuse.
