This column discusses decisions of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. Recently, Senior District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn addressed subject matter jurisdiction for federal question lawsuits relating to probate estates, and District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino addressed due process rights in protecting a personal reputation.
Probate Exception
It is a familiar refrain that despite being courts of limited jurisdiction, federal courts have a “virtually unflagging obligation” to exercise the jurisdiction provided to them by Congress. Colorado River Water Conservation District v. United States, 424 U.S. 800, 813 (1976). Nonetheless, there are instances where countervailing interests allow courts to decline that obligation to exercise jurisdiction. One of those instances is where the lawsuit relates to probate matters.
