| Burford v. Sun Oil Co. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued February 8–9, 1943 Reargued April 14–15, 1943 Decided May 24, 1943 | |
| Full case name | Burford, et al. v. Sun Oil Company, et al. |
| Citations | 319 U.S. 315 (more) 63 S. Ct. 1098; 87 L. Ed. 1424; 1943 U.S. LEXIS 1103 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Certiorari to the Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit |
| Holding | |
| A federal court sitting in diversity jurisdiction may abstain from hearing a case where the state courts likely have greater expertise in a particularly complex and unclear area of state law which is of special significance to the state, where there is comprehensive state administrative/regulatory procedure, and where the federal issues cannot be decided without delving into state law. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Plurality | Black, joined by Rutledge, Jackson |
| Concurrence | Douglas, joined by Murphy |
| Dissent | Frankfurter, joined by Roberts, Reed, Stone |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. | |
Burford v. Sun Oil Co., 319 U.S. 315 (1943), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court created a new doctrine of abstention.[1]