Pue v. Sillas

632 F.2d 74 Douglas R. PUE, an Individual on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Herman SILLAS, Jr., an Individual and as Director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles, et al., Defendant-Appellee. No. 77-3412. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. June 25, 1980. Anne E. Steele, San Mateo, Cal., for plaintiff-appellant. Gordon Zane, Deputy Atty. Gen., San Francisco, Cal., argued, Elizabeth Ann Coyne, Deputy Dist. Atty., Redwood City, Cal., on brief, for defendant-appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Before WALLACE and SNEED, Circuit Judges, and SOLOMON, * District Judge. WALLACE, Circuit Judge: 1 Pue appeals from a district court judgment abstaining from the exercise of jurisdiction and dismissing Pue's civil rights action against officers of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and officers of the counties of San Francisco and San Mateo (government). We find that the district judge abused his discretion in ordering abstention in this case, and we reverse. I. 2 Pue owned an automobile registered in California in his own name. In April 1974 he allegedly…