Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission v. The City of Oakland, a Charter City and Municipal Corporation

This antitrust action was brought to enjoin a state court eminent domain action. The district court dismissed on the ground that, on the facts of this case, it was without authority to issue such an injunction. We affirm.

I

Since 1960, Oakland had been the home city of the Raiders. The Raiders is a professional football team and a member of the National Football League (“NFL”). On March 1, 1980, the Raiders and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (“Coliseum”) entered into an agreement under which the Raiders agreed to transfer its business from Oakland to Los Angeles and to play home games in the Coliseum. The NFL opposed and sought to prevent the Raiders’ planned move to Los Angeles. The Raiders and the Coliseum filed an antitrust action in federal court challenging the NFL’s right to prevent the Raiders from moving to Los Ange-les. Following a jury trial, a verdict was entered in favor of the Raiders and the Coliseum, and the district court permanently enjoined the NFL from interfering with the transfer of the Raiders to Los Angeles.

The City of Oakland also opposed the planned transfer of the Raiders to Los An-geles. In February 1980, in an attempt to keep the Raiders in…