Harris County Commissioners Court et al. v. Moore et al.

Decided February 18, 1975. Thurgood Marshall delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 73-1475 · 420 U.S. 77 (1975) · Cited 338 times

Holding

In view of the unsettled state of Texas law as to whether the state constitutional provisions ensure justices of the peace and constables tenure until their elected terms expire even when the challenged statute would require their ouster, the District Court should have abstained from deciding the federal constitutional issue, it being far from certain under various Texas precedents that appellee officeholders must lose their jobs or that the reinstatement relief ordered by the District Court is available.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court — read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 8–1.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Reetz v. Bozanich · 397 U.S. 82 (1970)
• Meredith v. Winter Haven · 320 U.S. 228 (1943)
• Railroad Comm'n of Tex. v. Pullman Co. · 312 U.S. 496 (1941)
• Gibson v. Berryhill · 411 U.S. 564 (1973)
• Zwickler v. Koota · 389 U.S. 241 (1967)
• Baggett v. Bullitt · 377 U.S. 360 (1964)
• Lake Carriers' Assn. v. MacMullan · 406 U.S. 498 (1972)
• Askew v. Hargrave · 401 U.S. 476 (1971)
• Procunier v. Martinez · 416 U.S. 396 (1974)
• Wisconsin v. Constantineau · 400 U.S. 433 (1971)
• England v. Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners · 375 U.S. 411 (1964)
• McNeese v. Board of Education for Community Unit School District 187 Cahokia · 373 U.S. 668 (1963)
• Spector Motor Service, Inc. v. McLaughlin · 323 U.S. 101 (1944)
• Louisiana Power & Light Co. v. City of Thibodaux · 360 U.S. 25 (1959)
• Harman v. Forssenius · 380 U.S. 528 (1965)
• Kusper v. Pontikes · 414 U.S. 51 (1973)
• Goosby v. Osser · 409 U.S. 512 (1973)
• Hostetter v. Idlewild Bon Voyage Liquor Corp. · 377 U.S. 324 (1964)
• City of Chicago v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Co. · 357 U.S. 77 (1958)
• Public Util. Comm'n of Ohio v. United Fuel Gas Co. · 317 U.S. 456 (1943)
• Chicago v. Fieldcrest Dairies, Inc. · 316 U.S. 168 (1942)
• City of Meridian v. Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Co. · 358 U.S. 639 (1959)
• Fornaris v. Ridge Tool Co. · 400 U.S. 41 (1970)
• Board of Regents v. New Left Education Project · 404 U.S. 541 (1972)
• Albertson v. Millard, Attorney General · 345 U.S. 242 (1953)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Examining Bd. of Engineers, Architects and Surveyors v. Flores De Otero · 426 U.S. 572 (1976)
• Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital v. Mercury Construction Corp. · 460 U.S. 1 (1983)
• Orr v. Orr · 440 U.S. 268 (1979)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (1975). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).