Brown v. Chote, 411 U.S. 452 (1973)

Brown v. Chote

No. 71-1583

Argued February 22, 1973
Decided May 7, 1973
411 U.S. 452

APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

Syllabus

Appellee, who sought to run for Congress but asserted that he was unable to pay California’s statutory filing fee, filed a class action in District Court, challenging the constitutionality of the filing fee statutes. In the face of an impending filing deadline, the District Court granted appellee’s motion for a preliminary injunction.

Held: Given the possibility that appellee would prevail on the merits and the fact that appellee’s opportunity to be a candidate would have been foreclosed absent interim relief, the District Court did not abuse its discretion in granting a preliminary injunction. Pp. 456-457.

342 F.Supp. 1353, affirmed and remanded.

BURGER, C.J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court.