Case Explained: HARLEY V. CONTRA COSTA COUNTY CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Filed: 2026-06-26 Docket: 2:24-cv-03059-TLN-JDP The Ninth Circuit affirmed the district court’s dismissal of Raoul E. Harley, Jr.’s action challenging a state court custody order. The court held that the district court correctly applied the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, which bars federal district courts from hearing cases that amount to a forbidden “de facto appeal” of a prior state court judgment or are “inextricably intertwined” with that judgment. Because Harley’s claims sought to overturn or were inextricably linked to the existing state custody ruling, they fell outside the jurisdiction of the federal district court. Additionally, the appellate panel denied Harley’s request to file all associated records under seal. As a result of the affirmation, the dismissal of Harley’s federal lawsuit stands, leaving the underlying state court custody order undisturbed by the federal judiciary. Do It For The Case Law is a news reporting service. Nothing in this episode constitutes legal advice.