Ashcroft v. Iqbal

Holding court need not credit "mere conclusory statements" in complaint

Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly

Holding that allegations of conduct that are merely consistent with wrongdoing do not state a claim unless "placed in a context that raises a suggestion of" such wrongdoing

Heck v. Humphrey

Holding that a Section 1983 plaintiff may not seek damages for an allegedly unconstitutional conviction or sentence unless the conviction or sentence has been invalidated

Will v. Michigan Dept. of State Police

Holding that official capacity state officer suits for prospective injunctive relief are suits against a "person" under § 1983 even though a "State" is not a "person" under that statute

Preiser v. Rodriguez

Holding that even if the state prisoners' requested relief had "merely shortened the length of their confinement . . . their suits would still have been within the core of habeas corpus in attacking the very duration of their physical confinement itself"

Younger v. Harris

Holding that it was improper for the district court in that case to enjoin a state prosecution against Younger, in light of "the national policy forbidding federal courts to stay or enjoin pending state court proceedings except under special circumstances"

Allen v. McCurry

Holding that under res judicata, parties may not "relitigat[e] issues that were or could have been raised" in a prior action

Jett v. Dallas Independent School District

Holding that section 1983 is "the exclusive federal remedy for violation of" section 1981 "by state governmental units"

Migra v. Warren City School District Board of Education

Holding "that petitioner's state-court judgment in litigation [had] the same claim preclusive effect in federal court that the judgment would have in the . . . state courts"

Parklane Hosiery Co. v. Shore

Holding that district courts have discretion to refuse to apply offensive non-mutual collateral estoppel against a defendant if such an application of the doctrine would be unfair

Section 1983 - Civil action for deprivation of rights

Holding liable any state actor who "subjects, or causes [a person] to be subjected" to a constitutional violation

Rule 12 - Defenses and Objections: When and How Presented; Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; Consolidating Motions; Waiving Defenses; Pretrial Hearing

Granting the court discretion to exclude matters outside the pleadings presented to the court in defense of a motion to dismiss

Section 2254 - State custody; remedies in Federal courts

Holding that "a determination of a factual issue made by a State court shall be presumed to be correct" and "[t]he applicant shall have the burden of rebutting the presumption of correctness by clear and convincing evidence"

Rule 41 - Dismissal of Actions

Holding that such dismissal "operates as an adjudication on the merits"

Section 1738 - State and Territorial statutes and judicial proceedings; full faith and credit

Referring to "[t]he Acts of the legislature" in the full faith and credit context

Section 18.2-361 - Crimes against nature; penalty

Section 8.01-389 - Judicial records as evidence; full faith and credit; recitals in deeds, deeds of trust, and mortgages; "records" defined; certification

Requiring every court in the Commonwealth to give the "records of courts not of this Commonwealth the full faith and credit given to them in the courts of the jurisdiction from whence they come"