Edward Terry Sanford

“ Where a District Court is vested with jurisdiction of a cause as where diversity of citizenship exists and the matter in controversy is of the requisite value-the question whether as a court of equity it has power to entertain the suit and afford the plaintiff equitable relief, does not present a jurisdictional issue. ”

“ True it is that where a District Court dismisses a suit upon the specific ground of want of jurisdiction, this court, upon a sufficient certificate, acquires jurisdiction of a direct appeal, and, whatever the ground assigned by the District Court for the supposed want of jurisdiction, must determine whether or not that court had and should have exercised the jurisdiction thus denied. ”

“ Necessarily, therefore, in a suit in equity of which a District Court has jurisdiction under the Federal statutes, where the relief sought is an injunction against proceedings in a State court, it is the duty of the court to determine, under the allegations and proof, whether a case is made which entitles the plaintiff to the injunction sought, that is, whether the case presented is one in which such relief is prohibited by the statute or one in which it may nevertheless be granted. ”