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Constitutional Law • Justiciability Doctrines
CONLAW#006
Legal Definition
A case is moot where, after the filing of the lawsuit, events cause the end of the plaintiff's injury. For the court to exercise jurisdiction, a live controversy must exist at all stages of litigation.
Plain English Explanation
When people have a problem and they want to talk to a judge about it, they file a lawsuit. But sometimes, while they are waiting for their day in court, the problem they had goes away. When this happens, the case is said to be "moot."
A case is moot when the issue that was being challenged is no longer exists, the plaintiff's injury is solved or disappear. So, for the court to hear the case, there needs to be a current problem or "live controversy" that needs to be resolved.
In other words, a case is moot when the problem that the person wanted to talk to the judge about is no longer there, so the judge can't do anything about it anymore. But if the problem still exists, the court can hear the case and help solve it.
A case is moot when the issue that was being challenged is no longer exists, the plaintiff's injury is solved or disappear. So, for the court to hear the case, there needs to be a current problem or "live controversy" that needs to be resolved.
In other words, a case is moot when the problem that the person wanted to talk to the judge about is no longer there, so the judge can't do anything about it anymore. But if the problem still exists, the court can hear the case and help solve it.
Hypothetical
Hypo 1: Bob is a resident of a small town where the local government has a rule that no one is allowed to have a backyard fire pit. Bob thinks this rule is not fair and wants to go to court to talk to a judge about it. He files a lawsuit and waits for his day in court. But before his court date, the local government meets and decides to change the rule. Now, residents are allowed to have backyard fire pits. Result: The case is moot because the issue that was being challenged is no longer exist, the rule that Bob was challenging is no longer in effect, and Bob no longer has an injury or controversy to bring before the court. The court won't be able to hear the case because there's no live controversy to solve anymore.
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