Favorable termination

Definition

Under Heck, the requirement that a plaintiff's criminal conviction must first be reversed, expunged, or otherwise invalidated before the plaintiff can bring a Section 1983 suit that would imply the conviction was wrongful. This ensures federal civil courts don't undermine valid state criminal judgments.

Examples

• •The city argued Olivier must first achieve favorable termination of his conviction — such as through expungement under Mississippi law — before bringing his 1983 suit

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