The following excerpt is from Berger v. Heckler, 771 F.2d 1556 (2nd Cir. 1985):
7 This case is therefore to be distinguished from cases like Boyd v. Justices of Special Term, 546 F.2d 526 (2d Cir.1976) (per curiam), where there was no prior decree in effect and no alleged noncompliance. In that case, plaintiffs had brought suit "to vindicate [their] claimed constitutional right to the assignment of counsel in their state divorce proceedings." Id. at 527. The action was dismissed as moot after the named plaintiffs had actually obtained appointed counsel for the purposes of those proceedings and could therefore be said to have received all the relief they sought in their federal action.
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.