Page "Ripeness" Paragraph 2

Ripeness represents the other side of the coin of standing, and deals with whether the defendant in a case has gone so far in his / her abusive behavior that the court has a right to hear the case.

The goal is to prevent premature adjudication ; if a dispute is insufficiently developed, any potential injury or stake is too speculative to warrant judicial action.

Ripeness issues most usually arise when a plaintiff seeks anticipatory relief, such as an injunction.

When drafting his complaint, a plaintiff may be able to avoid dismissal on ripeness grounds by requesting alternative relief in the form of a declaratory judgment, which in many states and jurisdictions allows a court to declare the rights of parties under the facts as proven without actually ordering that anything be done.