T hi s di s pos i t i on i s notappr opr i a t e f orpubl i c a t i on and i s notpr e c e de nt * e xc e pta s pr ovi de d by 9th C i r . R . 36- 3.

T he H on orabl e S ar ah S . V ance , C hi ef D i stri ctJudg e of the E as t ern ** D i s tr i c tof

L oui s i a na , s i tt i ng by de s i gna t i on.

NOT F OR P UB L I CAT I ON UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS FOR T HE NI NTH CI RC UI T DENI SE SC HM I DT, P la in tif

f - A p p e lla n t, v. C ON T R A C OS T A C OU NT Y; J UD I C I AL C OU NC I L OF C AL I F ORNI A, A d m i n i strat i v e O ffi ce fo th e C o u rt s; CONTRA COST A SUPER I OR COURT; L AU R E L B R AD Y; T HO MAS M A D D O CK ; LO I S H A I G H T; BA RRY BASKI N; KEN TORRE , D efen d an t s - A p p el l ees. N o. 11- 15563 D . C. N o . 3 : 0 5 - c v - 0 0 1 9 7 - V RW ME MOR AN DU M *

A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f o rth e N o r th e rn D is tr ic t o f C a lif o rn ia V aughn R . W a l ke r , D i s tr i c tJ udge , P r e s i di ng A r gue d a nd S ubm i tt e d J ul y 19, 2012 S a n F r a n c is c o , C a lif

o rn ia B e f o r e : P A E Z a n d B Y B E E , C ir c u it J u d g e s , a n d V A N C E , C h ie f D is tr ic t J u d g e . ** 

# FI LED

SEP 10 2012 M OLLY C. DW Y ER, CLERK U . S. C O U R T OF APPE ALSP age 2 of 4

I n a n O pi ni on c onc urr e nt l y f i l e d w i th thi s m e m or a ndum , w e a f f i rm e d the di stri ctcourt ’ s s um m ary j ud gm entrul i ng thatJudg e L aure l B ra dy, Judg e T ho m as M addo ck, Judg e B arryB as ki n, and Jud ge L oi s H ai gh t(“ the Judg e D ef endant s” ) ar e e n ti tl ed to leg islati v e im m u n ity f ro m P lain ti ff

-A p p ellan t D en ise S ch m id t’ s fe dera l const i tut i on al cl ai m s broug htun der 42 U . S . C . § 1 98 3, as w el l as fr om her s t a t e c ons t i tut i ona l c l a i m s . H e r e , w e a ddr e s s the di s tr i c tc our t ’ s ( 1) gr a ntof sum m ary j ud gm entt o the Judg e D ef endant s and K en T orre on S chm i dt ’ s s t at e l aw w r o n g f u l te rm in a tio n c la im ; ( 2 ) g r a n t o f s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t to C o n tr aC o s ta C o u n ty (“ th e C o u n ty”) o n S ch m i d t ’ s Mo n e ll claim ; an d (3 ) d en ial o f S ch m id t’ s req u estfo r ad d i t i o n al d i sco v ery an d rel at ed m o t i o n s. W e affi rm i n al l resp ect s. 1. S c hm i dti s note nt i t l e d t o s um m a ry j udgm e nton he rw r ongf ul t e rm i na t i on c l a i m . T he di s tr i c tc our tdi s m i s s e d thi s c l a i m i n i t s D e c e m be r2009 O r de rbe c aus e “ [ t ] he pa rt i e s a gr e e [ d] ” tha tthe c l a i m “ [ w a ] s notvi abl e , ” a nd S ch m i d tfai l ed t o ap p eal th atru l i n g . E v en i f w e w ere t o treatS ch m i d t ’ s ap p eal as a chal l enge t o the di stri ctcourt ’ s di sm i ss al of her c l ai m , the di stri ctcourtdi d n oterr in d is m is s in g th e c la im . U n d e rC a lif o rn iala w , ac la im f

o rw r o n g f

u l te rm in a tio n in vi ol a t i on of

publ i c pol i c y m a y be br oughtonl y a ga i ns ta n em pl oyer , w hi ch f o r e c lo s e s th e in d iv id u a l J u d g e D e f e n d a n ts ’ liab ility . See C . A . v. W i l l i a m S. H

a rt U n io n Hig h Sc h o o l D is t. , 270 P . 3d 699, 707 n. 6 ( C a l . 2012) . I n a ddi t i on, t o theP age 3 of 4

e x te n t th a t S c h m id t’s c la im a g a in s t K e n T o rr e in h is o f f ic ia l c ap a c ity is ac la im a ga i ns tthe S upe r i orC ourti t s e l f , the c our tc a nnotbe he l d l i abl e be c aus e c l a i m s f or w r o n g f u l te rm in a tio n in v io la tio n o f p u b lic p o lic y c a n n o t b e b r o u g h t a g a in s t p u b lic e n titie s . Miklo s

y v . R eg e n ts o

f U n iv . o f C a l. , 1 8 8 P .3 d 6 2 9 , 6 4 4 ( C a l. 2 0 0 8 ) ; se e al s o A nthoi ne v . N

. C e nt . C ount i e s C ons or t i um , 6 0 5 F .3 d 7 4 0 , 7 5 4 ( 9 th C ir . 2 0 1 0 ) . F ur the rm or e , s ubor di na t e j udi c i a l of f i c e r s l i ke S c hm i dta r e notc ove r e d by the e m pl oy e e pr ot e c t i on s y s t e m puti n pl a c e by the T r i a l C our tE m pl oy m e ntP r ot e c t i on a n d G o v e rn a n c e A c t. See C al . G ov ’ tC od e § 71 65 0(d)(1). 2. T he di s tr i c tc ourtc orr e c t l y gr a nt e d s um m a ry j udgm e ntt o the C ounty on a ll c la im s a g a in s t it. S c h m id t f a ile d to r a is e a n y g e n u in e is s u e o f m a te r ia l f

a c t a s to the C ounty ’ s l i abi l i ty unde r42 U . S . C . § 1983 be c aus e s he doe s notpr e s e nt e vi de nc e tha tthe C ounty C ouns e l w a s af i na l pol i c y - m a ke rf

orthe C ounty orthe S u p e r io rC o u rt, G i l let te v. D elm o re , 97 9 F . 2d 13 42 , 13 46 (9th C i r. 19 92 ), or that C o u n ty C o u n s e l S ilv a n o M a r c h e s i e ith e rd e le g a te d h is p o lic y - m a k in g au th o r ity to D eputy C ou nty C ou nsel M ary A nn M as on or ra t i fi ed her al l egedl y uncon st i tut i on al a c tio n s . Se e Chr is t i e v . I opa , 1 7 6 F .3 d 1 2 3 1 , 1 2 3 6 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 9 ) ; G ille tte , 979 F . 2d a t1346- 47. A ddi t i ona l l y , S c hm i dtw a i ve d a ny s t a t e l a w c l a i m s a ga i ns tthe C o u n ty b y f

a ilin g to a r g u e th e m in h e ro p e n in g b r ie f . Mille rv . Fa ir c h ild

I n du s .,P age 4 of 4

Inc. , 7 9 7 F .2 d 7 2 7 , 7 3 8 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 8 6 ) ; s e e a ls o U n ite d S ta te s v . Kim b le , 107 F . 3d 7 1 2 , 7 1 5 n .2 ( 9 th C ir . 1 9 9 7 ) . 3. F i nal l y, the di stri ctcourtdi d n otabuse i t s di sc re t i on by denyi ng ei ther S ch m id t’ s d isco v er y r eq u es t o r h erm o ti o n s f o r r elief f

ro m th e m ag istrate ju d g e’s di s c ove ry or de r s . B e c aus e the J udge D e f e nda nt s a r e e nt i t l e d t o l e gi s l a t i ve i m m un i ty f

or the adop t i on and app l i ca t i on of the t em po rarycom m i ss i on erpo l i cy tha tl i e s a tthe he a rtof

thi s c a s e , a ddi t i ona l di s c ove ry w oul d notha ve pr e ve nt e d the g r a n t o f s u m m a ry ju d g m e n t to th e d e f e n d a n ts . R ob er t

s v . McA f ee, Inc. , 660 F . 3d 11 56 , 11 69 (9th C i r. 20 11 ). AF F I RME D.