FI L ED

U.S. COURT OF APPEAL S

EL EVENTH CI RCUI T

SEPTEMBER 21, 2010

J OHN L EY

CL ERK [ D O N O T P U B L I S H ]

I N T H E U N I T E D S T A T E S C O U R T O F A P P E A L S

F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C I R C U I T

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

N o

. 0 9

- 1 5 1 4 2

N o n

- A r g u m e n t C a l e n d a r

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

D

. C

. D o c k e t N o

. 0 9

- 0 0 4 0 1

- C V

- L S C

A N G E L A T U R N E R D R E E S

,

P l a i n t i f f

- A p p e l l a n t

,

v e r s u s

R A L P H A

. F E R G U S O N

, J R

. ,

D e f e n d a n t

- A p p e l l e e

.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A p p e a l f r o m t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s D i s t r i c t C o u r t

f o r t h e N o r t h e r n D i s t r i c t o f A l a b a m a

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

( S e p t e m b e r 2 1

, 2 0 1 0 )

B e f o r e E D M O N D S O N

, B L A C K

, a n d K R A V I T C H

, C i r c u i t J u d g e s

.

P E R C U R I A M :

P l a i n t i f f

- A p p e l l a n t A n g e l a T u r n e r D r e e s

, a l i c e n s e d l a w y e r p r o c e e d i n g p r os e

, a p p e a l s t h e d i s m i s s a l o f h e r c i v i l r i g h t s c o m p l a i n t

, 4 2 U

. S

. C

. § 1 9 8 3

. T h e

d i s t r i c t c o u r t d i s m i s s e d t h e c o m p l a i n t f o r l a c k o f s u b

j e c t

- m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n a n d f o r

f a i l u r e t o s t a t e a c l a i m

, F e d

. R

. C i v

. P

. 1 2 ( b ) ( 6 )

. N o r e v e r s i b l e e r r o r h a s b e e n s h o w n ; 1

w e a f f i r m

.

I n h e r c o m p l a i n t

, P l a i n t i f f a l l e g e d t h a t D e f

e n d a n t

- - a n A l a b a m a c i r c u i t c o u r t

j u d g e i n t h e d o m e s t i c r e l a t i o n s d i v i s i o n

- - v i o l a t e d h e r c o n s t i t u t i o n a l r i g h t s b a s e d

o n h i s r u l i n g s i n a p r o c e e d i n g b e t w e e n P l a i n t i f f a n d h e r e x

- h u s b a n d a b o u t t h e

m o d i f i c a t i o n o f t h e i r c h i l d c u s t o d y a g r e e m e n t

. P l a i n t i f f s o u g h t e q u i t a b l e r e l i e f i n

a d d i t i o n t o a t t o r n e y ’ s f

e e s a n d c o s t s

. T h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t c o n c l u d e d t h a t i t l a c k e d

s u b j e c t

- m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n o v e r P l a i n t i f f ’ s c l a i m f

o r e q u i t a b l e r e l i e f u n d e r t h e

R o o k e r

- F e l d m a n d o c t r i n e

. A n d t o t h e e x t e n t P l a i n t i f f s o u g h t m o n e y d a m a g e s

, t h e 2

c o u r t c o n c l u d e d t h a t j u d i c i a l i m m u n i t y b a r r e d P l a i n t i f f ’ s s u i t a n d g r a n t e d

D e f e n d a n t ’ s R u l e 1 2 ( b ) ( 6 ) m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s

.

O n a p p e a l

, P l a i n t i f

f l a r g e l y r e p e a t s t h e a l l e g a t i o n s s h e m a d e i n h e r c o m p l a i n t

a b o u t D e f

e n d a n t ’ s a l l e g e d l y i l l e g a l a n d u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l a c t s i n t h e c u s t o d y

p r o c e e d i n g s

. S h e a r g u e s t h a t n e i t h e r t h e R o o k e r

- F e l d m a n d o c t r i n e n o r j u d i c i a l

We review de novo a district c ourt’s conc lusion that it lacke d subject-matter jurisdiction. 1

Casale v. Tillman, 558 F .3d 1258, 1260 (11th Cir. 2009). And we revie w de novo a district

court’s g rant of a

Rule 12(b)(6) motion to di smiss for failure to state a c laim. Clark v. Riley , 595

F.3d 1258, 1264 ( 11th Cir. 2010).

D.C. Court of Appea ls v. Feldman, 103 S.Ct. 1303 (1983); Rooker v. F id. Trust Co., 44 2

S.Ct . 149 (1923).

2i m m u n i t y p r e c l u d e d c o n s i d e r a t i o n o f h e r c l a i m s b e c a u s e t h e s t a t e j u d g m e n t w a s

b a s e d o n t h e c o r r u p t i o n o f t h e j u d i c i a l p r o c e s s a n d v i o l a t e d h e r c i v i l r i g h t s

. S h e

a s k s t h a t D e f

e n d a n t ’ s o r d e r s i n t h e c a s e b e d e e m e d v o i d a s a m a t t e r o f l a w

. 3

T h e R o o k e r

- F e l d m a n d o c t r i n e p r e c l u d e s f e d e r a l c o u r t s

- - o t h e r t h a n t h e

U n i t e d S t a t e s S u p r e m e C o u r t

- - f r o m r e v i e w i n g f

i n a l j u d g m e n t s o f s t a t e c o u r t s

.

C a s a l e

, 5 5 8 F

. 3 d a t 1 2 6 0

. R o o k e r

- F e l d m a n b a r s l o w e r f e d e r a l c o u r t j u r i s d i c t i o n i n

“ c a s e s b r o u g h t b y s t a t e

- c o u r t l o s e r s c o m p l a i n i n g o f i n j u r i e s c a u s e d b y s t a t e

- c o u r t

j u d g m e n t s r e n d e r e d b e f o r e t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t p r o c e e d i n g s c o m m e n c e d a n d i n v i t i n g

d i s t r i c t c o u r t r e v i e w a n d r e j e c t i o n o f t h o s e j u d g m e n t s

. ” I d

. a t 1 2 6 1 ( c i t a t i o n

o m i t t e d )

.

W e c o n c l u d e

, a s d i d t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t

, t h a t t h e R o o k e r

- F e l d m a n c r i t e r i a a r e

s a t i s f i e d

. D e f e n d a n t r u l e d a g a i n s t P l a i n t i f f i n t h e c u s t o d y p r o c e e d i n g ; t h u s

,

P l a i n t i f f w a s t h e l o s i n g p a r t y i n s t a t e c o u r t

. T h e s t a t e p r o c e e d i n g h a d e n d e d :

P l a i n t i f f n o t e d i n h e r c o m p l a i n t t h a t t h e s t a t e c o u r t i s s u e d i t s o r d e r m o d i f y i n g t h e

c u s t o d y a g r e e m e n t a l m o s t t w o y e a r s b e f o r e s h e f i l e d h e r s e c t i o n 1 9 8 3 c o m p l a i n t

.

A n d i n h e r s e c t i o n 1 9 8 3 c o m p l a i n t

, P l a i n t i f f a l l e g e d i n

j u r i e s

- - i n c l u d i n g h e r l o s s o f

c u s t o d y

, c o n t e m p t s e n t e n c e

, a n d f i n a n c i a l h a r d s h i p

- - c a u s e d b y D e f e n d a n t ’ s s t a t e

We note that, when a

licensed la

wy er a ppear s pro se, we do not provide her pleading s 3

with the liberal c onstruction customarily rese rved f

or other pr o se litiga

nts. Olivares v. Mar

tin,

555 F.2d 1192, 1194 n.1 ( 5th Cir. 1977).

3c o u r t r u l i n g s

. F i n a l l y

, P l a i n t i f f s o u g h t t o h a v e t h e f

e d e r a l c o u r t “ r e v i e w a n d r e j e c t ”

t h e s t a t e c o u r t p r o c e e d i n g s b e c a u s e s h e w i s h e d t o h a v e D e f e n d a n t ’ s r u l i n g s

d e c l a r e d v o i d a s a m a t t e r o f l a w

. S e e i d

. ( o b s e r v i n g t h a t

, w h e n a p a r t y b e l i e v e s t h a t

t h e s t a t e c o u r t e r r e d

, t h e p r o p e r r e m e d y i s d i r e c t a p p e a l

, a n d n o t a n a t t a c k i n f e d e r a l

c o u r t ) ; s e e a l s o S t a l e y v

. L e d b e t t e r

, 8 3 7 F

. 2 d 1 0 1 6

, 1 0 1 7

- 1 8 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 1 9 8 8 )

( c o n c l u d i n g t h a t w e l a c k e d s u b j e c t

- m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n u n d e r t h e R o o k e r

- F e l d m a n

d o c t r i n e t o c o n s i d e r a p a r t y ’ s s e c t i o n 1 9 8 3 c l a i m t h a t “ i n e s s e n c e s o u g h t t o r e v e r s e

a s t a t e c o u r t ’ s c h i l d c u s t o d y d e t e r m i n a t i o n ” )

. 4

T o t h e e x t e n t P l a i n t i f

f s o u g h t m o n e y d a m a g e s

, t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t c o n c l u d e d

c o r r e c t l y t h a t s h e s t a t e d n o c l a i m f o r r e l i e f b e c a u s e D e f

e n d a n t w a s e n t i t l e d t o

a b s o l u t e j u d i c i a l i m m u n i t y

. S e e S i b l e y

, 4 3 7 F

. 3 d a t 1 0 7 0

- 7 1 & n

. 3 ( t h e R o o k e r

F e l d m a n d o c t r i n e d o e s n o t a p p l y w h e n a p a r t y s e e k s m o n e y d a m a g e s f o r t h e s t a t e

c o u r t ’ s a l l e g e d c o n s t i t u t i o n a l d e p r i v a t i o n s )

. J u d g e s a r e e n t i t l e d t o a b s o l u t e j u d i c i a l

i m m u n i t y f

r o m d a m a g e s u n d e r s e c t i o n 1 9 8 3 f o r t h o s e a c t s t a k e n w h i l e t h e y a r e

a c t i n g i n t h e i r j u d i c i a l c a p a c i t y u n l e s s t h e y a c t e d i n t h e c l e a r a b s e n c e o f a l l

We also ag ree with the district court’s a lternative a naly sis for conc luding that, e ven if it 4

had subjec t-matter jurisdiction over Plaintiff’s claims for e quitable re lief, Plaintiff did not satisfy

the re quirements of se ction 1983 for suinga judg e for equitable r elief. See Sibley v. L ando, 437

F.3d 1067, 1073 ( 11th Cir. 2005) (to rec eive de clar atory or injunctive re lief, “pla intiffs must

establish . . . the abse nce of an ade quate r emedy

at law” ). B eca

use Plaintiff could have appea led

the orde rs at issue to a hig her state court, she ha d an ade quate r emedy at law a nd was une ntitled

to equitable re lief under

section 1983. See A la. Code § 12-3- 10 (providing a rig ht to appeal

domestic rela tions cases to the Ala bama Court of Civil Appeals).

4j u r i s d i c t i o n

. M i r e l e s v

. W a c o

, 1 1 2 S

. C t

. 2 8 6

, 2 8 8 ( 1 9 9 1 )

. A j u d g e d o e s n o t a c t i n

t h e “ c l e a r a b s e n c e o f a l l j u r i s d i c t i o n ” w h e n h e a c t s e r r o n e o u s l y

, m a l i c i o u s l y

, o r i n

e x c e s s o f h i s a u t h o r i t y

, b u t i n s t e a d

, o n l y w h e n h e a c t s w i t h o u t s u b j e c t

- m a t t e r

j u r i s d i c t i o n

. D y k e s v

. H o s e m a n n

, 7 7 6 F

. 2 d 9 4 2

, 9 4 7

- 4 8 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 1 9 8 5 )

.

H e r e

, t h e a c t s a b o u t w h i c h P l a i n t i f f c o m p l a i n e d w e r e r e l a t e d d i r e c t l y t o t h e

a d j u d i c a t i o n o f h e r c u s t o d y c a s e

. S e e S i b l e y

, 4 3 7 F

. 3 d a t 1 0 7 0 ( e x p l a i n i n g t h a t

a c t s c o n s t i t u t i n g n o r m a l j u d i c i a l f u n c t i o n s

, e v e n t s o c c u r r i n g i n t h e j u d g e ’ s

c h a m b e r s o r i n o p e n c o u r t

, a n d a c t s a b o u t c a s e s p e n d i n g b e f o r e t h e j u d g e a r e t a k e n

i n a j u d i c i a l c a p a c i t y )

. E v e n i f D e f e n d a n t ’ s a c t s

- - i n c l u d i n g a l l e g e d l y b a s i n g h i s

d e c i s i o n o n f

a l s e e v i d e n c e a n d s u b o r n i n g p e r j u r y

- - w e r e e r r o n e o u s o r m a l i c i o u s

,

a s P l a i n t i f

f c o n t e n d s

, i t d o e s n o t c h a n g e t h a t t h e a c t s w e r e u n d e r t a k e n i n a j u d i c i a l

c a p a c i t y

. A n d P l a i n t i f

f f a i l s t o s h o w t h a t D e f

e n d a n t a c t e d i n t h e c l e a r a b s e n c e o f

s u b j e c t

- m a t t e r j u r i s d i c t i o n ; i n f a c t

, i n h e r c o m p l a i n t

, P l a i n t i f f c o n c e d e d t h a t

D e f e n d a n t w a s a c i r c u i t c o u r t j u d g e w i t h j u r i s d i c t i o n t o h e a r c u s t o d y c a s e s

. 5

W e r e j e c t P l a i n t i f

f ’ s a r g u m e n t t h a t s h e w a s e n t i t l e d t o a n e v i d e n t i a r y h e a r i n g

i n t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t o n j u d i c i a l i m m u n i t y

. P l a i n t i f f ’ s c a s e w a s b e f

o r e t h e c o u r t o n a

m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s

. A n d a m o t i o n t o d i s m i s s f o r f a i l u r e t o s t a t e a c l a i m “ a l w a y s

Plaintiff’s claim that Def

endant wa s criminally

liable under

18 U.S.C. § 242 and, thus, 5

not shielded by

immunit y , is meritless. Section 242 provides no basis for da mag es under

section

1983. See Ha

nna v. Home I

ns. Co., 281 F.2d 298, 303 (5th Cir. 1960).

5p r e s e n t s a p u r e l y l e g a l q u e s t i o n ; t h e r e a r e n o i s s u e s o f f a c t b e c a u s e t h e a l l e g a t i o n s

c o n t a i n e d i n t h e p l e a d i n g a r e p r e s u m e d t o b e t r u e

. ” S e e C h u d a s a m a v

. M a z d a

M o t o r C o r p

. , 1 2 3 F

. 3 d 1 3 5 3

, 1 3 6 7 ( 1 1 t h C i r

. 1 9 9 7 )

. B e c a u s e a n e v i d e n t i a r y

h e a r i n g w o u l d h a v e s e r v e d n o p u r p o s e

, t h e d i s t r i c t c o u r t a b u s e d n o d i s c r e t i o n i n

d e n y i n g P l a i n t i f

f ’ s r e q u e s t f

o r o n e

.

A F F I R M E D

.

6