# U ni te d S ta te s Co ur t of A pp ea ls For the Eig hth Circu it

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ No. 1 4- 32 85

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Jo e Leo na rdBel l, J r.
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el le e

v.
D an ny Bu rl , W ar de n, E as t A rk an sa s Re gio na l U nit , A D C (o ri gin al ly na m ed as D

. Bu rl )

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t
Je remy And rews , Major , East Arka ns as Reg io na l Un it , ADC (or ig in al ly nam ed as

Je rm y C. And rews )

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t - Ap pe ll an t
Cu rti s L. Ro lfe , III, Dis ci pl in ary Heari ng Offi cer, East Ark an sa s Reg io na l Uni t, ADC

ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an t

__ __ __ __ __ __ App eal fro m

Uni te d S ta te s Di st ric t Co ur t fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s - Hel en a

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: May 20, 2 01 5 Fi le d: Ju ly 1, 20 15 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re SHEPHERD, BYE, an d KELLY, Circ ui t J ud ge s.

__ __ __ __ __ __PER CURI AM.

Ark an sa s in m at e Jo e Bel l, J r. br ou gh t a 4 2 U.S.C. § 19 83 act io n c la im in g, as rel ev an t to th is ap pe al , th at de fen da nt Je remy And rews , a co rrec ti on al off ic er at th e faci li ty whe re Bel l was im pr is on ed , ret al ia te d ag ai ns t Bel l fo r ex erci si ng hi s
co ns ti tu ti on al rig ht s. And rews m ov ed fo r su m m ary jud gm en t, ba se d in pa rt on qu al ifi ed im m

un it y . The d is tri ct co ur t de ni edth e m ot io n, an d An dr ews ap pe al s. 1

Hav in g co nf

in ed ou r rev ie w, as we m us t, to is su es o f l a w , se e St on er v. W at li ng te n, 73 5 F.3 d 79 9, 80 2 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ) (d e no vo rev ie w); Ro bb in s v. Bec ke r, 71 5 F.3 d 69 1, 69 3 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ) (juri sd ic ti on to rev ie w de ni al of qu al ifi ed im m un it y
e x i st s on ly to ex te nt th at de ni al tu rn s on is su e of la w), we co nc lu de th at th e co ur t pr op erl y de ni ed th e m ot io n fo r su m m ary jud gm en t b as ed on qu al ifi edim m un it y
. A § 1 98 3 re ta li at io n c la im req ui res th e p la in ti ff to “ sh ow (1 ) he en ga ge d i n a pr ot ect ed a c t i v i t y, (2 ) th e go ve rn m en t of fic ia l to ok ad ve rs e act io n ag ai ns t hi m th at

wou ld ch il l a pe rs on of or di na ry fir m ne ss fro m co nt in ui ng th e a c t i v i t y, an d (3 ) th e ad ve rs e act io n was m ot iv at ed at le as t in pa rt by th e ex erci se of th e pr ot ect ed act iv it y .” Sp en cer v. Ja ck so n Cn ty., 73 8 F.3 d 90 7, 91 1 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ) (q uo ta ti o n o m it te d)

.

“ The ret al ia to ry co nd uc t it se lf ne ed no t be a co ns ti tu ti on al vi ol at io n; th e vi ol at io n is act in g in ret al ia ti on fo r th e ex erci se of a co ns ti tu ti on al ly pr ot ect ed rig ht .” Id

. (q uo ta ti on om it te d)

. W e fin d n o le ga l erro r in th e di st ric t co ur t’s co nc lu si on th at Bel l’s reas si gn m en t to th e ho e sq ua d, aft er he ha d su cces sf ul ly co nt es te d pr is on di sc ip li na ry ch arg es in it ia te d by And rews , am ou nt ed to a co ns ti tu ti on al vi ol at io n th at

was cl earl y es ta bl is he d at th e ti m e of th e al le ge d vi ol at io n. See i d

. ( wor se ni ng in m at e’s wor ki ng co nd it io ns m ay co ns ti tu te ad ve rs e act io n) ; D ibl e v. Sc hol l, 506 F.3 d

The Hon or ab le D.P. Mar sh al l, Jr ., Uni te d St at es Dis tri ct Ju dg e fo r th e East ern 1 Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s, ad op ti ng th e rep or t an d reco m m en da ti on s of th e Hon or ab le J. Tho m as Ray, Uni te d S ta te s M ag is tra te Ju dg e fo r th e Eas te rn Dis tri ct of Ark an sa s. -2

-11 06 , 11 11 (8 th Ci r. 20 07 ) (co ur t ha s br oa d vi ew of wha t m ak es “ cl earl y es ta bl is he d

la w” fo r pu rp os es of qu al ifi ed im m un it y ). Acco rd in gl y , we affi rm

. See 8t h Ci r. 47 B.

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