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

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ No. 1 5- 16 63

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ Alo nz o Gi ll ia m
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Pla in ti

ff - App el la nt

v.
Nor m an L. Hodg es , Jr., Dir ect or , Arka ns as Sta te Cla im s C omm is si on ; J oh n Do es , Co m m it te e Me m

be rs an d C le rk s, Ark an sa s St at e Cl ai m s C omm is si on
ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll ll l Defe nd

an ts - App el le es

__ __ __ __ __ __ 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 - Li tt le Ro ck

__ __ __ __ __ __ Su bm it te d: Sep te m

be r 4, 2 01 5 Fi le d: Sep te m

be r 17 , 20 15 [Un pu bl is he d]

__ __ __ __ __ __ Befo re SM ITH, BOW MAN, an d B ENTON, Ci rcu it Ju dg es

.

__ __ __ __ __ __ PER CURI AM.

Ark a n s a s i nm at e Alo nz o Gil li am ap pe al s th e di st ric t co ur t’s di sm is sa l of hi s pr o se co m

pl ai nt a ga in st th e Ark an sa s St at e Cl ai m s Co m m is si on (ACC) di rect or , co m m it te e m em

be rs , an d cl erk s. Gil li am al le ge s he was den ie d du e pr oc es s, acces s to th e co ur ts , an d eq ua l pr ot ect io n whe n hi s pe rs on al -in jury an d pr op ert y cl ai m s wered i s mi s s ed in vi ol at io n of 42 U.S.C. §§ 19 83 , 19 85 (2 ), (3 ), an d 19 86

. The di st ri c t

co ur t d is m is se d h is co m

pl ai nt be cau se Gil li am co ul d no t rel it ig at e hi s ACC cas e in fed eral co ur t. Hav in g ju ris di ct io n u nd er 2 8 U.S.C. § 12 91 , th is co ur t af fir m s.

Gil li am cl ai m s th at he is no t at te m pt in g to rel it ig at e hi s ACC cas e, no ti ng th at th e ACC do es no t ha ve juri sd ic ti on ov er th e co ns ti tu ti on al cl ai m s he is rai si ng

. As Gil li am co rrec tl y st at es , th e ACC ha s no ju r i s d i ct io n to de ci de hi s co ns ti tu ti on al cl ai m s. The ACC di d no t ru l e o n G i ll ia m ’s cl ai m s th at de fen da nt s de ni ed hi m du e pr oc es s an d ret al ia te d ag ai ns t hi m fo r ex erci si ng hi s co ns ti tu ti on al rig ht s. Se e Smi th

v. Jo hn so n , 77 9 F.3 d 86 7, 87 0- 71 (8 th Ci r. 20 15 ) (ACC di d no t ha ve juri sd ic ti on ov er
co ns ti tu ti on al cla im s, an d d id no t d eci de is su es in vo lv ed in § 1 98 3 a ct io n)

.

A di s t r i ct co ur t’s jud gm en t can be affi rm ed on an y ba si s su pp or te d by th e
reco rd

. Se e Uni te d St at es v. Sa nt os -Ga rc ia , 31 3 F

. 3 d 10 73 , 10 79 (8 th Ci r. 20 02 ). Thi s co ur t co nc lu de s th at de fen da nt s ha d ab so lu te , qu as i-ju di ci al imm un it y as to th e in di v i du al -cap aci ty cl ai m s, be cau se ACC he ari ng s co nt ai n su ffi ci en t ad ve rs ari al pr oc ed ur es to qu al ify as qu as i-ju di ci al pr oc eed in gs

. Se e Ark

. Co de § 19 -1 0- 20 7 (ACC di rect or an d m em

be rs ha ve au th or it y to ad m in is te r oa th s, su bp oe na wit ne ss es , ex am in e reco rd s, an d req ui re pr od uc ti on of m at eri al s; fal se st at em en ts by cl ai m an ts

o r w i t n es se s to who m an oa th ha s be en ad m in is te red co ns ti tu te pe rjury); § 19 -1 0

- 21 0( b) (p art ie s ha ve fu ll op po rtu ni ty to pr es en t ev id en ce an d arg um en t an d cro ss
ex am in e wit ne ss es ; to ex te nt pr act ic ab le , ACC sh al l ad op t pr oc ed ur e us ed by ci rcu it

co ur ts , an d it s he ari ng sh al l be co nd uc te d in a jud ic ia l m an ne r); § 19 -1 0- 21 1( a) (ACC de ci si on s can be ap pe al ed to Gen eral Ass em bl y ); Van Hor n v. Oels ch la ge r , 45 7 F.3 d 84 4, 84 7- 48 (8 th Ci r. 20 06 ) (ab so lu te qu as i-ju di ci al imm un it y ap pl ie s whe n of

fic ia l’s fu nc ti on s ar e si m il ar t o t ho se in vo lv ed in jud ic ia l pr oc es s an d su ffi ci en t sa feg ua rd s
ex ist in re gul at or

y fr am ew ork to co nt ro l un co ns ti tu ti on al co nd uc t). Pro ced ur es be fo re th e ACC are si m il ar to th os e fo ll owe d by ot he r st at e bo ard s an d co m m is si on s th at

en ga ge in ad

jud ic at iv e pr oc eed in gs , an d who se of fic ia ls are en ti tl ed to qu as i-ju di ci al imm un it y

. Se e Keyst on e Red

evel op men t Par tn er

s, LLC v. Decke r , 63 1 F.3 d 89 , 92

-

-2

-93 , 98 -9 9, 10 1 (3 d Ci r. 20 11 ) (Gam in g Bo ard m em be rs ); Bus er v. Ray mon d , 47 6 F.3 d 56 5, 56 7- 71 (8 th Ci r. 20 07 ) (Ch ie f Med ic al Offi cer of Neb ras ka Bo ard of Med ic in e
an d Su rg ery); Van Hor n, 45 7 F.3 d at 84 8 (Neb ras ka St at e Rac in g Co m m is si on ers ); C r e n s h a w v

. Bay ne rd , 18 0 F.3 d 86 6, 86 8 (7 th Ci r. 19 99 ) (In di an a Ci vi l Ri gh t s Co m m is si on ers ). Thi s co ur t fu rth er co nc lu de s th at de fen da nt s act ed wit hi n th ei r qu as i-ju di ci al cap aci ty. Cf . Mir el es v. W

ac o , 50 2 U.S. 9 , 9-1 2 (1 99 1) (pe r cu ria m ).

Defen da nt s ha d so ve rei gn imm un it y fo r th e of

fic ia l-c ap aci ty c l a i m s. Se e Reyn ol ds v. Dor mir e , 63 6 F.3 d 97 6, 98 1 (8 th Ci r. 20 11 ) (s ta te of fic ia ls s u e d in of fic ia l cap aci ty po ss es s Elev en th Am en dm en t imm un it y fro m da m ag es cl ai m s)

. To th e ex te nt Gil li am so ug ht eq ui ta bl e rel ie f, he di d no t in di cat e he h a s pu rs ue d hi s st atut or y rig ht to ap pe al to th e Gen eral Ass em bl y fo r red res s of th e ACC’s de ni al of hi s co ns ti tu ti on al rig ht s. Se e Ark

. Co de § 19 -1 0- 21 1( a); O’S he a v. Li tt le to n , 41 4 U.S. 48 8, 49 9 , 5 0 2 (1 97 4) (eq ui ta bl e rel ie f req ui res , in te r al ia , sh owi ng of in ad eq ua te

rem ed y at l aw).

The di st ric t co ur t di d no t ab us e it s di sc ret io n in d e nyin g Gil li am ’s po st

jud gm en t m ot io n to am en d, orhi s Fe d. R. C iv . P . 5 9( e) m ot io n. Se e Hor ra s v. Am. Ca pi ta l St ra te

gi es , LTD , 72 9 F.3 d 79 8, 80 4 (8 th Ci r. 20 13 ); Uni te d St at es v. Met ro

. St . Lou is Se wer

Dis t. , 44 0 F .3d 93 0, 9 33 (8t h C ir. 2 00 6) (st an da rd of r ev ie w).

The jud gm en t i s af

fir m ed

.

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