# U n i t e d S t a t e s C o u r t o f A pp e a l s For the Eig hth Circu it

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No . 1 9 -3 5 31

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St ep h en Newp ort

l ll l l l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l Pl a i n t i

f f - Ap pel l ee

v

.
Bri an Pay t on ; Ci t y o f Bet t en d o rf

l l l l l l l l l ll l l l l l l l l l l Def

en d a n t s - Ap pel l an t s

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Ap p eal fro m

Un i t ed St at es Di s t ri ct Co u rt fo r t h e So u t h ern Di s t ri ct o f Io wa - Dav en p o rt

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Su b m i t ted : J u l y 6 , 2 0 2 0 Fi l ed : Au g us t 1 1 , 2 0 2 0 [Un pu b l is h ed ]

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Befo re LOKEN, BENTON, an d SHEPHERD, Ci rcu i t J u d g es

.

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PER CURIAM

.

St ep hen Newp o rt b ro u g h t s u i t ag ai n s t Bri an Pay t o n an d t h e Ci t y of Bet t en d o rf
p u rs u an t t o 4 2 U.S.C. § 19 8 3

. Defen d an t s fi led a m o t i o n t o d i sm i s s b as ed i n p art o n q u al i fi ed i m m

u n i t y

. Th e d i st ri ct co u rt d en i ed t h e m o ti o n an d al s o d en ied d efen d an t s ’

s u b s eq u en t m o t i o n fo r reco ns i d erat i o n b as ed o n q u al i fi ed im m u n i ty

. Defen d an t s ap p eal t h e d en i al o f q u al ifi ed im m u n i t y , arg ui n g s o l el y t h at b ecau s e th e d is t ri ct co u rtfai l ed t o ru l e o n Pay t on ’ s qu al i fi ed im m u n i ty d efen s e, t h i s co u rt s h o u l d rev ers e an d

rem an d w i t h i n st ru ct io ns fo r t h e d i s t ri ct c o u r t t o t h o ro u g h l y ru l e o n t h e i s s ue. Newp o rt co u n t ers t hat t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt h ad n o d u t y t o th o ro ug h l y an al y ze q u al i fi ed i m m u ni t y o n a m ot io n t o di sm i s s , an d co nt en d s t h is co u rt l ack s ju ri s d i ct i on o v er t h e p rem at u re ap p eal

.

Hav i n g ju ri s d ict io n o v er t h i s ap p eal
, s ee As h cro ft v

. Iq bal
, 5 56 U.S. 6 6 2
, 6 7 3 (2 0 0 9); Hag e r v

. Ark an s as Dep ’ t o f Heal t h
, 7 3 5 F.3 d 1 00 9
, 10 1 2
, 10 1 4 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 3 )
, a n d u p o n carefu l rev i ew o f t h e reco rd
, we co n cl u d e t h at i t i s ap p aren t t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt , i n d en y i n g th e m o t i o n t o di s m i s s an d m o ti o n fo r reco n s id erat i o n, ap p li ed t h e rel ev an t fed eral p l ead i ng st an d ard s an d co ncl u d ed t hat Newp o rt

s u ffi c ie ntly a lle ge d pla

usib l e cl ai m s fo r v io l at i o n s o f hi s co n s ti t u t io n al ri g h t s , an d t h at

s u ch ri g h t s were cl earl y es t ab l i sh ed
, s ee Iq b al
, 55 6 U.S. at 6 7 3 (d i s cu ss i n g st an d ard s fo r den i al o f m o t i o n t o d is m i s s b as ed o n q u al ifi ed i m m u n i t y ); Ku l k ay v

. Ro y , 8 4 7 F.3 d 63 7
, 64 2 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 7 ) (s am e). Becau se d efen dan t s o ffer n o arg u m en t o n ap p eal as t o wh y Pay t o n w a s e n t i t l ed t o q u al i fi ed i m m u n it y o n t h e face o f t h e

co m p l ai n t , we d ecl i n e t o co n si d er t h e m eri t s o f t h e d i s t ri ct co u rt ’ s ru l i ng s u a s p o n t e

. See W at ers v . M ad s o n , 9 2 1 F.3 d 7 25 , 7 44 (8 t h Ci r. 2 0 1 9 ).

Acco rd i ng l y , t he ju d g m en t o f t h e d is t ri ct co u rt i s affi rm ed
, wi t h o ut p reju d i ce
t o d efen d an t s ag ai n rai si n g a q u al i fi ed im m u n i ty d efen s e l at er in t h e p ro ceed i n g s

. See 8 t h Ci r. R. 4 7 B.

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