Source: http://www.chanrobles.com/usa/us_supremecourt/440/391/case.php
Timestamp: 2019-10-15 15:55:45
Document Index: 356285656

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 1983', '§ 1343', '§ 1983', '§ 1331', '§ 1983', '§ 1983', '§ 6']

LAKE COUNTY ESTATES V. TAHOE REG. PLANNING AGENCY, 440 U. S. 391 (1979) - US SUPREME COURT DECISIONS ON-LINE
US Supreme Court Decisions On-Line> Volume 440 > LAKE COUNTY ESTATES V. TAHOE REG. PLANNING AGENCY, 440 U. S. 391 (1979)
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1. Petitioners stated a cause of action under § 1983, and hence properly invoked federal jurisdiction under § 1343. The requirement of federal approval of the Compact did not foreclose a finding that respondents' conduct was "under color of state law" within the meaning of § 1983. The facts with respect to TRPA's operation -- such as that its implementation depended upon the appointment of members by chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
STEVENS, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which BURGER, C.J.,and STEWART, WHITE, POWELL, and REHNQUIST, JJ., joined, and in which BRENNAN, MARSHALL, and BLACKMUN, JJ., joined in part. BRENNAN, J., post, p. 440 U. S. 406, and MARSHALL, J., post, p. 440 U. S. 406, filed opinions dissenting in part. BLACKMUN, J., filed an opinion dissenting in part, in Part I of which BRENNAN, J., joined, post, p. 440 U. S. 408. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Lake Tahoe, a unique mountain lake, is located partly in California and partly in Nevada. The Lake Tahoe Basin, an area comprising 500 square miles, is a popular resort area that has grown rapidly in recent years. [Footnote 2] chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Petitioners advanced alternative theories to support their chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
The District Court dismissed the complaint. Although it concluded that the complaint sufficiently alleged a cause of chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Petitioners ask this Court to hold that TRPA is not entitled to Eleventh Amendment immunity and that the individual chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
respondents are not entitled to absolute immunity when acting in a legislative capacity. Because none of the respondents filed a cross-petition for certiorari, we have no occasion to review the Court of Appeals' additional holding that a violation of the Due Process Clause was adequately alleged. [Footnote 11] For purposes of our decision, we assume the sufficiency of those allegations. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Second, even if the lack of a cause of action were considered a jurisdictional defect in a suit brought under § 1331, [Footnote 12] we may not dismiss for that reason if the record discloses that federal jurisdiction does, in fact, exist. In this case, we need not even reach the Bivens question to conclude that there is both a cause of action and federal jurisdiction. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Even if it were not well settled that § 1983 must be given chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
The Court of Appeals held that California and Nevada had delegated authority ordinarily residing in each of those States to TRPA. Because "the bi-state Authority serves as an agency of the participant states, exercising a specially aggregated slice of state power," the court concluded "that the TRPA is protected by sovereign immunity, preserved for the states by the Eleventh Amendment." 566 F.2d 1359-1360.
We cannot accept such an expansive reading of the Eleventh Amendment. By its terms, the protection afforded by that Amendment is only available to "one of the United States." It is true, of course, that some agencies exercising chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
California and Nevada have both filed briefs in this Court disclaiming any intent to confer immunity on TRPA. They point to provisions of their Compact that indicate that TRPA is to be regarded as a political subdivision, rather than an arm of the State. Thus, TRPA is described in Art. III(a) as a "separate legal entity," and in Art. VI(a) as a "political subdivision." Under the terms of the Compact, 6 of the 10 governing members of TRPA are appointed by counties and cities, and only 4 by the 2 States. [Footnote 20] Funding under the chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
We turn, finally, to petitioners' challenge to the Court of Appeals' holding that the individual respondents are absolutely chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Petitioners do not challenge the validity of the holding in Tenney, or of the decisions recognizing the absolute immunity of federal legislators. [Footnote 25] Rather, their claim is that absolute immunity should be limited to the federal and state levels, and should not extend to individuals acting in a legislative capacity at a regional level. In support of this proposed distinction, petitioners argue that the source of immunity for state legislators is found in constitutional provisions, such as the Speech or Debate Clause, which have no application to a body such as TRPA. In addition, they point out that, because state legislatures have effective means of disciplining their members that TRPA does not have, the threat of possible chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
We find these arguments unpersuasive. The Speech or Debate Clause of the United States Constitution [Footnote 27] is no more applicable to the members of state legislatures than to the members of TRPA. The States are, of course, free to adopt similar clauses in their own constitutions, and many have, in fact, done so. [Footnote 28] These clauses reflect the central importance attached to legislative freedom in our Nation. But the absolute immunity for state legislators recognized in Tenney reflected the Court's interpretation of federal law; the decision did not depend on the presence of a speech or debate clause in the constitution of any State, or on any particular set of state rules or procedures available to discipline erring legislators. Rather, the rule of that case recognizes the need for chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
"Legislators are immune from deterrents to the uninhibited discharge of their legislative duty, not for their private indulgence but for the public good. One must not expect uncommon courage even in legislators. The privilege would be of little value if they could be subjected to the cost and inconvenience and distractions of a trial upon a conclusion of the pleader, or to the hazard of a judgment against them based upon a jury's speculation as to motives. The holding of this Court in @ 10 U. S. 130, that it was not consonant with our scheme of government for a court to inquire into the motives of legislators has remained unquestioned."
This reasoning is equally applicable to federal, state, and regional legislators. [Footnote 29] Whatever potential damages liability regional legislators may face as a matter of state law, we hold that petitioners' federal claims do not encompass the recovery of damages from the members of TRPA acting in a legislative capacity. [Footnote 30] chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
566 F.2d 1359 n. 9.
In support of these arguments, petitioners invoke decisions of the Courts of Appeals denying absolute immunity to subordinate officials such as county supervisors and members of a park district board. Williams v. Anderson, 562 F.2d 1081, 1101 (CA8 1977) (school board members); Jones v. Diamond, 519 F.2d 1090, 1101 (CA5 1975) (county supervisors); Curry v. Gillette, 461 F.2d 1003, 1005 (CA6 1972), cert. denied sub nom. Marsh v. Curry, 409 U.S. 1042 (alderman); Progress Development Corp. v. Mitchell, 286 F.2d 222, 231 (CA7 1961) (members of park district board and village board of trustees); Nelson v. Knox, 256 F.2d 312, 314-315 (CA6 1958) (city commissioners); Cobb v. Malden, 202 F.2d 701, 706-707 (CA1 1953) (McGruder, C.J.,concurring) (city councilmen). Respondents, on the other hand, contend that in most, if not all, of the cases in which absolute immunity has been denied, the individuals were not, in fact, acting in a legislative capacity. We need not resolve this dispute. Whether individuals performing legislative functions at the purely local level, as opposed to the regional level, should be afforded absolute immunity from federal damages claims is a question not presented in this case.
In Tenney v. Brandhove, 341 U. S. 367 (1951), this Court declined to construe 42 U.S.C. § 1983 as abrogating state legislators' unqualified immunity from suits that arise out of their legislative activity. Underlying the decision in Tenney was a recognition of the unique status of the legislative privilege, maintained for several centuries at common law and enshrined in the Federal Constitution, Art. I, § 6, as well as in all but seven of the States' constitutions. 341 U.S. at 341 U. S. 372-375. Absent evidence of explicit congressional intent, chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Equally troubling is the majority's refusal to confront the logical implications of its analysis. To be sure, the Court expressly reserves the question whether individuals performing legislative functions at the local level should be afforded absolute immunity from federal damages claims. Ante at 440 U. S. 404, n. 26. But the majority's reasoning in this case leaves little room to argue that municipal legislators stand on a different footing than their regional counterparts. Surely the Court's supposition that the "cost and inconvenience and distractions chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
It is difficult for me to associate the members of TRPA with federal or state legislators. Their duties are not solely legislative; they possess some executive powers. They are not in equipoise with other branches of government, and the concept chanroblesvirtualawlibrary