Case Name: Joe Eugene SKIPPER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Bennett H. BRUMMER, Davis Cohen, and Lennie Cooperman, Defendants-Appellees
Court: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jurisdiction: United States
Decision Date: 1979-07-06
Citations: 598 F.2d 427
Docket Number: No. 78-3567
Parties: Joe Eugene SKIPPER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Bennett H. BRUMMER, Davis Cohen, and Lennie Cooperman, Defendants-Appellees.
Judges: Before GOLDBERG, RONEY and TJO-FLAT, Circuit Judges.
Reporter: Federal Reporter 2d Series
Volume: 598
Pages: 427–428

Head Matter:
Joe Eugene SKIPPER, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. Bennett H. BRUMMER, Davis Cohen, and Lennie Cooperman, Defendants-Appellees.
No. 78-3567
Summary Calendar.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
July 6, 1979.
Joe Skipper, pro se.
Jim Smith, Atty. Gen., Brian E. Norton, Asst. Atty. Gen., Dept, of Legal Affairs, Civil Div., Tallahassee, Fla., for defendantsappellees.
Before GOLDBERG, RONEY and TJO-FLAT, Circuit Judges.
Rule 18, 5 Cir.; see Isbell Enterprises, Inc. v. Citizens Casualty Co. of New York et al., 5 Cir., 1970, 431 F.2d 409, Part I.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
Appellant Skipper filed suit against Brummer, Cohen, Cooperman, three public defender lawyers, under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, requesting $1,000,000 damages and alleging that appellees denied him effective assistance of counsel by allowing him to proceed to trial without counsel. The lower court held for appellees on the ground that public defenders are immune from liability under § 1983. We affirm this result, but for the reason that in this circuit the actions of court-appointed attorneys are not state action. Slavin v. Curry, 574 F.2d 1256, 1265 (5th Cir. 1978); U. S. ex rel. Simmons v. Zibilich, 542 F.2d 259, 261 (5th Cir. 1976).
AFFIRMED.