Opinion ID: 3214771
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Bivens Claims against Hoffman

Text: On appeal, Bonilla also argues that the district court erred by dismissing his Bivens claims against Hoffman under the doctrine of absolute immunity. Bonilla argues that absolute immunity does not protect Hoffman because her misconduct exceeded the scope of her duties as an Assistant United States Attorney. We disagree. “Prosecutors are . . . entitled to absolute immunity from damages for acts or omissions associated with the judicial process, in particular, those taken in initiating a prosecution and in presenting the government’s case.” Bolin v. Story, 225 F.3d 1234, 1242 (11th Cir. 2000). “Such absolute immunity extends to a prosecutor’s acts undertaken … in preparing for the initiation of judicial proceedings or for trial, and which occur in the course of his role as an advocate for the State.” Jones v. Cannon, 174 F.3d 1271, 1281 (11th Cir. 1999) (quotation marks omitted) (alteration in original). 12 Case: 15-15327 Date Filed: 06/20/2016 Page: 13 of 15 “[A]bsolute immunity does not necessarily shield a prosecutor from liability when he is performing a function that is not associated with his role as an advocate for the state.” Mastroianni v. Bowers, 173 F.3d 1363, 1366 (11th Cir. 1999). For example, absolute immunity is not available where a prosecutor performs an investigative function. See Rivera v. Leal, 359 F.3d 1350, 1353 (11th Cir. 2004). “A prosecutor functions as an investigator when he searches for the clues and corroboration that might give him probable cause to recommend that a suspect be arrested.” Id. (quotation marks omitted). Acts protected by absolute immunity include a prosecutor’s “professional evaluation of the evidence assembled by the police.” Buckley v. Fitzsimmons, 509 U.S. 259, 273, 113 S. Ct. 2606, 2615 (1993). Absolute immunity also extends to the “task of evaluating the credibility of the alleged exculpatory information,” which “no doubt requires the exercise of prosecutorial discretion.” Long v. Satz, 181 F.3d 1275, 1279 (11th Cir. 1999) (quotation marks omitted). Additionally, “[i]njury flowing from a procedural due process violation . . . that results from a prosecutor’s failure to comply with the Brady rule cannot be redressed by a civil damages action against the prosecutor . . . because the prosecutor is absolutely immune from such liability.” Porter v. White, 483 F.3d 1294, 1305 n.8 (11th Cir. 2007). 13 Case: 15-15327 Date Filed: 06/20/2016 Page: 14 of 15 Here, the district court properly dismissed Bonilla’s Bivens claims under the doctrine of absolute immunity. The substance of Bonilla’s Bivens claims, as alleged in the complaint, are essentially twofold: (1) Hoffman allegedly violated Bonilla’s Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights by ignoring exculpatory evidence and detaining him despite knowledge of his actual innocence, and (2) Hoffman allegedly violated Bonilla’s Constitutional rights under Brady by failing to disclose exculpatory evidence during the investigative phase. Hoffman enjoys absolute immunity from both types of Bivens claims. Bonilla’s first species of Bivens claim concerns the very type of prosecutorial functions traditionally protected by absolute immunity. Bonilla seeks recovery from Hoffman based on her alleged failure to weigh properly the value of exculpatory evidence collected by the DEA. But absolute immunity protects prosecutors from liability when evaluating exculpatory evidence and performing a “professional evaluation of the evidence assembled by the police,” as Hoffman did here. See Buckley, 509 U.S. at 273, 113 S. Ct. at 2615; Long, 181 F.3d at 1279. Additionally, Hoffman’s alleged knowledge of Bonilla’s actual innocence is both a legal conclusion and an “unwarranted deduction[] of fact[]” that will not prevent dismissal. Oxford Asset Mgmt., 297 F.3d at 1188. Hoffman also enjoys absolute immunity from Bonilla’s Bivens claims based on her alleged Brady violations. Hoffman’s alleged failure to comply with Brady 14 Case: 15-15327 Date Filed: 06/20/2016 Page: 15 of 15 constitutes an exercise of her prosecutorial function and entitles her to absolute immunity. See Porter, 483 F.3d at 1305 n.8. Indeed, when Hoffman told the DEA to “stand down” and not disclose exculpatory wiretap evidence, allegedly in violation of Brady, she was not performing an investigative function. See Rivera, 359 F.3d at 1353. Rather, Hoffman was performing a prosecutorial function, for which she is absolutely immune. See Porter, 483 F.3d at 1305 n.8. Bonilla’s remaining allegations concerning Hoffman’s general prosecutorial misconduct amount to nothing more than a claim for malicious prosecution, for which absolute immunity attaches. Jones, 174 F.3d at 1281. Accordingly, Hoffman enjoys absolute immunity from Bonilla’s Bivens claims.