Opinion ID: 77136
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Judicial Immunity Under State Law

Text: 12 Florida courts have adopted a doctrine of absolute judicial immunity and have equated it to the federal doctrine discussed previously in section A of this opinion. 6 See Office of the State Attorney v. Parrotino, 628 So.2d 1097, 1099 (Fla. 1993). Thus, as in the federal system, judges are immune from suit for judicial acts unless they clearly act without jurisdiction. Johnson v. Harris, 645 So.2d 96, 98 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.1994); see also Berry v. State, 400 So.2d 80, 83 & n. 3 (Fla.Dist. Ct.App.1981) (citing cases). Sibley argues that his petition for recusal divested Judge Lando of jurisdiction. 7 13 Sibley's contention would have merit only if the affidavit submitted to the court automatically deprived Judge Lando of jurisdiction. 8 If the affidavit did not deprive her of jurisdiction, then Judge's Lando would be absolutely immune from suit for judicial acts. Because, as we concluded in the § 1983 discussion of this opinion, ordering civil incarceration is a judicial act, the only question is whether Judge Lando clearly acted without jurisdiction. 14 The state appellate court, whose rulings govern Judge Lando's court, stated that a trial judge is not automatically disqualified under Rule 2.160 even if she fails to rule on a disqualification motion within 30 days of filing. Tarrant v. Jacoboni, 780 So.2d 344, 344-45 (Fla.Dist.Ct.App.2001). Thus, at the time her ruling was made, 9 Judge Lando was not automatically disqualified because she failed to rule on the motion for 30 days. We conclude, therefore, that Judge Lando did not act in an absence of jurisdiction. 15 Furthermore, after Sibley filed the first affidavit seeking Judge Lando's disqualification, Judge Lando retained, at a bare minimum, the jurisdiction to perform ministerial acts and, therefore, was not divested of all jurisdiction over the matter. See Fischer v. Knuck, 497 So.2d 240, 243 (Fla. 1986). Accordingly, when she issued the writ of bodily attachment, Judge Lando may have acted in the excess of her jurisdiction, but she did not act in the clear absence of all jurisdiction. See Bolin, 225 F.3d at 1239. Thus, Judge Lando is entitled to judicial immunity as to these claims. Id. 16 Likewise, with respect to Sibley's eighth claim that Judge Lando's transfer from the Family Division resulted in her loss of jurisdiction over his case, her transfer from the Family Division and all of her rulings Sibley challenged in his complaint occurred prior to the Florida Supreme Court's decision in Tableau. Under the binding precedent regarding Fla. Stat. § 38.10 at the time, therefore, Judge Lando retained jurisdiction over Sibley's case. See Tarrant, 780 So.2d at 344-45. Thus, her issuance of a writ of bodily attachment was a judicial act, and she was not operating under a clear absence of jurisdiction. See Bolin, 225 F.3d at 1239.