Opinion ID: 395173
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Absolute Immunity as a Witness

Text: 22 Defendant Powell bases his claim to absolute immunity on cases affording absolute immunity to witnesses. See Brief of Appellants at 16-21. An absolute immunity for witnesses testifying in judicial proceedings was the general rule at common law. See Brawer v. Horowitz, 535 F.2d 830, 836-837 (3d Cir. 1976); Imbler v. Pachtman, supra, 424 U.S. at 439, 96 S.Ct. at 999 (White, J., concurring); 1 F. Harper & F. James, The Law of Torts § 5.22, at 423-426 (1956). Cf. Briggs v. Goodwin, supra, 569 F.2d at 27 (immunity of witnesses at common law not monolithic). The Supreme Court has indicated that witnesses also deserve absolute immunity from suits alleging constitutional violations. See Butz v. Economou, supra, 438 U.S. at 512, 98 S.Ct. at 2913 (Absolute immunity is thus necessary to assure that judges, advocates, and witnesses can perform their respective functions without harassment or intimidation.) (emphasis added). The only Court of Appeals decision ruling directly on this issue has extended common-law witness immunity to actions involving constitutional deprivations. Brawer v. Horowitz, supra, 535 F.2d at 836-837. 23 In this case, however, defendant Powell's liability is predicated not on his testimony at trial but rather on his earlier statements to an Assistant U.S. Attorney, which allegedly resulted in the government's decision to prosecute. See Brief of Appellees at 17, 23. This context renders inapposite the witness immunity cases on which defendant Powell relies. 16 Instead, the issue at stake in this appeal is whether defendant Powell enjoys absolute immunity from suit for his out-of-court communications with a prosecutor. In addressing this question, as with any claim of absolute immunity, our inquiry necessarily focuses on the immunity granted at common law and on the interests behind it. See Butz v. Economou, supra, 438 U.S. at 508, 98 S.Ct. at 2911-12 (quoting Imbler v. Pachtman, supra, 424 U.S. at 421, 96 S.Ct. at 990). 24 At common law, the immunity attaching to those making out-of-court statements to prosecuting officials varied. 1 F. Harper & F. James, supra, § 522, at 424 (cases not uniform in their results). One synthesis of modern authority suggests that the absolute immunity of prosecutors does not apply to all persons whose function it is to aid in the enforcement of the criminal law and thus does not apply to a peace officer. RESTATEMENT (SECOND) OF TORTS § 656, comment d (1965). So, while some common-law support exists for the kind of absolute immunity that defendant Powell seeks, there is strong conflicting authority. 25 As for the interests underlying the claim to immunity in this case, the need to deter official misconduct heavily favors a standard of qualified immunity. In contrast to situations where absolute immunity has been upheld, few safeguards against official misconduct exist when a police officer makes out-of-court statements to a prosecutor. In contrast to a witness at trial, a police officer making out-of-court statements is not subject to the rigors of cross-examination or the threat of a perjury conviction. Cf. Butz v. Economou, supra, 438 U.S. at 512, 98 S.Ct. at 2913-14. Unlike a judge, a police officer is not insulated from the political process or from pressures to please superiors. In the absence of such protections, the need for a damage remedy is paramount. 26 At the same time, a qualified immunity should not have a disruptive effect on the normal functioning of the criminal justice system. A police officer who orders an arrest in bad faith is already subject to a suit for false arrest. See, e.g., Dellums v. Powell, supra, 566 F.2d 167. The threat of an additional suit is unlikely to deter him from then taking his evidence to a prosecutor. In addition, denial of absolute immunity from suit for malicious prosecution is unlikely to increase vexatious litigation by any substantial degree. Angry defendants seeking retaliation can already sue for damages for arrests or other violations undertaken maliciously and in bad faith. See, e.g., id. It would be anomalous to provide only qualified immunity for these sorts of acts while granting absolute immunity to defendant Powell's alleged actions.