Opinion ID: 160971
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Defendants Smith and Schulte

Text: The district court, after considering affidavits submitted by the defendants and giving Crudup an opportunity to respond with additional evidence, granted the defendants’ motion for summary judgment, holding that both Schulte and Judge Smith were entitled to absolute immunity from liability on these claims. (Doc. 46 at 6.) We review the district court’s grant of summary judgment de novo, applying the same standards as the district court in determining whether genuine issues of material fact exist, and, if not, whether the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Simms v. Oklahoma ex rel. Dep’t of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Servs., 165 F.3d 1321, 1326 (10th Cir. 1999). We liberally construe a pro se litigant’s pleadings in conducting our review, see Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520-21 (1972), but we do not consider materials or arguments not presented to the district court, see Myers v. Oklahoma County Bd. of County Comm’rs, 151 F.3d 1313, 1319 (10th Cir. 1998). We agree with the district court that Judge Smith is entitled to summary judgment on grounds of absolute judicial immunity. “A judge will not be deprived of immunity because the action he took was in error, was done maliciously, or was in excess of his authority; rather he will be subject to liability only when he has acted in the clear absence of all jurisdiction.” Stump v. Sparkman, 435 U.S. 349, 356-57 (1978) (citations and quotations omitted). -7- Crudup has not alleged any action taken by Judge Smith that occurred either outside of his judicial capacity or in the clear absence of jurisdiction, and therefore he is immune from § 1983 liability in this case. 3 We likewise affirm the district court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Comanche County District Attorney Robert Schulte. First, the evidence shows that Schulte was not personally involved in Crudup’s prosecution, and was aware of the case only in his capacity as the prosecuting attorney’s supervisor. (Doc. 38, Schulte Affidavit at ¶ 9.) Thus, whatever claims Crudup might have alleged against the assistant district attorney prosecuting his case, the record contains no evidence that would support § 1983 liability on the part of Schulte. Cf. Smith v. Maschner, 899 F.2d 940, 950-51 (10th Cir. 1991) (respondeat superior alone will not support § 1983 liability); Coleman v. Turpen, 697 F.2d 1341, 1346 n.7 (10th Cir. 1982) (“Prosecutor Turpen, to be liable [under § 1983], must have been personally involved in the deprivation.”). Further, Schulte enjoys broad 3 Crudup’s affidavit alleges that Judge Smith conducted an ex parte meeting with the assistant district attorney prosecuting Crudup’s case, and subsequently imposed an excessive and financially ruinous bond on him. (Doc. 45, Attached Affidavit.) We have noted, however, that “judges enjoy absolute immunity from liability under § 1983 – even when the judge allegedly conspires with private parties.” Hunt v. Bennett, 17 F.3d 1263, 1267 (10th Cir. 1994) (citing Dennis v. Sparks, 449 U.S. 24, 28-32 (1980)). Therefore, even if we were to conclude that Crudup’s allegation was sufficient to raise a triable question of fact as to whether Judge Smith conspired with the assistant district attorney, this would not materially change our analysis of this issue. -8- immunity for actions taken in his capacity as a prosecutor. See Imbler v. Pachtman, 424 U.S. 409, 431 (1976) (“[I]n initiating a prosecution and in presenting the State’s case, the prosecutor is immune from a civil suit for damages under § 1983.”). This immunity extends to all activities that are “intimately associated with the judicial . . . process.” Id. at 430-31; see also Scott v. Hern, 216 F.3d 897, 908 (10th Cir. 2000). In this case, all of the actions said to have given rise to Crudup’s alleged constitutional injuries were intimately associated with the prosecution’s role in bringing criminal charges against Crudup, and therefore they fall within this grant of immunity. Cf. Imbler, 424 U.S. at 428-29 (prosecutor is immune from § 1983 liability for malicious prosecution).