Opinion ID: 463210
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Propriety of the Qualified Immunity Instructions.

Text: 16 Hartley contends that the district court erred in submitting to the jury a qualified immunity instruction as to Senator Russell. Instruction No. 9 stated [y]our verdict must be for defendant Russell if you believe that a reasonable person would have believed that his actions did not violate the plaintiff's First Amendment rights. Hartley asserts that Russell was not entitled to this instruction because he failed to plead or timely raise this defense. We disagree. 17 From the outset of the action, Russell asserted absolute immunity from suit on the ground that he had acted in his capacity as a state legislator. Russell's assertions of absolute immunity clearly encompassed the lesser degree of qualified immunity as well. In his answer, Russell expressly denied all the allegations of Hartley's complaint and pleaded the affirmative defense of absolute immunity. In addition, at trial Russell offered much testimony in support of his contention that he properly acted within the scope of his legislative office. In light of this, we conclude that Russell's answer, and his active litigation of a good faith defense justified the district court's submission of the qualified immunity instruction. 18 Hartley further contends that neither James nor Russell were entitled to the specific qualified immunity instruction which the district court submitted to the jury. 5 In Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 73 L.Ed.2d 396 (1982), the Supreme Court held that qualified immunity shielded Government officials performing discretionary functions from liability for civil damages insofar as their conduct does not violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known. Id. at 818, 102 S.Ct. at 2738. Hartley submits that James and Russell knew of the illegality of a politically motivated dismissal of an employee in Hartley's position. In support of this contention, Hartley relies on the Supreme Court's decisions in Branti v. Finkel, 445 U.S. 507, 100 S.Ct. 1287, 63 L.Ed.2d 574 (1980), and Elrod v. Burns, 427 U.S. 347, 96 S.Ct. 2673, 49 L.Ed.2d 547 (1976), and the decision in Gibbons v. Bond, 523 F.Supp. 843 (W.D.Mo.1981), aff'd, 668 F.2d 967 (8th Cir.1982). These cases expound on the rule that the politically motivated discharge of an employee in a non-policymaking position violates the employee's constitutional rights. Thus Hartley argues that political motivation for the discharge, if proved, required denial of the qualified immunity defense because these defendants knew that Hartley held a non-policymaking position for application of federal constitutional law principles. 19 The flaw in Hartley's argument is that when the termination decision was made, Hartley's position was not clearly defined as a non-policymaking position. Moreover, whether Hartley held a non-policymaking position was a matter of considerable controversy at trial: the defendants strenuously argued that Hartley held a policymaking position, while Hartley said not. As previously noted, the Missouri Personnel Advisory Board characterized Hartley's position as policymaking for state law purposes, while the district court determined that his position was non-policymaking for federal constitutional purposes. We further note that these contrary interpretations exist because a position which is non-policymaking for purposes of the civil rights law may well be a policymaking position for state law purposes. 20 In light of the controversy over this issue at trial, it cannot be said that the defendants in fact realized or should have realized that Hartley was a non-policymaker. Moreover, it is clear that Hartley's position as bureau manager was not the same as the non-policymaking branch office manager positions involved in the Gibbons decision. 6 Accordingly, we conclude that the district court properly determined that James and Russell were entitled to the qualified immunity defense instruction. 21 Finally, Hartley asserts that the district court erred in submitting the qualified immunity instruction as an affirmative defense to all claims and requests for relief. Hartley argues that he was entitled to an instruction which required the jury to decide, first, whether Hartley was entitled to nominal damages (and attorneys' fees) based on a violation of his first amendment rights, and second, whether he had sustained actual damages from the constitutional deprivation. Citing Carey v. Piphus, 435 U.S. 247, 98 S.Ct. 1042, 55 L.Ed.2d 252 (1978), Hartley asserts that the instructions as given were too broad because qualified immunity does not shield a defendant sued in his official capacity. Because Hartley sued James and Russell only in their individual rather than their official capacities, the qualified immunity defense completely shielded James and Russell from any liability in their individual capacities. Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800, 102 S.Ct. 2727, 73 L.Ed.2d 396 (1982). Accordingly, we conclude that the district court did not err in giving instructions on qualified immunity. 22 To the extent that Hartley was otherwise entitled to recover against the defendants for conduct in their official capacities, Hartley only presented that issue to the trial judge in his request for equitable relief. The district court determined that no constitutional violation occurred because Hartley's discharge had been based only on his poor job performance. Thus, the record contains no basis for concluding that Hartley was entitled to equitable relief and an award of nominal damages. 23