Opinion ID: 747621
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Immunity from Suit on State Claims

Text: 61 Whether, and to what extent, the defendants are immune from suit on the plaintiffs' pendent state law claims is a question that turns on state law, as does the appealability of the denial of immunity on the state law claims. See Marrical v. Detroit News, Inc., 805 F.2d 169 (6th Cir.1986); Walton, 995 F.2d at 1343. 62 We find it unnecessary, at this stage, either to review the merits of the district court's initial rulings on the state law immunity claims or to determine the appealability of those rulings. In light of our conclusion that the federal claims must be dismissed in their entirety, the district court may wish to exercise its discretion to dismiss the state law claims without prejudice. Alternatively, the district court may wish to revisit the substance of its initial rulings in light of our decision on the defendants' right to immunity from suit on the federal claims. (Although our decision is in no way binding insofar as the state law claims are concerned, state courts not infrequently look to federal law for guidance with respect to issues of state law.) The posture of the case now having undergone a rather considerable change, we think it appropriate to leave the next step to the sound discretion of the district court.