Pulliam, Magistrate for the County of Culpeper, Virginia v. Allen et al. (466 U.S. 522)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided May 14, 1984 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 466 U.S. 522 · 104 S. Ct. 1970
- Decided
- May 14, 1984
- Term
- October Term 1983
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority author
- Justice Blackmun
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
Opinion excerpt
Justice Blackmun delivered the opinion of the Court. This case raises issues concerning the scope of judicial immunity from a civil suit that seeks injunctive and declaratory relief under § 1 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, as amended, 42 U. S. C. § 1983, and from fee awards made under the Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Awards Act of 1976, 90 Stat. 2641, as amended, 42 U. S. C. § 1988. Petitioner Gladys Pulliam is a state Magistrate in Culpeper County, Va. Respondents Richmond R. Allen and Jesse W. Nicholson were plaintiffs in a § 1983 action against Pulliam brought in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. They claimed that Magistrate Pulliam’s practice of imposing bail on persons arrested for nonjailable offenses under Virginia law and of incarcerating those persons if they could not meet the bail was unconstitutional. The District Court agreed and enjoined the practice. That court also awarded respondents $7,691.09 in costs and attorney’s fees under § 1988. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit rejected petitioner’s claim that the award of attorney’s fees against her should have been barred by principles of judicial immunity. We agree with the Court of Appeals and affirm the award. I Respondent Allen was arrested in January 1980 for allegedly using abusive and insulting language, a Class 3 misdemeanor under Va. Code…
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