Mothershed

Mothershed v. Thomson

Good Law
235 F. App'x 682
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitAugust 24, 2007No. 06-15473California287 words

Opinion

Lead Opinion

MEMORANDUM **

George L. Mothershed appeals pro se from the district court’s order dismissing his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleging an attorney and two state court judges violated his constitutional rights and state law during litigation of a professional malpractice action against him. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291 . We review de novo, Dunlap v. Credit Prot. Ass’n, L.P., 419 F.3d 1011 , 1012 n. 1 (9th Cir.2005), and we affirm.

The district court properly dismissed Mothershed’s claims that state court judges violated his due process rights in exercising jurisdiction over the state court action. See Mireles v. Waco, 502 U.S. 9, 11-12 , 112 S.Ct. 286 , 116 L.Ed.2d 9 (1991) (judges are entitled to absolute immunity from action taken in their judicial capacity unless they clearly lacked jurisdiction).

The district court also properly concluded defendant Thomson was not acting under color of state law in filing suit against Mothershed on behalf of his client. See Miranda v. Clark County, Nev., 319 F.3d 465, 468 (9th Cir.2003) (attorneys performing traditional lawyer functions are not state actors subject to section 1983).

Moreover, the district court did not abuse its…

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