New Sunlight Baptist v. State of LA ( 1998 )

IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
_____________________
No. 97-30281
Summary Calendar
_____________________
NEW SUNLIGHT BAPTIST CHURCH, ET AL.,
Plaintiffs,
NEW SUNLIGHT BAPTIST CHURCH,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
STATE OF LOUISIANA, through
its Judiciary Branch, ET AL.,
Defendants,
14TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT,
ET AL.,
Defendants-Appellees.
_________________________________________________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court for the
Western District of Louisiana
USDC No. 97-CV-312
_________________________________________________________________
January 12, 1998
Before JOLLY, BENAVIDES, and PARKER, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:*
New Sunlight Baptist Church appeals the dismissal of its case
for failure to state a claim upon which relief may be granted,
pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6). It argues that the district
*
Pursuant to 5TH CIR. R. 47.5, the court has determined that
this opinion should not be published and is not precedent except
under the limited circumstances set forth in 5TH CIR. R. 47.5.4.
court erred in concluding that state judicial officers are immune
from suits seeking injunctive relief. It further argues that the
district court erred in determining that the excommunicated members
of the church had not violated the church’s rights under the First
Amendment because their resort to the state courts did not amount
to state action.
The district court lacked subject matter jurisdiction to
entertain these claims due to the Rooker-Feldman doctrine. See
Liedtke v. State Bar of Texas, 18 F.3d 315, 317-18 (5th Cir. 1994).
A F F I R M E D.
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