Yvette Madison v. Marsha Neifeild

NOT PRECEDENTIAL
UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE THIRD CIRCUIT
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No. 14-2825
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YVETTE MADISON,
Appellant
v.
MARSHA NEIFEILD, Judge;
DAVID SHUTTE;
CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER
____________________________________
On Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
(D.C. Civil No. 14-cv-02844)
District Judge: Honorable Thomas N. O’Neill
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Submitted Pursuant to Third Circuit LAR 34.1(a)
August 22, 2014
Before: FISHER, VANASKIE and ALDISERT, Circuit Judges
(Opinion filed: August 25, 2014)
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OPINION
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PER CURIAM
Yvette Madison appeals from the District Court’s dismissal of her complaint. For
the following reasons, we will affirm the judgment of the District Court.
In May 2014, Madison filed a pro se civil rights complaint pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
§ 1983 in the District Court against Philadelphia Municipal Court Judges Marsha Neifield
and David Shuter, and the Criminal Justice Center (where the criminal division of the
Philadelphia Municipal Court is located). She contended that Judges Neifield and Shuter
discriminated against her in August 2010 when they ordered her arrest following her
failure to appear for a scheduled court date. Madison asserted that she did not, in fact,
fail to appear for a scheduled court date. Madison requested two million dollars in
damages. The District Court dismissed the complaint with prejudice, citing the immunity
of all defendants from Madison’s § 1983 claims. Additionally, the District Court
determined that Madison’s claims were barred by the applicable statute of limitations.
Madison timely appealed.
We have jurisdiction over this appeal pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We exercise
plenary review over the District Court’s dismissal under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(B).
Allah v. Seiverling , 229 F.3d 220, 223 (3d Cir. 2000).
The District Court properly dismissed Madison’s complaint. To the extent that
Madison sought to bring claims for monetary damages against Judges Neifeld and Shuter
because they ordered her arrest following her failure to appear for a court date, they are
protected by the doctrine of judicial immunity. Stump v. Sparkman, 435 U.S. 349, 356-
57 (1978). Nowhere did Madison allege that they were acting in a non-judicial capacity
or in the complete absence of jurisdiction when they engaged in the alleged misconduct.
See Figueroa v. Blackburn, 208 F.3d 435, 443-44 (3d Cir. 2000) (ordering a defendant to
prison is a paradigm judicial act). Madison’s apparent claim against the Philadelphia
2
Municipal Court is also ineffective because the Eleventh Amendment shields it from
liability to suits brought in federal court.1 See Benn v. First Judicial Dist. of Pa., 426
F.3d 233, 235 n.1, 241 (3d Cir. 2005). Finally, the District Court did not abuse its
discretion in denying Madison leave to amend her complaint on the basis of futility. See
In re Burlington Coat Factory Sec. Litig., 114 F.3d 1410, 1434-35 (3d Cir. 1997).2
Accordingly, we will affirm the District Court’s judgment.
1
Although Madison named the Criminal Justice Center as the defendant in the lawsuit,
based on her allegations, it appears that she intended to name the Philadelphia Municipal
Court as defendant.
2
Because we affirm the District Court’s dismissal of Madison’s claims on these bases,
we need not decide whether her claims are also time-barred.
3