From Casetext: Smarter Legal Research

Orozco v. Houston

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Feb 24, 2023
No. 22-55369 (9th Cir. Feb. 24, 2023)

Opinion

22-55369

02-24-2023

RAMIRO PLASCENCIA OROZCO, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. JOHN A. HOUSTON, Judge; ALANA WONG ROBINSON, Judge; LAURA E. DUFFY, U.S. Attorney Chief; MARIETTE IRENE GECKOS, U.S. Attorney Assistant, Defendants-Appellees.


NOT FOR PUBLICATION

Submitted February 14, 2023

This disposition is not appropriate for publication and is not precedent except as provided by Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3.

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of California Cathy Ann Bencivengo, District Judge, Presiding, D.C. No. 3:21-cv-02112-CAB-RBB

Before: FERNANDEZ, FRIEDLAND, and H.A. THOMAS, Circuit Judges.

MEMORANDUM

Federal prisoner Ramiro Plascencia Orozco appeals pro se from the district court's judgment dismissing his action under Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Federal Bureau of Narcotics, 403 U.S. 388 (1971), alleging various constitutional claims. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1291. We review de novo the district court's dismissal under 28 U.S.C. § 1915A. Resnick v. Hayes, 213 F.3d 443, 447 (9th Cir. 2000). We affirm.

The district court properly dismissed Plascencia Orozco's action because the defendants are entitled to absolute immunity. See Imbler v. Pachtman, 424 U.S. 409, 430 (1976) (holding that prosecutors are entitled to absolute immunity for activities "intimately associated with the judicial phase of the criminal process"); Mullis v. U.S. Bankr. Ct. for Dist. of Nev., 828 F.2d 1385, 1394 (9th Cir. 1987) (holding that federal judicial immunity extends to declaratory and injunctive relief); Ashelman v. Pope, 793 F.2d 1072, 1075 (9th Cir. 1986) (en banc) ("Judges and those performing judge-like functions are absolutely immune from damage liability for acts performed in their official capacities."); Flood v. Harrington, 532 F.2d 1248, 1251 (9th Cir. 1976) (applying absolute immunity to federal government attorneys).

To the extent that Plascencia Orozco intended to name his federal public defender as a defendant, dismissal was proper because Plascencia Orozco failed to allege facts sufficient to show that such defendant was acting under color of federal law. See Cox v. Hellerstein, 685 F.2d 1098, 1099 (9th Cir. 1982) (explaining that a federal public defender representing an indigent defendant does not act under color of federal law for purposes of a Bivens action). All pending motions are denied.

AFFIRMED.

The panel unanimously concludes this case is suitable for decision without oral argument. See Fed. R. App. P. 34(a)(2).


Summaries of

Orozco v. Houston

United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Feb 24, 2023
No. 22-55369 (9th Cir. Feb. 24, 2023)
Case details for

Orozco v. Houston

Case Details

Full title:RAMIRO PLASCENCIA OROZCO, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. JOHN A. HOUSTON, Judge…

Court:United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit

Date published: Feb 24, 2023

Citations

No. 22-55369 (9th Cir. Feb. 24, 2023)