Dexter Harmon v. Leslie Rutledge, Attorney General, State of Arkansas

16-4469Court of Appeals for the Eighth CircuitSep 29, 2017

Full text

United States Court of Appeals
For the Eighth Circuit
___________________________
No. 16-3579
___________________________
Dexter Harmon
lllllllllllllllllllll Plaintiff - Appellant
v.
Leslie Rutledge, Attorney General, State of Arkansas; Bourgon B. Reynolds,
Assistant Attorney General, State of Arkansas; Chris Piazza, Circuit Court Judge,
Pulaski County; Wendy Kelley, Director, Arkansas Department of Correction;
Arkansas Department of Correction, Trust Fund Centralized Banking; Vicki Rice,
ADC Trust Fund Centralized Banking Office
lllllllllllllllllllll Defendants - Appellees
____________
Appeal from United States District Court
for the Eastern District of Arkansas - Little Rock
____________
Submitted: September 8, 2017
Filed: September 13, 2017
[Unpublished]
____________
Before COLLOTON, ARNOLD, and GRUENDER, Circuit Judges.
____________
PER CURIAM.

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Arkansas inmate Dexter Harmon appeals the district court’s1 dismissal of his
42 U.S.C. § 1983 complaint. We previously granted Harmon in forma pauperis
status, affirmed the dismissals of claims against all but Arkansas Assistant Attorney
General Bourgon Reynolds, and ordered briefing on those claims.
After careful de novo review, see Cooper v. Schriro, 189 F.3d 781, 783 (8th
Cir. 1999) (per curiam) (28 U.S.C. § 1915A dismissal for failure to state claim
reviewed de novo), we conclude that the district court correctly determined that
Reynolds was entitled to absolute immunity in the circumstances presented here. See
Murphy v. Morris, 849 F.2d 1101, 1104-05 (8th Cir. 1988) (articulating factors to be
considered in deciding whether to extend absolute immunity to government attorney
who was representing state defendant in prisoner civil rights lawsuit). Accordingly,
we affirm. See 8th Cir. R. 47B.
______________________________
1The Honorable Billy Roy Wilson, United States District Judge for the Eastern
District of Arkansas, adopting the report and recommendations of the Honorable Joe
J. Volpe, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
-2-

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