Filed: Aug. 13, 2010
Latest Update: Feb. 21, 2020
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ FILED U.S. COURT OF APPEALS No. 09-16163 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT AUGUST 13, 2010 Non-Argument Calendar JOHN LEY _ CLERK D. C. Docket No. 09-01194-CV-T-30-TGW TERRY WOODARD, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus CHANDRA W. DASRAT, Assistant Attorney General, ATTORNEY GENERAL, STATE OF FLORIDA, Defendants-Appellees. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida _ (August 13, 2010) Before TJOFLAT, C
Summary: [DO NOT PUBLISH] IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT _ FILED U.S. COURT OF APPEALS No. 09-16163 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT AUGUST 13, 2010 Non-Argument Calendar JOHN LEY _ CLERK D. C. Docket No. 09-01194-CV-T-30-TGW TERRY WOODARD, Plaintiff-Appellant, versus CHANDRA W. DASRAT, Assistant Attorney General, ATTORNEY GENERAL, STATE OF FLORIDA, Defendants-Appellees. _ Appeal from the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida _ (August 13, 2010) Before TJOFLAT, CA..
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[DO NOT PUBLISH]
IN THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
________________________ FILED
U.S. COURT OF APPEALS
No. 09-16163 ELEVENTH CIRCUIT
AUGUST 13, 2010
Non-Argument Calendar
JOHN LEY
________________________
CLERK
D. C. Docket No. 09-01194-CV-T-30-TGW
TERRY WOODARD,
Plaintiff-Appellant,
versus
CHANDRA W. DASRAT,
Assistant Attorney General,
ATTORNEY GENERAL, STATE OF FLORIDA,
Defendants-Appellees.
________________________
Appeal from the United States District Court
for the Middle District of Florida
_________________________
(August 13, 2010)
Before TJOFLAT, CARNES and MARCUS, Circuit Judges.
PER CURIAM:
This action stems from a District Court of Appeal of Florida ruling denying
Terry Woodward’s request for DNA testing. Woodward claims that the court
denied his request on the basis of Assistant Attorney General Chandra Dasrat’s
false representation that post-sentencing DNA testing would be of no avail because
no evidence existed that could be tested. The district court below, acting pursuant
to 28 U.S.C. § 1915A, dismissed Woodward’s complaint against Dasrat, and
Attorney General Bill McCollum, her supervisor, for damages under 42 U.S.C. §
1983 for allegedly depriving him of his federal constitutional rights to due process
and the equal protection of the law.1 Woodward now appeals.
Section 1915A of the Prison Litigation Reform Act (“PLRA”) provides that
“[t]he court shall review, . . . a complaint in a civil action in which a prisoner seeks
redress from a governmental entity or officer or employee of a governmental
entity.” 28 U.S.C. § 1915A(a). A complaint is due to be dismissed if it is
“frivolous, malicious, or fails to state a claim upon which relief may be granted.” §
1915A(b). That is the case here.
Woodward could not recover damages against Dasrat because, as a
prosecutor, she is entitled to absolute immunity for all actions before the district
court of appeal. Hart v. Hodges,
587 F.3d 1288, 1295 (11th Cir. 2009), cert.
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The court also denied Woodward’s motion to alter or amend its judgment of dismissal.
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denied, (U.S. June 7, 2010) (No. 09-1237). Woodward could not recover damages
against McCollum simply because Dasrat happened to be his assistant. The
doctrine of respondeat superior does not apply in § 1983 actions, Goebert v. Lee
County,
510 F.3d 1312 (11th Cir. 2007), and the complaint does not allege that
McCollum instituted a custom or policy that resulted in Dasrat’s deliberate
indifference to Woodward’s constitutional rights or directed Dasrat falsely to
represent to the Florida court that the evidence for DNA testing no longer existed.
AFFIRMED.
3