Oliver v. Roquet — civil rights / civil commitment — reversal — Krause

This appeal arose after a state psychologist recommended an unfavorable action against a civil detainee in a report that referred critically to the detainee’s pro se litigation and legal assistance for other detainees. The psychologist said the detainee’s legal work could be “counter-therapeutic” for him.

In an interlocutory appeal, the Third Circuit today held that the district court erred in denying the psychologist’s qualified-immunity motion. The court first rejected the detainee’s argument that the psychologist’s assertion of qualified immunity came too late because it was not included in her first motion to dismiss.

The court then held that the detainee’s First Amendment claim failed to adequately allege causation. A state actor’s mere consideration of protected activity normally is enough to plead retaliation in a retaliation case, but more than mere consideration of protected activity is required to state a valid retaliation claim against a mental health professional at a state institution for the civilly committed: “There must be particular facts alleged that allow the court to reasonably infer it is the protected activity itself, and not simply medically relevant behavior associated with that activity, that formed the basis of the defendant’s adverse action.”

Finally, the court alternatively held that the detainee’s asserted right was not clearly established.

Joining Krause were Ambro and Smith. Arguing counsel were David DaCosta of the NJ Attorney General’s office for the psychologist and Stephen Fogdall of Schnader as amicus counsel for the detainee. The court thanked Fogdall “for accepting this matter pro bono and for the quality of his briefing and argument in this case.”

Fahie v. People — criminal — affirmance — Jordan

The Third Circuit today affirmed a Virgin Islands criminal conviction. The court held that it was not an abuse of discretion for the court to issue an aiding-and-abetting instruction even though the co-defendant had pled to being an accessory after the fact, rejecting the defendant’s argument that the plea meant there was no one for him to abet.

The case was unusual in two ways. First, the Third Circuit granted certiorari to review the Virgin Islands ruling after Congress revoked the court’s cert. jurisdiction. But the court applied its prior precedent to hold that the revocation did not apply to cases that had commenced in the Virgin Islands courts before the revocation, precedent the Virgin Islands bar association decried in an amicus brief as “absurd.” Second, the court dismissed as improvidently granted a second issue on which the court had granted certiorari, concluding that the issue turned in territorial rather than federal law. A bit of a mess.

Joining Jordan were Chagares and Hardiman. Arguing counsel were David Cattie for the petitioner, Su-Layne Walker of the VI Attorney General’s office for the people, and Edward Barry for the bar association amicus.