Qtaish v. United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Date Filed2023-12-28
DocketCivil Action No. 2023-3702
JudgeJudge Beryl A. Howell
Cited0 times
StatusPublished
Full Opinion (html_with_citations)
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
INEZ QTAISH, )
)
Plaintiff, )
)
v. ) Civil Action No. 23-3702 (UNA)
)
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR )
THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, )
)
Defendant. )
MEMORANDUM OPINION
This matter is before the Court on review of pro se plaintiffâs application to proceed in
forma pauperis (âIFPâ) and her civil complaint. The IFP application is GRANTED and, for the
reasons stated below, the complaint and this civil action are DISMISSED.
The complaint is largely unintelligible. Plaintiff may fault the Clerk of Court and deputy
Clerks for docketing an appeal in one of her cases, see Notice of Appeal, Qtaish v. Bronzeville
Park Nursing and Living Center, et al., No. 1:23-cv-2523 (D.D.C. Dec. 7, 2023) (ECF No. 9),
but not in another case, see Qtaish v. Malman, et al., No. 1:23-cv-3478 (D.D.C. Dec. 12, 2023).
Perhaps plaintiff also objects to deputy Clerksâ instructions regarding the Malman case that she
âscratch off [her] birthdate and social security number since [the] case is public.â Compl. at 1.
Whatever plaintiffâs claim may be against the Clerk and her deputies, it fails. The absolute
immunity that judges enjoy, see Mirales v. Waco, 502 U.S. 9(1991) (finding that âjudicial immunity is an immunity from suit, not just from ultimate assessment of damagesâ), extends to Clerks of Court performing âtasks that are an integral part of the judicial process,â Sindram v. Suda,986 F.2d 1459, 1460
(D.C. Cir. 1993); see Jones v. U.S. Supreme Court, No. 10-0910,
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2010 WL 2363678, at *1 (D.D.C. June 9, 2010) (concluding that court clerks are immune from suits for damages arising from activities such as the âreceipt and processing of a litigantâs filingsâ), affâd,405 F. Appâx 508
(D.C. Cir. 2010), affâd,131 S. Ct. 1824
(2011); Hurt v. Clerks, Superior Court of District of Columbia, No. 06-CV-5308,2006 WL 3835759
, at *1 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 22, 2006) (per curiam) (affirming the dismissal of an action against judicial clerks to whom absolute judicial immunity is extended); Sindram,986 F.2d. at 1461
(citations omitted).
Accordingly, this case must be dismissed.
An Order consistent with this Memorandum Opinion is issued separately.
DATE: December 28, 2023 BERYL A. HOWELL
United States District Judge
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