Hunter v. Va. State Bar

• Decision Date: 09 May 2011
• Docket Number: Civil Action No. 3:11–CV–216–JAG.
• Citation: 786 F.Supp.2d 1107
• Court: U.S. District Court — Eastern District of Virginia
• Parties: Horace F. HUNTER, Plaintiffv.VIRGINIA STATE BAR, et al., Defendants.

786 F.Supp.2d 1107

Horace F. HUNTER, Plaintiff

v.VIRGINIA STATE BAR, et al., Defendants.

Civil Action No. 3:11–CV–216–JAG.

United States District Court, E.D. Virginia,Richmond Division.

May 9, 2011.

Horace F. Hunter, Richmond, VA, pro se.Stephen Michael Hall, Office of the Attorney General, Richmond, VA, for Defendants.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

JOHN A. GIBNEY, JR., District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the motion to dismiss filed by Defendants Virginia State Bar, Karen Gould(“Gould”), and Renu Brennan(“Brennan,” collectively “Defendants”).In this case, the Virginia State Bar has filed an ethics complaint against PlaintiffHorace F. Hunter(“Hunter”) for failing to post a disclaimer on his law firm website.In his Complaint, Hunter alleges that requiring the disclaimer infringes upon his First Amendment rights.Hunter requests the Court to enjoin the pending disciplinary hearing before the Virginia State Bar as well as grant him monetary damages.The defendants contend that they are immune from suit and that the Younger doctrine counsels the Court to abstain from hearing the case.For the reasons stated below, the Court GRANTS Defendants' motion to dismiss.

I.Standard of Review

Because this matter comes before the Court in a motion to dismiss under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), the Court will apply the familiar standards in considering the allegations in the Complaint.A motion to dismiss tests the sufficiency of a complaint; it does not resolve contested factual issues.Republican Party of N.C. v. Martin,980 F.2d 943, 952(4th Cir.1992).In considering the motion, a court must accept all factual allegations in the complaint as true and must draw all reasonable inferences in favor of the plaintiff.SeeEdwards v. City of Goldsboro,178 F.3d 231, 244(4th Cir.1999);Warner v. Buck Creek Nursery, Inc.,149 F.Supp.2d 246, 254–55(W.D.Va.2001).To survive a motion to dismiss, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter which, accepted as true, “state[s] a claim to relief that is plausible on its face.”Ashcroft v. Iqbal,556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868(2009)(quotingBell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly,550 U.S. 544, 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929(2007)).This plausibility standard requires a plaintiff to demonstrate more than “a sheer possibility that a defendant has acted unlawfully.”Id.It requires the plaintiff to articulate facts that, when accepted as true, “show” that the plaintiff has stated a claim entitling him to relief, that is, the “plausibility of ‘entitlement to relief.’ ”Francis v. Giacomelli,588 F.3d 186, 193(4th Cir.2009)(quotingIqbal,129 S.Ct. at 1949;Twombly,550 U.S. at 557, 127 S.Ct. 1955).Thus, the “[f]actual allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the speculative level,”Twombly,550 U.S. at 545, 127 S.Ct. 1955, to one that is “plausible on its face,”id. at 570, 127 S.Ct. 1955, rather than merely “conceivable.”Id.Although the Court must accept as true all well-pleaded factual allegations, the same is not true for legal conclusions.“Threadbare recitals of the elements of a cause of action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice.”Iqbal,129 S.Ct. at 1949.

In considering such a motion, a plaintiff's well-pleaded allegations are taken as true and the complaint is viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff.Mylan Laboratories, Inc. v. Matkari,7 F.3d 1130, 1134(4th Cir.1993);see alsoMartin,980 F.2d at 952.

II.Statement of Material Facts and Proceedings

Applying the standard discussed above, the Court has concluded that the following narrative represents the material facts for purposes of resolving the motion to dismiss.

Hunter filed a Complaint in this Court on April 5, 2011, alleging that a disciplinary action pending before the Virginia State Bar unconstitutionally infringes upon his First Amendment rights.Hunter is an attorney licensed by the Virginia State Bar to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia.(Compl.¶ 6.)The Virginia State Bar is an administrative agency of the Supreme Court of Virginia authorized under the laws of Virginia to regulate attorneys in the practice of law.( Id.¶ 7.)Gould is the Bar's Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer.( Id.¶ 8.)Brennan is Assistant Bar Counsel of the Virginia State Bar; in her position, she prosecutes disciplinary cases.( Id.¶ 9.)Hunter is suing Gould and Brennan in their official capacities.( Id.¶¶ 8–9.)

Hunter is the president of the law firm Hunter & Lipton, PC.( Id.¶ 10.)Hunter & Lipton, PC, maintains a website, a portion of which the plaintiff characterizes as a weblog (or “blog”) entitled This Week in Richmond Criminal Defense.( Id.¶ 11.)Many, but not all, of the entries on This Week in Richmond Criminal Defense herald Hunter's courtroom successes and identify him as the winning attorney.(Compl. Ex. A.)

On or about July 27, 2010, the Virginia State Bar notified Hunter that the blog did not conform to the Rules of Professional Conduct and instructed him to place a disclaimer on the blog.( Id.¶ 12.)The disclaimer would advise potential criminal defendants and clients that results in their cases could vary, depending on the facts of each case.On or about August 5, 2010, Hunter responded to the Virginia State Bar, indicating that the blog was protected speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution.( Id.¶ 13.)On September 10, 2010, Brennan initiated disciplinary proceedings against Hunter, and on September 21, 2010, Hunter filed a formal response to the bar complaint.¹( Id.¶ 14.)The matter is scheduled for a disciplinary hearing on June 10, 2011, before a District Committee of the Virginia State Bar.( Id.¶ 15.)

Hunter intends to continue to publish articles on his blog.( Id.¶ 16.)He fears that the Virginia State Bar will take disciplinary action that may include revocation of his license to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia.( Id.)

Hunter maintains that the First Amendment protects his speech regarding the contents of his blog.( Id.¶ 17.)He contends that the Virginia State Bar lacks the authority to coerce him under threat of disciplinary action to add content to his blog in the form of a disclaimer.( Id.¶ 20.)

Hunter has filed suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.He seeks the following relief: (1) a declaratory judgment that the disciplinary action initiated by Defendants is unconstitutional as applied to Hunter as a violation of his First Amendment right to free speech; (2) a preliminary and a permanent injunction prohibiting Defendants from proceeding with the disciplinary action dealing with the blog; (3) compensatory damages of $25,000 or an amount proven at trial; (4) punitive damages of $50,000; and (5) costs and attorney's fees.

Defendants have filed a motion to dismiss the Complaint pursuant to Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

III.Discussion

As explained below, the Court finds that the Virginia State Bar is protected by the Eleventh Amendment; that Gould and Brennan may not be sued for money damages because they have been sued in their official capacities; that Brennan, as Assistant Bar Counsel, is entitled to prosecutorial immunity; and that the Younger abstention doctrine applies to the instant case.The Court will, therefore, dismiss this case.

A.The Virginia State Bar's Immunity Under the Eleventh Amendment

The Eleventh Amendment prohibits individuals from bringing suit against states and state agencies in federal court.SeeBd. of Trs. of Univ. of Ala. v. Garrett,531 U.S. 356, 361, 121 S.Ct. 955, 148 L.Ed.2d 866(2001)(“The ultimate guarantee of the Eleventh Amendment is that nonconsenting States may not be sued by private individuals in federal court.”(citations omitted));Regents of the Univ. of Cal. v. Doe,519 U.S. 425, 429, 117 S.Ct. 900, 137 L.Ed.2d 55(1997)(stating that the Eleventh Amendment applies “not only to actions in which a State is actually named as a defendant, but also certain actions against state agents and state instrumentalities”(citations omitted)).Although it is frequently described as a form of immunity, the protection of the Eleventh Amendment actually is a limit on federal court jurisdiction over states and state entities.Nivens v. Gilchrist,444 F.3d 237, 249(4th Cir.2006);Constantine v. Rectors, George Mason Univ.,411 F.3d 474, 480(4th Cir.2005).Although Congress can abrogate states' Eleventh Amendment immunity, it has not done so for § 1983cases.Demuren v. Old Dominion University,33 F.Supp.2d 469, 474–75(E.D.Va.1999), aff'd,188 F.3d 501(4th Cir.1999).²

Pursuant to the Virginia Code, the Virginia State Bar is an agency of the Supreme Court of the Virginia.SeeVa.Code § 54.1–3910.Thus, the Court finds that the Virginia State Bar is protected by the Eleventh Amendment.

B.Damages Claim as to Defendants Gould and Brennan

Hunter has sued Gould and Brennan in their official capacities.According to the Supreme Court in Will v. Michigan Department of State Police,491 U.S. 58, 71, 109 S.Ct. 2304, 105 L.Ed.2d 45(1989), “[A] suit against a state official in his or her official capacity is not a suit against the official but rather is a suit against the official's office.As such, it is no different from a suit against the State itself”(internal citations omitted).The real party in interest, therefore, is the state for which the officials are agents, the Commonwealth of Virginia.SeeKentucky v. Graham,473 U.S. 159, 166, 105 S.Ct. 3099, 87 L.Ed.2d 114(1985).Thus, since a state cannot be a defendant, plaintiffs may not recover damages against state officials sued in their official capacities for claims asserted under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.Nivens v. Gilchrist,444 F.3d at 248–49(holding that a state officer sued in his official capacity was protected by the Eleventh Amendment).³

Accordingly, the Court finds that Hunter may not recover damages from Gould or Brennan.

C.Prosecutorial...