Fifth Circuit considers immunity for Texas officials who jailed rivals

Three voters from Loving County, Texas — population 64 — told the Fifth Circuit that Justice of the Peace Amber King summoned them to a sham jury proceeding in May 2022, held them in contempt, and had them handcuffed and jailed for about five hours with help from the county constable, their cousin, and sheriff's deputies. Their attorney argued King had decided to arrest them at least a day beforehand and texted that morning that “it might get wild today,” framing the episode as a political intimidation scheme rather than a legitimate judicial act.

Defense counsel countered that contempt is a core judicial function protected by absolute immunity regardless of alleged malice or premeditation, noting King lost reelection, the orders were vacated, and the Judicial Conduct Commission reprimanded her separately. Judges on the panel pressed both sides on where judicial immunity ends and a political setup begins, including whether a meeting among allies to plan the arrests beforehand would count as judicial conduct. The panel did not indicate when it would rule.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.