Hallmark Care Services, Inc., et al. v. Superior Court of Washington, Spokane County, et al.

Spokane County initiated and prosecuted, without counsel, and directly through judicial members of its local superior court 124 joint actions against the Petitioners by mailing un­filed, ex parte letter orders; by entering ex parte orders without notice or hearing; by holding scores of expedited “drumhead” hearings by which the government summarily transferred clients to competing businesses; and, by entering money judgments against the Petitioners and in favor of Spokane County absent any due process, without notice, without hearing, and without any opportunity to defend against the government's actions. The question presented to this Court is whether the doctrine of judicial immunity extends beyond protecting the individual judges, personally, for their actions, to shielding the government, on whose behalf they acted, from a citizen's claims seeking redress for the damages arising from the unconstitutional actions of the court?