# W. Douglas Williams v. Honorable Jack Brooks

> Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit · October 31, 1991 · 945 F.2d 1322

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9482134

## Case

- **Full name:** W. Douglas WILLIAMS, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Honorable Jack BROOKS, Defendant-Appellant
- **Court:** Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- **Decided:** October 31, 1991
- **Citations:** 945 F.2d 1322; 1991 U.S. App. LEXIS 25707; 1991 WL 206622
- **Precedential status:** Published
- **Opinion:** Concurrence by Reavley
- **Judges:** Reavley, Garwood, Barksdale
- **Cited by:** 18 later opinions in the Frix Law Library

## Citator (automated)

- No negative treatment found by the automated citator. That is not the same as a confirmation that the case is good law; read the citing cases.
- Full citator and citing cases: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9482134

## How later opinions describe it (automated extraction)

- noting that the FTCA, with the 6 exception of constitutional claims, is the exclusive remedy for claims brought against federal 7 officers acting in their office
- holding that the defendant’s assertion of immunity was sufficient to meet the requirement of a colorable federal defense

## Opinion text

REAVLEY, Circuit Judge,
concurring.
I am compelled by the controlling authority to concur in this opinion; but I would hold, if free to do so, that official immunity from common law defamation liability extends to members of Congress when in an official capacity they comment on current legislative issues. See Mikva, Circuit Judge, dissenting in Chastain v. Sundquist, 833 F.2d 311, 328 (D.C.Cir.1987); cert. denied, 487 U.S. 1240 , 108 S.Ct. 2914 , 101 L.Ed.2d 946 (1988).

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/cases/9482134. Public record. Not legal advice.