Read Cooney v. Rossiter, 08-3675

In plaintiff's case against several defendants arising from a custody case in which the Illinois state court found that she suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, district court's dismissal of her suit is affirmed where: 1) guardians ad litem and court-appointed experts, including psychiatrists, are absolutely immune from liability for damages when they act at the court's direction; 2) no factual allegations tie the defendants, who are private individuals, to a conspiracy with a state actor; and 3) district court did not abuse its discretion in denying plaintiff's Rule 59(e) motion.

Appellate Information

• Submitted 08/27/2009
• Decided 09/30/2009
• Published 09/30/2009

Judges

• POSNER, Circuit Judge., Before BAUER, POSNER, and WOOD, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Seventh Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Deborah O. Cooney, Chicago, IL, pro se.


• For Appellees:
  
• James P. Devine, Williams & McCarthy, Rockford, IL, Bruce R. Meckler, Meckler Bulger Tilson Marick & Pearson, John M. Hynes, Clausen Miller, Barbara L. Greenspan, Office of the Attorney General, Robert J. Meyer, Swanson, Martin & Bell, Chicago, IL, for Defendants-Appellees.