Harper v. Lin
- Richard Seeborg
- 3:25-cv-08068
- U.S. District Court · Northern District of California
- 2
In Patrick Roy Harper v. Rita F. Lin, Judge Seeborg dismissed Harper’s claims with prejudice under Rule 12(b)(6).
The dismissal ended Patrick Roy Harper’s action against Rita F. Lin and another federal district court judge; the court stated that the judges were protected by absolute immunity.
What happened
Patrick Roy Harper, representing himself, sued Rita F. Lin and another federal district judge over matters arising from earlier court proceedings and related appeals and petitions.
Harper sought an order requiring an immediate admiralty trial and alleged violations involving federal jurisdiction, the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and Article III, fraud on the court, and hate crimes.
Judge Seeborg ruled that Harper could not win because judges have absolute immunity for the judicial proceedings at issue, and dismissed the action with prejudice under Rule 12(b)(6).
The detailed version
- Harper v. Lin · No. 3:25-cv-08068
- Richard Seeborg
- Sept. 29, 2025
Background
Patrick Roy Harper, who represented himself, brought what the court described as ill-defined claims against two federal district court judges. The caption identifies Rita F. Lin and other defendants. Harper’s complaint sought an “injunction to proceed immediately to an admiralty bench trial.” He alleged violations of 28 U.S.C. § 1916, the Supremacy Clause, and Article III of the Constitution, along with fraud on the court and “hate crimes.”
Court’s analysis
The court explained that a trial court may dismiss a claim under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(6), which addresses claims that do not state a legally sufficient basis for relief, without notice when the claimant cannot possibly win relief. The court relied on Harper’s concession that his demand arose from earlier district court proceedings before the defendant judges and from related appeals and petitions. The court concluded that judges are entitled to absolute immunity for the judicial proceedings at issue.
Disposition
The court held that Harper could not succeed and dismissed the civil action with prejudice. The order was signed by Richard Seeborg, Chief United States District Judge.
Read the full 2-page opinion on CourtListener, the free public archive maintained by the Free Law Project.