Former Federal Judges Can File Amicus Brief in Civil Rights Suit

An amicus brief by three retired federal judges was accepted by the Fifth Circuit in a civil rights case despite opposition from the defendant, a Louisiana district attorney accused of conspiring with a suspect whom the court ultimately sided with.

Priscilla Lefebure sued Samuel D’Aquilla, a Louisiana district attorney, for allegedly conspiring with her rapist, who was a friend of his, to not bring charges against him.

In a separate opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth circuit dismissed Lefebure’s claim, saying she didn’t have standing to challenge the prosecutor’s decision not to bring charges.

The dispute ...