Butz v. Economou - The Lower Court Rulings

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York was the first to rule. It dismissed Economou's complaint against the individual defendants. The court held that federal officials were entitled to absolute immunity for all discretionary acts within the scope of their authority. Economou then appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals, which reversed the lower court's ruling. The court of appeals held that federal officials were entitled only to the qualified immunity granted to state government officials. Earl Butz, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, appealed this ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.