Cite as: 523 U. S. 574 (1998)
Opinion of the Court
time credits for federal prisoners who file malicious or false claims; and encourages hearings by telecommunication or in prison facilities to make it unnecessary for inmate plaintiffs to leave prison for pretrial proceedings. See 28 U. S. C. §§ 1346(b)(2), 1915, 1915A, 1932 (1994 ed., Supp. II); 42 U. S. C. § 1997e (1994 ed., Supp. II). Recent statistics suggest that the Act is already having its intended effect.18
Most significantly, the statute draws no distinction between constitutional claims that require proof of an improper motive and those that do not. If there is a compelling need to frame new rules of law based on such a distinction, presumably Congress either would have dealt with the problem in the Reform Act, or will respond to it in future legislation.
IV
In Harlow, we noted that a " 'firm application of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure' is fully warranted" and may lead to the prompt disposition of insubstantial claims. 457 U. S., at 819-820, n. 35 (quoting Butz, 438 U. S., at 508). Though we have rejected the Court of Appeals' solution, we are aware of the potential problem that troubled the court. It is therefore appropriate to add a few words on some of the existing procedures available to federal trial judges in handling claims that involve examination of an official's state of mind.
When a plaintiff files a complaint against a public official alleging a claim that requires proof of wrongful motive, the trial court must exercise its discretion in a way that protects the substance of the qualified immunity defense. It must
18 Despite the continuing rise in the state and federal prison populations, the number of prisoner civil rights suits filed in federal court dropped from 41,215 in fiscal year 1996 (Oct. 1, 1995-Sept. 30, 1996) to 28,635 in fiscal year 1997 (Oct. 1, 1996-Sept. 30, 1997), a decline of 31 percent. Administrative Office of the United States Courts, L. Mecham, Judicial Business of the United States Courts: 1997 Report of the Director 131-132 (Table C-2A).
597
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