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No Immunity for Detainee’s Death Due to Alcohol Withdrawal; $1.23 Million Settlement on Remand
Loaded on Jan. 15, 2014
published in Prison Legal News
January, 2014, page 46
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held on November 20, 2012 that a Michigan county and two jail guards were not entitled to qualified immunity for a female detainee’s death due to severe alcohol withdrawal.
Filed under:
Medical Misconduct,
Medical,
Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal,
Qualified Immunity,
Medical Neglect/Malpractice.
Location:
Michigan.
Brenda Sue Smith, 37, was booked into the Lenawee County jail on a parole violation ...
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More from this issue:
- American Apartheid: Why Scandinavian Prisons Are Superior, by Doran Larson
- Sweden’s Shrinking Prison Population, by Christopher Zoukis
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Mangaung and Beyond: Private Prison Exemplifies South Africa’s Criminal Justice Woes, by James Kilgore
- Hidden Agenda Fuels Challenge to Pivotal Death Penalty Case, by David Protess
- Seventh Circuit: Lifetime Supervision in Pornography Case Set Aside, by Derek Gilna
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- Controversy, Litigation and Performance Problems Plague Private Probation Services, by David Reutter
- Task Force Linked to Harsh Sentencing Laws and Private Prison Firms Disbands Following Public Scrutiny, Boycott
- East Mississippi Prison Nightmare, by Christopher Zoukis
- Massachusetts Supreme Court: 90 Days in Segregation on Awaiting Action Status without Hearing Violates Due Process
- Washington Defendant Improperly Denied Transcript at State Expense
- Programs Proliferate for Incarcerated Veterans
- Arizona TV Reporter Blames Prisoners for Citizens’ Lack of Healthcare
- Study: Risk of Murder, Overdose and Suicide Higher for Recently Released Jail Prisoners in New York City
- California Parole Board Agrees to Implement Policy to Fix Terms at Lifers’ Initial Hearings, by John Dannenberg
- How Actions by Oklahoma Governor’s Staff Led to Weakened State Justice Reforms, by Clifton Adcock
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- Top Texas Judge Breaks the Law but Gets Special Treatment
- New York Prisoner Awarded Almost $16 Million Due to Poor Medical Treatment, by Christopher Zoukis
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- Connecticut Guards File Grievances over Efforts to Stem Super Bowl Absenteeism
- PLN Challenges Postcard-only Policy at Florida Jail
- Shareholder Resolutions Seek to Lower Phone Rates at Private Prisons
- Unwanted Reprieve from Execution Upheld by Oregon Supreme Court, by Christopher Zoukis
- Massachusetts Supreme Court: Failure to Register Guilty Plea Vacated
- No Immunity for Detainee’s Death Due to Alcohol Withdrawal; $1.23 Million Settlement on Remand
- Tenth Circuit: FRAP 4(b) Clock Commences Upon Entry in Public Docket
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- Multiple Convictions, Single Proceeding Triggers Alaska Lifetime Sex Offender Registration
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- Tenth Circuit Orders Foreseeability Jury Determination for Detention by New Mexico DOC Employees
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- Res Judicata Doesn't Bar Ohio Post-release Control Challenge
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More from these topics:
- PLN Publisher Wins Settlement Records from Centurion in Florida Prisoner’s Wrongful Death, Aug. 1, 2025. Centurion, Systemic Medical Neglect, Medical Records, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Public Records Act, HRDC Litigation.
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- $2.6 Million Paid for Detoxing Washington Jail Detainee Allowed to Leap to His Death, Additional NaphCare Payout Undisclosed, Aug. 1, 2025. Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal, Failure to Treat, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death).
- $15 Million Settlement Reached in San Diego Jail Detainee’s Untreated Withdrawal Death, Aug. 1, 2025. Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal, Failure to Treat, Arrest and Booking.
- $1.875 Million Partial Settlement for Colorado Detainee’s Death from Untreated Alcohol Withdrawal; Claims Against Wellpath Pending Bankruptcy, Aug. 1, 2025. Systemic Medical Neglect, Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal, Failure to Treat, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.
- Qualified Immunity Denied for Iowa Prison Doctor’s MRI Delay for Non-Medical Reasons, Aug. 1, 2025. Systemic Medical Neglect, Failure to Treat, Qualified Immunity.
- Washington Jail Settles DOJ Allegations of ADA Noncompliance in Failure to Treat Opioid Use Disorder, July 15, 2025. Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal, Americans with Disabilities Act, Drug Treatment/Rehab.
- Lawsuits Filed After Fatal Assault on Elderly Prisoner at Kentucky Jail, July 15, 2025. Classification, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Medical Neglect/Malpractice.
- $340,000 for Former Massachusetts Prisoner Whose Baby Was Stillborn, July 15, 2025. Systemic Medical Neglect, Medical Neglect/Malpractice, Children of Prisoners, Parent/Child Privilege.
- Nearly $2.6 Million Paid to Former Minnesota Jail Detainee for Injuries from Delayed Withdrawal Treatment, July 15, 2025. Medication, Systemic Medical Neglect, Drug/Alcohol Withdrawal, Failure to Treat, Deliberate Indifference.

