Celling Non-Smoker with Smoker Negligence, Not Constitutional Claim by Affirming a federal district court in Michigan, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld dismissal of a state prisoner's 42 U.S.C. §1983 suit for failure to state a claim. Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) prisoner Maurice Taylor, incarcerated at Brooks …
Compensatory Damages Not Allowed for Value of Violated Rights by The U.S. Supreme Court reversed the Sixth Circuit's affirmation of a district court's award of compensatory damages. A Michigan public school teacher brought suit against a school district under 42 U.S.C. §1983 upon suspension for his teaching methods. A jury …
Court Appearance Governed by Fundamental Fairness by A Michigan prisoner appealed the trial court's denial of his petition for writ of habeas corpus ad testificandum and his motion for leave to testify by deposition which effectively foreclosed him from obtaining a divorce. In Michigan, a judgment of divorce may not …
Prisoner Awarded $130,000 in § 1983 Claim, JNWV Motion Denied by Prisoner Awarded $130,000 in § 1983 Claim, JNWV Motion Denied Prisoner brought an action under 4.2 U.S.C. § 1983 against the Director of the Michigan DOC, a nurse supervisor and others after he was raped in a prison infirmary. …
Prisoner Not Retaliated Against, Whistleblower Claim Not Allowed by The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a Michigan state prisoner did not present sufficient evidence of retaliation to survive summary judgment, and refused to consider the prisoner's claim of whistleblower protection presented for the first time on appeal. …
Disciplinary Findings Do Not Preclude Subsequent Factual Litigation; QI Denied by A Federal District Court in Michigan has held that findings made in prisoner disciplinary hearings should not be given preclusive effect when litigating factual issues in § 1983 claims. Qualified immunity was denied as untimely. Arthur Johnson claimed James …
Dismissal for Failure of Service Reversed; District Court Abused Discretion by The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and remanded a federal district court's dismissal of a Michigan prisoner's 42 U.S.C. § 1983 suit for failure of timely service, holding that the state, not the prisoner, was responsible for …
Saginaw County Jail Practices Unconstitutional by A Michigan federal district court held that practices and procedures, affecting pre-trial detainees at the Saginaw County Jail are unconstitutional and enjoined them. This is a class action suit that did not challenge the general physical conditions, but the practices and procedures of the …
Written Statements Not A Substitute For Live Testimony by The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan held that a Michigan state prisoner should have been allowed to (a) call witnesses at his disciplinary hearing and (b) review documents relevant to the disciplinary charge. Wesley King was charged …
Sixth Circuit Remands Bazetta, Yet Again by In an unpublished ruling, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to peremptorily reverse two post-judgment orders entered by a Michigan district court in a prisoner class action civil rights case challenging certain Michigan prison visitation regulations. Prison officials argued that those orders, …
Michigan Prisoner Wearing Leg Irons During Jury Trial Harmless Error by Michigan State prisoner David Lakin appealed the denial of his Federal habeas corpus petition alleging a due process violation for being forced to wear leg irons during a jury trial. Lakin and four other prisoners attempted to escape from …
Michigan Law Bars Tort Claims If Intoxication Causes 50% Or More Responsibility On Injured Party. by Michigan Law Bars Tort Claims If Intoxication Causes 50% Or More Responsibility On Injured Party. Michigan's Court of Appeals has held that a claim alleging medical malpractice, intentional misconduct, and ordinary negligence arising from …
$100,000 Awarded in Dental Negligence by Needing a lower wisdom tooth removed, Michigan prisoner Rodney Hicks reported to his prison's dentist, Zolton Campbell. Prior to making the extraction, Campbell relied on a 9-year-old x-ray for the extraction. Another film revealed Campbell removed the tooth in parts, leaving 25% of the …
Tight Handcuffs, Violent Police Car Ride State Claim by The plaintiff alleged that he was handcuffed too tightly and complained repeatedly about it to the arresting officers; that the officers amused themselves by speeding unnecessarily, braking abruptly, etc., so the plaintiff was thrown around in the police car; that when …
Administrative Remedies Exhausted Even If Untimely by State Prisoner Ted Poole filed a complaint against the Michigan Department of Corrections concerning the untimely payment of filing fees. Poole exhausted his administrative remedies in the prison grievance process which were denied by prison officials as being untimely. Poole then filed a …
Doctors Can Be Held Liable in Heat Death of Obese Mental Patient by The decedent, an obese diabetic suffering from hypertension with a heart condition with abnormal EKG readings, was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital where he took psychotropic medications. He died on a day with 90 degree heat …
$50,000 Award in Michigan Jail Beating Suit by After he was in a dispute with bar patrons, Jose Luis Monjaras-Torres was arrested and taken to Michigan's Macomb County Jail. Upon arrival, he was stripped, assaulted, and battered about the face by seven guards. Jose sustained soft tissue facial injuries. He …
Harassment and Verbal Abuse by Guards Legal under 8th Amendment by The plaintiff missed the 10-day deadline for his Rule 59 motions, and the district court properly denied his Rule 60(b) motion, since it merely reiterated his rejected arguments and did not fit the requirements of any subsection of the …
Toe Nail Fungus Not a Serious Medical Need by Toe Nail Fungus Not a Serious Medical Need The plaintiff alleged that he was denied treatment for a toenail fungus which caused burning and itching, with skin that cracked and bled; the defendant doctor responded that he refused to provide various …
No Liability for Heart Attack Death of MI Jail Detainee by The decedent arrestee complained of chest pains, but jail staff allegedly delayed five hours getting him to a hospital, where he died 12 hours later. The plaintiff's death did not establish a serious medical need. In cases of delay, …
