Topic
Every decision we've filed under Civil Rights - Section 1983.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for prison medical providers, ruling that conservative treatment of reducible hernias did not constitute deliberate indifference under the Eighth Amendment. The court held that the Constitution guarantees adequate medical care, not the specific surgical treatment a prisoner desires.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a Section 1983 lawsuit alleging that a protective order and subsequent criminal convictions were obtained through fraud. The court held that the plaintiff's claims were barred by Heck v. Humphrey because a favorable ruling would necessarily imply the invalidity of his standing criminal convictions.
The Seventh Circuit dismissed David McNamara's appeal because he failed to file a brief containing legal arguments challenging the district court's decision. The underlying civil rights suit was properly dismissed by the lower court based on immunity doctrines, the statute of limitations, and federal abstention principles.
The Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a pro se plaintiff's federal civil rights claims arising from a state custody dispute, ruling that state officials and judges are protected by immunity doctrines. The court held that the plaintiff failed to plead an ongoing violation of federal law necessary to bypass sovereign immunity and did not allege that judicial actors acted outside their jurisdiction.
The Third Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a prison psychologist but reversed the lower court's ruling against two medical defendants in an Eighth Amendment suicide prevention case. The court held that while the psychologist's actions were reasonable, the medical defendants' failure to personally evaluate a suicidal inmate created a genuine dispute of material fact regarding deliberate indifference.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for a police officer who conducted a warrantless search of an apartment following a stabbing. The court held that the officer was entitled to qualified immunity because it was not clearly established law that such a search violated the Fourth Amendment under the emergency aid exception.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for prison officials, ruling that the evidence did not establish deliberate indifference to unsanitary cell conditions or retaliation for grievances. The court held that the plaintiff failed to prove officials had actual knowledge of a serious health risk or that adverse actions were motivated by his protected speech.
The Third Circuit affirmed the dismissal of Yong Chul Son's federal claims, ruling that they were barred by the two-year statute of limitations. The court held that the alleged events occurred years before the complaint was filed and that no grounds existed to equitably toll the deadline.
The Seventh Circuit vacated the dismissal of a prisoner's due process claim, ruling that lengthy disciplinary segregation may implicate a protected liberty interest requiring factual scrutiny. The court further held that allegations of a hearing officer predetermining guilt and directing false evidence are sufficient to state a constitutional violation.
The Seventh Circuit affirmed summary judgment for police officers in a civil rights suit involving an inventory search of a trespasser's vehicle. The court held that the plaintiff failed to prove the officers' conduct was clearly established as unlawful and that the district court did not abuse its discretion in refusing an adverse inference instruction for missing dashcam footage.