Source: https://www.humanrightsdefensecenter.org/action/litigation/2019/FL/gaines-v-jones-fl-order-prisoner-starved-death-2019/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 16:35:23+00:00

Document:
Plaintiff's son, who was an inmate of the Florida penal system.
and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (RA).
numbers designated by the electronic filing system.
malnourished and ultimately starving to death.
named in her individual and official capacities.
officer's successor is automatically substituted as a party.").
State of Florida, as a Defendant.
Dismiss the Plaintiff's Amended Complaint (Corizon's Motion) (Doc.
Plaintiff filed responses to these motions.
Corizon filed a Reply (Doc. 48).
relief that is plausible on its face.'"
Id. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 556).
action, supported by mere conclusory statements, do not suffice."
Id. (citing Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555).
Cir. 2019) (quotation and citation omitted).
capacity (now Defendant Inch in his official capacity).
such relief as the Court deems just and proper.
Upon review, in Johnson v.
Apparently, the case ended in settlement.
representative of Darren Rainey's estate.
2018 WL 5313881, at *3 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 26, 2018).
case, Case No. 3:18-cv-179-J-20JRK, Disability Rights Florida, Inc.
v. Julie Jones and the Florida Department of Corrections.
the State of Florida, as defendants.
The parties settled the case. Id., Settlement Agreement (Doc.
unit. See Case No. 3:18-cv-179-J-20JRK, Settlement Agreement (Doc.
dayroom, medication and administration areas.
inpatient level of care at each facility.
The Florida Department of Corrections.
Id. at 2 (paragraph designation omitted).
and awareness of that inadequate treatment.
standards.'" Amended Complaint at 13-14 (footnote omitted).
standing water and black mold.
Defendant Jordan, as Warden of UCI, received the survey as well.
A subsequent CAP assessment for UCI indicated deficient postId. at 15-16.
discharge evaluation for former SHOS prisoners.
more staff, training, oversight and specialist appointments.
health records showed an overall non-compliance rate of 70 percent.
containers. Amended Complaint at 15 n. 23.
his medications, taking them sporadically.
the decedent was admitted to the TCU at DCI.
on the floor, and refused medication and treatment.
the facility did not find he exhibited suicidal ideation.
medication and treatment and slept only two to three hours a night.
pounds since incarceration in the FDOC.
the decedent to UCI in north Florida.
placed the decedent in Close Management (CM) custody.
transferred from inpatient treatment at UCI's TCU to the CSU.
level of stability appropriate for TCU.
mental health staff recommended the decedent remain in the TCU.
individual and psychiatric mental health call-outs.
Tegretol prior to and while in FDOC custody since 2013.
left uncorrected, hyponatremia can be fatal.
Amended Complaint at 24 n.33.
appropriate, and found the decedent calm and cooperative.
prescribed to control the hyponatremia.
activity but exhibited no behaviors or appearance of concern.
decided to maintain the decedent's current treatment in TCU.
and the nurse advised the officers to enter the cell.
to UCI's Urgent Care Center.
unsuccessful, and the decedent was pronounced dead at 2:48 p.m.
and found probable cause of death: undetermined.
tracheal lumen; and, (7) negative toxicology.
apparently before attempts at intubation.
family and without Plaintiff's consent.
not be addressed by this Court.
III of the Amended Complaint: (1) Count I: a violation of 42 U.S.C.
employees and agents and that of Defendant Corizon.
in violation of the Eighth Amendment.
may differ from those that ultimately can be proved.
from cruel and unusual punishment.
outlined in item (5) above.
resulting in a violation of his Eighth Amendment rights.
entitling Plaintiff to punitive damages.
right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.
need to correct the decedent's hyponatremia.
assumed the office of Secretary until 2015.
that many of the allegations concern institutions other than UCI.
the FDOC, effective January 5, 2015.
appointed Mark S. Inch Secretary in January 2019.
immunity in their individual capacities.
aware, and they failed to respond reasonably to that risk.
exhibited this awareness by actually promising improvements.
problems and failed to remedy them, although she promised to do so.
of deficiencies in the treatment of mentally ill inmates.
yet failed to take corrective actions.
superior or vicarious liability." Belcher v.
and the alleged constitutional deprivation."
Gonzalez v. Reno, 325 F.3d 1228 (11th Cir. 2003).
Cottone v. Jenne, 326 F.3d 1352 (11th Cir. 2003).
other grounds); see Keith v. DeKalb Cty., Ga., 749 F.3d 1034, 104748 (11th Cir. 2014).
See Goebert v. Lee Cty., 510 F.3d 1312, 1327 (11th Cir.
notice of a flagrant, persistent pattern of violations.").
training or supervision of his employees.
cert. denied, 566 U.S. 996 (2012).
of liability under a theory of respondeat superior).
stop them from doing so.").
determination, there are several factors to be considered.
various alternatives'" by governmental policymakers."
of Cincinnati, 475 U.S. 469, 483-84 (1986)).
Ga., 335 F.3d 1326, 1330 (11th Cir. 2003) (en banc); McDowell v.
Brown, 392 F.3d 1283, 1289 (11th Cir. 2004).
Bd. of Cty. Comm'rs of Bryan Cty., Okla. v. Brown, 520 U.S.
397, 404 (1997) (citation omitted).
Sewell, 117 F.3d at 489.
custom and the alleged constitutional deprivation.
Hartley v. Parnell, 193 F.3d 1263, 1269 (11th Cir. 1999).
Harrison v. Culliver, 746 F.3d 1288, 1298 (11th Cir.
2014); Cottone v. Jenne, 326 F.3d 1352, 1360 (11th Cir. 2003).
filth and being underfed to the point of malnourishment.
depriving Plaintiff of the minimal measures of life's necessities.
McDowell, 392 F.3d at 1291).
enforcing its orders, rules, and regulations[.]"
indifferent to a substantial risk of serious harm.
against Defendants Jones and Jordan.
deprivations, but they failed to do so.
mental health and medical needs.
to these serious needs proximately caused the decedent's death.
that they were aware of any specific danger to the decedent.
decedent prior to his death.
of instability or behavioral issues.
ultimately led to the decedent's death.
In Chandler v. Crosby, 379 F.3d 1278, 1288-89 (11th Cir.
115 pounds, a loss of another 36 pounds.
is even considered underweight (18.5) for a male of his stature.
standards, humanity, and decency." Estelle v.
pay for their offenses against society." Id.
at 347, 101 S.Ct. at 2399.
Chandler, 379 F.3d at 1288-89 (footnote omitted).
Id. (citing Farmer, 511 U.S. at 834).
F.3d 1480, 1491 (11th Cir. 1996).
prisoner's exposure to extreme temperatures.
conditions are uncomfortable is not enough.
fail to respond reasonably to the risk.
Farmer, 511 U.S. at 837, 114 S.Ct. at 1979.
Taylor, 533 F.3d 1325, 1330 (11th Cir. 2008).
violation. Crosby, 379 F.3d at 1289.
Gregg v. Ga., 428 U.S. 153, 183 (1976).
considered to be cruel and unusual "by the framers."
to "contemporary standards of decency."
Moreover, there is "no static test."
Whitley v. Albers, 475 U.S. 312, 319 (1986)).
the Court on a motion to dismiss.
before the Court is whether the claims have facial plausibility.
deprivation occurred under color of state law.
plausible[.]" Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570.
plausible on its face against Defendants Jones and Jordan.
health services to inmates within the state of Florida.
municipality" under section 1983. Buckner v.
Toro, 116 F.3d 450, 452 (11th Cir. 1997).
the doctrine of respondeat superior." Grech v.
be based on the theory of respondeat superior.
the constitutional violation at issue."
entity] has officially sanctioned or ordered."
Cincinnati, 475 U.S. 469, 480 (1986).
law." Denno, 218 F.3d at 1276 (citations omitted); see Hoefling v.
Cir. 1997) (citation omitted), cert. denied, 522 U.S. 1075 (1998).
from among various alternatives'" by governmental policymakers.
constitutional violation. See Grech, 335 F.3d at 1330; McDowell v.
Brown, 392 F.3d at 1289.
Bd. of Cty. Comm'rs of Bryan Cty., Okla. v.
Brown, 520 U.S. at 404 (citation omitted).
force of law" or a "persistent and wide-spread practice."
and the alleged constitutional deprivation.'" Snow ex rel. Snow v.
City of Citronelle, 420 F.3d at 1271 (quotation omitted).
and medical care services to prisoners and failed in this regard.
the adoption of retaliatory measures against the mentally ill.
F.3d 1346, 1350 (11th Cir. 1998).
and safety of vulnerable, mentally ill inmates, like the decedent.
Here there is more than just a "[t]hreadbare recital,"
policy that led to death of the decedent.
had serious, often alarming, mental health and medical needs.
with congested and heavy lungs.
a matter that seemingly remained unaddressed until his death.
general allegations of undue care.
force behind the alleged constitutional violation.
4360623, at *5 (M.D. Fla. Sept. 13, 2018).
engaged in discretionary functions during the events at issue.
and that the constitutional right violated was clearly established.
personal liability or harassing litigation."
Lee v. Ferraro, 284 F.3d 1188, 1194 (11th Cir.
who is knowingly violating the federal law.'"
1178, 1187 (11th Cir. 2001), vacated 537 U.S.
801, 123 S.Ct. 68, 154 L.Ed.2d 2 (2002)).
Educ., 115 F.3d 821, 826 n.4 (11th Cir. 1997).
rights at issue were clearly established.
should be denied as to Defendants Jones and Jordan.
as the Court deems just and proper.
the ADA and the RA.
denied any specific program or service, particularly at UCI.
violation of rights under the Fourteenth Amendment.
financial assistance....' 29 U.S.C. § 794(a)."
Hosps., Inc., 898 F.3d 1130, 1134 (11th Cir. 2018).
River Cty. Hosp. Dist., 701 F.3d 334, 345 (11th Cir. 2012)).
In Count IV, Plaintiff also relies on the ADA.
discrimination by any such entity." 42 U.S.C.
Corr. v. Yeskey, 524 U.S. 206, 209, 118 S.Ct.
1077, 1079 (11th Cir. 2001).
resulting from the impairment." Gordon v. E.L.
disability as contemplated by the ADA." Id.
Hodge v. McNeil, No. 08-23440-CIV, 2011 WL 3101781, at *2-3 (S.D.
Plaintiff can seek monetary damages under Title II of the ADA.
by Jones in her official capacity as Secretary of the FDOC.
As noted in United States v.
was "not limited to violations of the Eighth Amendment."
accommodation claims have certainly been recognized.
against the Georgia Department of Corrections.
both the ADA and the Fourteenth Amendment.
Mitchell v. Williams, No. 6:15-CV-93, 2016 WL 723038, at *3.
of his being mentally ill.
Title II of the ADA.
(M.D. Ala. May 4, 2017).
remedies available, but not punitive damages).
Plaintiff's Amended Complaint (Doc. 35) is DENIED.
damages under the ADA and RA.
the Amended Complaint by April 30, 2019.

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