Title: Payne v. Kerns
Citation: 2020 OK 31
Docket Number: 
State: Oklahoma
Issuer: Oklahoma Supreme Court
Date: May 12, 2020

Payne v. Kerns Annotate this Case Justia Opinion Summary In 2010, plaintiff-appellant James Payne pled nolo contendere to stalking in Case No. CF-2010-27 in Pittsburg County, Oklahoma. He received a five-year deferment with special rules and conditions of probation. He was required to have no contact with the stalking victim. In addition, Payne pled guilty to violating a protective order in many other cases filed in Pittsburg County related to the same victim and was sentenced to six months in the county jail. The sentences were to run concurrently. He received extra credits and was released from custody on May 5, 2010. A month later, on June 10, 2010, the district attorney filed a motion to accelerate the deferred judgment for probation violations, alleging Payne had been contacting and harassing the victim. The district court issued a felony warrant and Payne was arrested and booked into jail by the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office on June 11, 2010. Payne did not post bail and remained in the county jail. The district court ultimately executed a minute order finding Payne guilty of violating the terms of his deferred sentence, for which he received a five year sentence: four suspended and one year to serve in the Department of Corrections. Payne received credit for time served in the county jail since his June 10 arrest. The Judgment and Sentence ordered Payne into DOC custody and directed the Pittsburg Sheriff's office to transfer Payne to the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center to begin serving his time in DOC custody. The Sheriff's Office of Pittsburg County did not transfer Payne to the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center (LARC) until September 6, 2011, almost three months past the end of his sentence. Payne was released that same day without serving any of his time in DOC custody. Payne sue various Pittsburg county corrections and governmental officials, arguing his constitutional rights had been violated because he remained in custody beyond his sentence. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants. The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals affirmed. The Oklahoma Supreme Court granted certiorari on the remaining issue preserved for review, i.e., whether a private right of action under Article 2 Section 9 of the Oklahoma Constitution existed under the facts of this case. The Court held a private right of action existed at the time Payne was detained past his sentence, and remanded for further proceedings. Read more Want to stay in the know about new opinions from the Oklahoma Supreme Court? Sign up for free summaries delivered directly to your inbox. Learn More › You already receive new opinion summaries from Oklahoma Supreme Court. Did you know we offer summary newsletters for even more practice areas and jurisdictions? Explore them here . PAYNE v. KERNS 2020 OK 31 Case Number: 116978 Decided: 05/12/2020 THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA NOTICE: THIS OPINION HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED FOR PUBLICATION. UNTIL RELEASED, IT IS SUBJECT TO REVISION OR WITHDRAWAL. JAMES C. PAYNE, Plaintiff/Appellant, v. JOEL KERNS and MISSY ELDRIDGE, Defendants/Appellees. ON CERTIORARI FROM THE COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS, DIVISION I ¶0 The plaintiff/appellant, prisoner, sued various defendants for his detention lasting several months past the end of his sentence. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of the defendants. The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals affirmed. This Court granted certiorari on the remaining issue preserved for our review, i.e., whether a private right of action under Article 2 Section 9 of the Oklahoma Constitution exists under the facts of this case. We hold a private right of action existed at the time the plaintiff/appellant was detained past his sentence and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS' OPINION VACATED IN PART; JUDGMENT REVERSED AND REMANDED J. Derek Ingle, Boettcher Devinney Ingle & Wicker, PLLC, Tulsa, OK, for Plaintiff/Appellant Wellon B. Poe, Collins Zorn & Wagner, P.C., Oklahoma City, for Defendants/Appellees COMBS, J.: I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY ¶1 On February 8, 2010, the appellant, James C. Payne (Payne), pled nolo contendere to the crime of stalking in Case No. CF-2010-27, District Court of Pittsburg County, State of Oklahoma. He received a five-year deferment with special rules and conditions of probation. He was required to have no contact with the stalking victim. In addition, Payne pled guilty to violating a protective order in many other cases filed in Pittsburg County related to the same victim and was sentenced to six months in the county jail. The sentences were to run concurrently. He received extra credits and was released from custody on May 5, 2010. A month later, on June 10, 2010, the district attorney filed a motion to accelerate the deferred judgment for probation violations. It alleged Payne had been contacting and harassing the victim. The district court issued a felony warrant and Payne was arrested and booked into jail by the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office on June 11, 2010. Payne did not post bail and remained in the county jail. ¶2 On August 23, 2010, the district court executed a minute order finding Payne guilty of violating the terms of his deferred sentence. He was sentenced to a term of five years imprisonment with four years suspended and one year to serve in the Department of Corrections (DOC). Payne also received credit for the time he had been serving in the county jail since his June 11, 2010 arrest. Therefore, the one year sentence was to expire on June 11, 2011. A formal Judgment and Sentence was filed on May 13, 2011 and dated October 15, 2010. This occurred less than a month of when Payne's sentence was set to expire. The record reflects the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office received the Judgment and Sentence on May 17, 2011. The Judgment and Sentence ordered Payne into DOC custody and directed the Sheriff's office to transfer Payne to DOC. It provided: In the event the above sentence is for incarceration in the Department of Corrections, the Sheriff of Pittsburg County, Oklahoma is ordered and directed to deliver the Defendant to the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center at Lexington, Oklahoma, and leave therewith a copy of this Judgment and Sentence to serve as warrant authority of the Sheriff for the transportation and the imprisonment of the Defendant as herein before provided. The sheriff to make due return to the clerk of this Court, with his proceedings endorsed thereon. The Sheriff's Office of Pittsburg County did not transfer Payne to the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center (LARC) until September 6, 2011, almost three months past the end of his sentence. Payne was released that same day without serving any of his time in DOC custody. ¶3 Payne filed a Notice of Governmental Tort Claims on February 27, 2012 against the State of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Pittsburg County Jail, Pittsburg County Sheriff's Department, Pittsburg County Commissioners Chairman Gene Rogers, Commissioner Kevin Smith, and Commissioner Ronnie Young, Pittsburg County Sheriff Joel Kerns, and Pittsburg County Jail Administrator Missy [sic] Eldridge.1 The claim was denied on March 30, 2012. On September 6, 2012, he filed a Petition in the District Court of Pittsburg County (Case No. CJ-2012-233) against the same Defendants. He alleged various violations of his constitutional rights under the United States Constitution, federal statute (42 U.S.C. § 1983) and tort causes of action related to his extended incarceration past his sentence expiration. Less than a month later, October 2, 2012, the case was removed to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (Case No. 12-CV-407) based upon federal question jurisdiction. After some litigation the parties attempted to settle the action and the federal case was dismissed without prejudice by an Administrative Closing Order filed July 15, 2013. ¶4 On April 11, 2014, Payne re-filed his Petition against the same Defendants in the District Court of Pittsburg County (Case No. CJ-2014-73). The Petition was identical to the one filed in CJ-2012-233, with the addition of alleged violations of his rights under the Oklahoma Constitution. Payne alleged the Defendant's actions violated his rights under the following sections of Article II of the Oklahoma Constitution: §2. All persons have the inherent right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the enjoyment of the gains of their own industry. §7. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. §9. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel or unusual punishments inflicted. §30. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches or seizures shall not be violated; and no warrant shall issue but upon probable cause supported by oath or affirmation, describing as particularly as may be the place to be searched and the person or thing to be seized. Based upon these state constitutional violations and this Court's jurisprudence in Washington v. Barry, 2002 OK 45, 55 P.3d 1036 and Bosh v. Cherokee County Building Authority, 2013 OK 9, 305 P.3d 994, the Petition asserted Payne had a private right of action against the Defendants notwithstanding the Oklahoma Government Tort Claims Act (OGTCA), 51 O.S. § 151, et seq. ¶5 On January 8, 2015, the Defendants again filed a Notice and Petition for Removal in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (Case No. 15-CV-10). The case was removed and the parties litigated the matter in federal court for almost two years. On January 14, 2015, the Defendants, State of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, moved to dismiss all claims against those defendants. The court granted their motion on September 17, 2015. Also, on January 14, 2015, the Defendants Pittsburg County Jail, Pittsburg County Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Joel Kerns, Pittsburg County Commissioners Gene Rogers and Kevin Smith, and Pittsburg County Jail Administrator "Missi" Eldridge moved to enforce the settlement agreement from 2013 or in the alternative to dismiss the action against those defendants. The court denied their motion on September 17, 2015.2 On November 25, 2015, the Defendants, Pittsburg County Jail, Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office, County Commissioner Gene Rogers and County Commissioner Kevin Smith, filed a Motion to Dismiss. A few days later, December 10, 2015, Payne filed a Partial Dismissal of Defendants, County Commissioners Gene Rogers, Kevin Smith and Ronnie Young, the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Department and the Pittsburg County Jail. On June 8, 2016, by Minute Order, the court granted the Defendants' Motion to Dismiss and Payne's Partial Motion to Dismiss and stated "[t]he only defendants remaining are Pittsburg County Sheriff Joel Kerns and Pittsburg County Jail Administrator Missy Eldridge." ¶6 On December 7, 2016, Payne filed a Motion for Partial Dismissal and Remand wherein he requested to dismiss all his federal claims and have the matter remanded to the state district court to determine his Oklahoma state law claims. On December 13, 2016, the court entered an Order. The Order notes Payne's federal claims are dismissed by agreement of the parties but it found no compelling reason to retain jurisdiction over Payne's "pendent state Bosh claim." The court held "any issues the parties may have under Bosh should be decided by the Pittsburg County, Oklahoma District Court including any defenses regarding individual capacity. This action is therefore remanded to the Pittsburg County, Oklahoma District Court." On February 23, 2017, the District Court of Pittsburg County (Case No. CJ-2014-73) entered a status and scheduling conference journal entry noting the case was on remand from the federal district court "on issues of state law only." ¶7 On April 7, 2017, the remaining Defendants, "Sheriff Joel Kerns" (Kerns) and "Jail Administrator Missi Eldridge" (Eldridge) filed a Motion for Summary Judgment in the District Court of Pittsburg County. They argued 1) the remaining Defendants were not proper parties under a Bosh claim, 2) Payne had no private right of action against the Defendants under the Oklahoma Constitution, 3) the constitutional claims are time barred, 4) Payne abandoned his state tort law claims, 5) the Defendants were not liable for the state tort law claims, and 6) the state law claims should be dismissed based upon promissory estoppel. On August 8, 2017, the district court entered a Minute Order granting the Defendants' motion. The Minute Order states: After hearing argument of counsel, review of the parties' motions, briefs, attached exhibits, and review of the relevant provisions of the Oklahoma Constitution, the OGTCA, applicable statute and case law, including, but not limited to, Bosh v. Cherokee Bldg. Authority, 2013 OK 9, GJA v. OK DHS 2015 OK CIV APP 32, and Deal v. Brooks 2016 OK CIV APP 81; the Court finds that Defendant's Motion for Summary Judgment, in its entirety, should be and is hereby GRANTED. This Court is not comfortable extending the analysis and holding in Bosh to claims asserted in this action, and therefore the Court finds that there is no substantial controversy as to any material fact. The Defendants were ordered to prepare a journal entry. On December 5, 2017, the Defendants filed a Motion to Settle Journal Entry with an attached proposed journal entry. The Defendants asserted in their motion "[t]he Minute Order reflects the general rulings of the Court but does not set forth sufficient factual and legal conclusions necessary for any appeal." The proposed journal entry included findings of fact and conclusions of law. Its conclusions of law section asserted the individual Defendants are not proper parties because they are immune from liability under the OGTCA and that the court declines to extend the analysis in Bosh to recognize a private right of action under the Oklahoma Constitution to the facts of this case. In addition, the Defendants provided it was unnecessary to address the other defenses they had raised, i.e., improper parties, promissory estoppel, and statute of limitations. Payne responded to the motion and asserted the proposed journal entry does not accurately reflect the court's ruling. The court, he asserted, only focused on the Bosh claim and not on any other issue raised by the Defendants. He noted it was apparent that the Defendants themselves do not construe the court's statement of "in its entirety" to include every defense argued for in the Motion for Summary Judgment. He requested the court enter a journal entry that reflected the Minute Order. The court apparently agreed with Payne and denied Defendants' Motion to Settle Journal Entry. It entered a Journal Entry and Order on April 4, 2018, which was identical to the Minute Order. On May 1, 2018, Payne appealed. ¶8 The only issues Payne raised in his Petition in Error were whether the district court erred by not finding sections 2, 7, 9 and 30 of Article II of the Oklahoma Constitution created a private right of action for his delayed release pursuant to Washington v. Barry, 2002 OK 45, 55 P.3d 1036 , Bosh v. Cherokee County Governmental Building Authority, 2013 OK 9, 305 P.3d 994, and Deal v. Brooks, 2016 OK CIV APP 81, 389 P.3d 375 (approved for publication by the Oklahoma Supreme Court). The matter was assigned to the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals, Division I. The court filed its opinion on May 17, 2019, affirming the district court's Journal Entry and Order granting summary judgment. The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals opinion is paraphrased as follows: 1) a right of action under Okla. Const. art. 2, §30 applies only to citizens who are seized, arrestees and pre-incarcerated detainees, pursuant to Bosh, 2013 OK 9, ¶22, and therefore it is not applicable to Payne who was incarcerated and whose private right of action, if one exists, would be under Okla. Const. art. 2, §9; 2) the court focused on Bosh and Washington which concerned a private right of action based upon "excessive force," and found the conduct here was not the type that would rise to the level of a constitutional violation for cruel and unusual punishment and therefore it would not expand an Okla. Const. art. 2, §9 right of action to the facts of this case; 3) the conduct at issue here was not shocking to the conscience and did not violate substantive due process protections found in Okla. Const. art. 2, §7; and 4) the Oklahoma Supreme Court has never recognized a private right of action pursuant to Okla. Const. art. 2, §2. ¶9 Payne filed a Petition for Certiorari with this Court on July 19, 2019. The petition was granted on January 13, 2020. Payne's petition only challenges the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals' ruling concerning a private right of action under Okla. Const. art. 2, §9 (cruel or unusual punishments). We therefore affirm the opinion of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals concerning sections 2, 7, and 30 of Article II of the Oklahoma Constitution and turn to the issue preserved for our review, i.e, whether there exists a private right of action under Okla. Const. art. 2, §9 under the facts of this case. See Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters, Inc. v. City of Norman, 2016 OK 119, ¶¶12-13, 390 P.3d 689; Hough v. Leonard, 1993 OK 112, ¶1, 867 P.2d 438. This matter was assigned to this office on January 13, 2020. II. STANDARD OF REVIEW ¶10 Whether summary judgment was properly entered is a question of law which we review de novo. Manley v. Brown, 1999 OK 79, ¶ 22, 989 P.2d 448 , 455. In a de novo review, we have plenary, independent and non-deferential authority to determine whether the trial court erred in its application of the law and whether there is any genuine issue of material fact. Kluver v. Weatherford Hosp. Auth., 1993 OK 85, ¶ 14, 859 P.2d 1081 , 1084. Like the trial court, we examine the pleadings and summary judgment evidentiary materials submitted by the parties to determine if there is a genuine issue of material fact. Carmichael v. Beller, 1996 OK 48, ¶ 2, 914 P.2d 1051 , 1053. We view the facts and all reasonable inferences arising therefrom in the light most favorable to the non-moving party. Id. The purpose of summary adjudications is not to substitute a trial by affidavit for one by jury, but rather to afford a method of summarily terminating a case when only questions of law remain. Martin v. Aramark Services, Inc., 2004 OK 38, ¶12, 92 P.3d 96 . When uncontroverted proof lends support to conflicting inferences, the choice to be made between the opposite alternatives does not present an issue of law but rather one for the trier of fact. Walters v. J.C. Penny Co., Inc., 2003 OK 100, ¶13, 82 P.3d 578 . Even when basic facts are undisputed, motions for summary judgment should be denied if, under the evidence, reasonable persons might reach different inferences or conclusions from the undisputed facts. Bird v. Coleman, 1997 OK 44, ¶20, 939 P.2d 1123 . It is not the duty of the appellate court on review to make first-instance determinations of disputed law or fact issues. Bivins v. State of Oklahoma, ex rel. Oklahoma Memorial Hospital, et al., 1996 OK 5, ¶19, 917 P.2d 456 . An appellate court cannot craft an initial decision upon an untried question and then direct that it be followed on remand. Id. III. ANALYSIS A. A PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION FOR DETENTION BEYOND THE EXPIRATION OF ONE'S SENTENCE EXISTS UNDER OKLA. CONST. ART. 2, §9. ¶11 Payne asserts his delayed release amounted to cruel or unusual punishment in violation of Okla. Const. art. 2, §9. In 2002, this Court first recognized a potential private right of action under Okla. Const. art. 2, §9 for the use of excessive force upon a prisoner when the defendants were immunized from liability under the OGTCA. Washington v. Barry, 2002 OK 45, 55 P.3d 1036 . Being a first impression issue, this Court turned to federal precedent to establish a standard.3 Id., ¶¶9-10. The opinion relied heavily upon Whitley v. Albers, 475 U.S. 312 , 106 S. Ct. 1078, 89 L. Ed. 2d 251, which we found was determinative of the appeal. Whitley spelled out what was required to make actionable the conduct of prison officials when a prisoner resists the maintenance of order. Id., ¶11. That case involved an alleged violation of a prisoner's right to be protected from cruel and unusual punishment under the Eight Amendment of the United States Constitution.4 The Supreme Court focused on the occurrence of unnecessary and wanton pain and suffering. It held whether the measures taken inflicted unnecessary and wanton pain and suffering turns on whether the force applied was made in a good faith effort to maintain or restore discipline or was done maliciously and sadistically for the very purpose of causing harm. Id. We noted, in determining whether the conduct was done maliciously and sadistically, Whitley found factors such as the need for the application of force, the relationship between the need and the amount of force, and the extent of injury inflicted should be considered. Id. In affirming the trial court's dismissal, we held plaintiff could prove no set of facts that would entitle him to relief. Id., ¶14. His allegations simply did not support the inference of "wantonness in the infliction of pain" which Whitley requires before a right of action will be held to exist. Id. ¶12 Over a decade after Washington, this Court reaffirmed its holding and found no reason why a private right of action for excessive force should not also be extended to pre-incarcerated detainees and arrestees pursuant to Okla. Const. art. 2, §30. Bosh v. Cherokee County Bldg. Authority, 2013 OK 9, 305 P.3d 994. In Bosh this Court answered a federal certified question and held Okla. Const. art. 2, §30 provides a private right of action for excessive force notwithstanding the limitations under the OGTCA.5 Id., ¶23. We held in ¶23 that: The OGTCA cannot be construed as immunizing the state completely from all liability for violations of the constitutional rights of its citizens. To do so would not only fail to conform to established precedent which refused to construe the OGTCA as providing blanket immunity, but would also render the Constitutional protections afforded the citizens of this State as ineffective, and a nullity. The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals examined this language several years later. ¶13 In GJA v. Oklahoma Dept. of Human Services, a father sued the Department of Human Services (DHS) and many John Doe employees for failing to stop abuse of his children while they were in the custody of their mother. 2015 OK CIV APP 32, 347 P.3d 310. The father alleged DHS violated the children's constitutional right to Due Process of Law pursuant to Bosh. Id., ¶22. DHS moved to dismiss arguing Bosh did not create an actionable claim under the facts of this case. The court determined the first inquiry is whether Bosh should be limited to its facts and holdings or does the decision stand for the proposition that the Supreme Court of Oklahoma recognizes a broader scope of actionable claims based upon violations of constitutional rights. Id., ¶26. It noted clearly the father's allegations did not involve the same or similar circumstances as in Bosh, but such a limitation fails to account for the reasoning in Bosh. Id., ¶¶28-29. After examining the quoted language in paragraph 12 of this opinion, the court determined: [t]he Court has not only adjudicated a specific claim based upon a set of facts, but also the Court made a statement of policy (upholding constitutional guarantees and protections) as its broader holding. The Court then specifically applied that broader policy statement holding to the facts of the case. Id., ¶30. It found, Bosh stood for the proposition that the protections and guarantees afforded the citizens by the state and federal constitutions represented the highest values of the people and the Supreme Court recognizes a broader scope of actionable claims based upon violations of constitutional rights. Id., ¶¶31-32. The court further found that a court's role as gatekeeper will serve to focus Bosh claims upon those acts or inactions which rise to the level of a constitutional claim without having to limit the interpretation of Bosh. Id., 35. ¶14 Following our decision in Bosh, the state legislature amended the OGTCA. On April 21, 2014, H.B. No. 2405 became effective. 2014 Okla.Sess.Laws c. 77. The Act extended the State's immunity from suit to torts arising from alleged deprivations of constitutional rights. In Barrios v. Haskell County Public Facilities Authority, we noted, prior to this amendment, the OGTCA did not expressly include immunity from such torts and therefore this Court acknowledged common law tort remedies for claims arising under the constitution. 2018 OK 90, ¶9, 432 P.3d 233. In Barrios we were asked to answer a federal certified question, i.e., "do sections 7 and 9 of Article II of the Oklahoma Constitution allow an inmate to bring a tort claim for denial of medical care notwithstanding the OGTCA's provisions providing immunity to the State from torts arising out of the 'provision, equipping, operation or maintenance of any prison, jail or correctional facility.'" Id., ¶1. We acknowledged the Legislature's long-recognized power to define the scope of the State's sovereign immunity and held the amendments in H.B. 2405 foreclosed our ability to expand the common law in a manner inconsistent with statutory law. Id. ¶12. Therefore, "because these 'constitutional' torts are now clearly 'torts' governed by the [O]GTCA, the [O]GTCA's specific prohibition against tort suits arising out of the 'operation or maintenance of any prison, jail or correctional facility' bars the claims at issue here." Id. Barrios, however, is not relevant to the present case. Payne's delayed release occurred in 2011, well before H.B. 2405 became effective. The Oklahoma Constitution further limits the effectiveness of H.B. 2405 and our decision in Barrios. Article 5, Section 52 of the Oklahoma Constitution provides: The Legislature shall have no power to revive any right or remedy which may have become barred by lapse of time, or by any statute of this State. After suit has been commenced on any cause of action, the Legislature shall have no power to take away such cause of action, or destroy any existing defense to such suit. Therefore, at the moment this cause of action accrued and at the time the suit was commenced, tort remedies for claims arising under the constitution were not expressly foreclosed. ¶15 Neither Washington nor Bosh limited a private right of action to claims based upon excessive force. Since 2002, this Court has recognized the potential for a private right of action for violations of Okla. Const. art. 2, §9. We hold a private right of action also exists for detention beyond the expiration of one's sentence under this section. Next we must establish the proper standard to be used to determine if a violation of Okla. Const. art. 2, §9's protection against cruel or unusual punishments has occurred. B. THE DEFENDANTS' STATE OF MIND IS DISPOSITIVE TO DETERMINING WHETHER PAYNE'S CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO BE PROTECTED FROM CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT HAS BEEN VIOLATED ¶16 The opinion of the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals interpreted Payne's cruel or unusual punishment claims as one based upon "excessive force" and focused on the standard discussed in Washington. However, the standard for actions based upon detention past the expiration of one's sentence is not identical. As in Washington, we turn to federal precedent to help establish the standard in this first impression issue. ¶17 In Sample v. Diecks, a prisoner was held over nine months past the expiration of his sentence. 885 F.2d 1099 (3d Cir. 1989). Upon his release, Sample filed a damages suit against Diecks, the senior records officer in the correctional facility, and Robinson, the Commissioner of the bureau of corrections pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Id. at 1103. A motion for summary judgment was filed and the magistrate determined summary judgment was inappropriate. Id. at 1106. It found Diecks violated the Eight Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment by failing to take any meaningful action in response to Sample's complaints. Id. at 1103. The magistrate also found Robinson violated Sample's right to procedural due process under the Fourteenth Amendment by failing to establish a system for a prisoner to challenge the computation of his sentence. Id. The district court adopted the findings of the magistrate. On appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed the district court's holding against Diecks but reversed and remanded on its findings concerning Robinson. Id. at 1119. ¶18 The appellate court determined whether the detention beyond expiration of a sentence violates the Eight Amendment requires two things: 1) was the detention "punishment;" and 2) was it "cruel and unusual." Sample, at 1108. It found detention beyond one's term no doubt constitutes punishment. Id. Concerning cruel and unusual punishments, the court explained the Eight Amendment prohibits punishments which, although not physically barbarous, involve the unnecessary and wanton infliction of pain, or are grossly disproportionate to the severity of the crime. Id. One class of unnecessary and wanton wrongs and the one most relevant here is those that are "totally without penological justificiation." Id. The court first noted that once any deterrent and retributive purposes were fulfilled there was no penological justification for a prisoner's continued detention. Id. However, it found that elimination of all errors in many instances would be unfeasible and accidents or mistakes are a necessary cost of any prison system and aren't repugnant to the conscience of mankind and do not violate the Eight Amendment. Id. at 1108-9. The court looked at the state of mind of the prison administrators and found more or less deference should be given based upon the situation. Id. at 1109. It determined the degree to which a harm is unnecessary in the sense of being unjustified by the exigencies of prison administration will affect the state of mind requirements a plaintiff must meet to demonstrate a prison official violated the Eight Amendment. Id. ¶19 The court found the judiciary should give a high level of deference to prison officials in cases of a prison riot, as in Whitley. Sample, at 1109. In such a case, subjecting prison officials to suits based upon an absence of due care or even deliberate indifference would result in second guessing and have a deleterious effect on the broad ambit of discretion prison officials need in such situations. Id. An official acting in good faith within that discretion, although in the process injuring a prisoner, has not inflicted cruel and unusual punishment upon that inmate. Id. However, a lesser showing of deference is required in cases of deprivation of medical care. In such situations simple malpractice under a common law negligence standard without a more culpable state of mind is not enough; but where prison officials or doctors act with deliberate indifference to serious medical needs of prisoners, they have unnecessarily and wantonly inflicted pain on inmates and thereby violated the Eight Amendment. Id. ¶20 The court found cases involving detention for a significant period beyond the term of one's sentence inflicts a harm similar to medical deprivation cases and deserved a lower level of deference. Id. In such situations, it rejected a Whitley good faith standard and found a prisoner held beyond his term need not demonstrate a prison official's role in the unwarranted detention amounted to a knowing willingness that the unjustified detention would occur or that the official acted maliciously or sadistically for the very purpose of causing harm. Id. The court held: "there can be no eight amendment liability in this context in the absence of a showing of deliberate indifference on the part of the defendant to whether the plaintiff suffers an unjustified deprivation of liberty." Id. at 1110. ¶21 After determining the Eight Amendment can be violated by a showing of deliberate indifference, the court explained the requisite elements a plaintiff must demonstrate. It found: [A] plaintiff must first demonstrate that a prison official had knowledge of the prisoner's problem and thus of the risk that unwarranted punishment was being, or would be, inflicted. Second, the plaintiff must show that the official either failed to act or took only ineffectual action under circumstances indicating that his or her response to the problem was a product of deliberate indifference to the prisoner's plight. Finally, the plaintiff must demonstrate a causal connection between the official's response to the problem and the infliction of the unjustified detention. Sample at 1110. The court noted that not all officials who are aware of a problem exhibit indifference by failing to resolve it. For example, a warden does not exhibit deliberate indifference by failing to address a sentence calculation problem brought to his attention when there are procedures in place for others to pursue the matter. Id. However, if a prison official knows, given his or her job description or role he or she has assumed in the administration that the sentencing matter will not likely get resolved unless he or she addresses it or refers it to others, then it is more likely the requisite attitude will be present. Id. ¶22 In 2010, this Court vacated an Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals decision and reversed in part the decision of the trial court granting summary judgment. Estate of Crowell v. Board of County Commissioners, 2010 OK 5, 237 P.3d 134. We held reasonable minds could differ on the issue of whether the sheriff and jail personnel acted with deliberate indifference in the delay to provide medical treatment to an inmate. Id., ¶37. A prisoner died in custody due to delayed receipt of medical attention. The personal representative of the prisoner's estate brought a civil rights action under 42 U.S.C. §1983 based upon a violation of the Eight Amendment's protection against cruel and unusual punishments. We held a prisoner must show acts or omissions sufficiently harmful to evidence deliberate indifference to serious medical needs. Id., ¶26. Deliberate indifference requires more than negligence, but less than conduct undertaken for the very purpose of causing harm. Id., ¶33. It is a state of mind more blameworthy than negligence and requires more than ordinary lack of due care for the prisoner's interests or safety. Id. An official acts with the requisite deliberate indifference when that official knows of and disregards an excessive risk to inmate health or safety; the official must both be aware of facts from which the inference could be drawn that a substantial risk of serious harm exists and he or she must also draw the inference. Id., ¶34. We noted, the sheriff, as a supervisory authority, could be held liable under §1983 if an affirmative link exists between the constitutional deprivation and either the supervisor's personal participation, his or her exercise of control or direction, or his or her failure to supervise. Id., ¶30. The sheriff has a statutory duty to provide medical care and is responsible for the proper management of the jail and proper conduct of the jail personnel. Id., ¶31. As a result, a sheriff is accountable in a §1983 action whenever he or she knew or should have known of misconduct, and yet failed to prevent future harm. Id. Where liability is based on what the defendants knew or should have known, "self-imposed ignorance" on the part of the defendants is not determinative, and a plaintiff may show the matters the defendants knew or should have known by circumstantial evidence and inference. Id. (citing Copeland v. Tela Corp., 1999 OK 81 at ¶¶8 and 10, 996 P.2d 931). ¶23 A year later, the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals reversed a judgment dismissing a petition with similar facts to Crowell. Edelen v. Board of Commissioners of Bryan County, 2011 OK CIV APP 116, 266 P.3d 660. The opinion quoted Crowell's language concerning a sheriff's liability, i.e., a sheriff may be accountable whenever a sheriff knew or should have known of the misconduct and yet failed to prevent future harm. Id., ¶8. The court found "Edelen's petition states a claim against the Sheriff based on a potential violation of the Eight Amendment to the United States Constitution pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §1983. It would also establish a violation of Okla. Const. art. 2, §9 [citing Washington]." Id. IV. CONCULSION ¶24 In the present matter, the Journal Entry and Order granting summary judgment was inappropriate. The district court ruled it was uncomfortable in extending the analysis and holding in Bosh to the claims asserted in this action and therefore there was no substantial controversy as to any material fact. The district court made no factual determinations concerning whether the remaining defendants showed the requisite state of mind to violate Payne's constitutional right to be protected from "cruel or unusual punishments" under the Oklahoma Constitution. Having determined a private right of action existed at the time Payne was detained past his sentence under Okla. Const. art. 2, §9, we reverse and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS' OPINION VACATED IN PART; JUDGMENT REVERSED AND REMANDED ¶25 Gurich, C.J., Kauger (by separate writing), Edmondson, Colbert and Combs, JJ., concur. ¶26 Darby, V.C.J., Winchester (by separate writing), Kane and Rowe (by separate writing), JJ., dissent. FOOT