Brian Keith Sherrell v. Maui Community Correctional Center, Department of Public Safety, and Jillian Bermejo-Barrera

Summary

The United States District Court for the District of Hawaii grants Defendant Jillian Bermejo-Barrera’s motion for summary judgment in Brian Keith Sherrell’s 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleging deliberate indifference to serious medical needs in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The court concludes that Sherrell failed to present evidence showing Bermejo-Barrera’s subjective awareness of and deliberate disregard for a serious medical risk, or that her conduct caused his alleged injuries. The court therefore enters judgment for Bermejo-Barrera and does not reach qualified immunity.

Holdings

1. Sherrell presented sufficient evidence for a reasonable trier of fact to conclude that his knee injury constituted a serious medical need.
2. Sherrell failed to raise a genuine dispute that Bermejo-Barrera knew of and deliberately disregarded an excessive risk to his health or safety.
3. Sherrell failed to raise a genuine dispute that Bermejo-Barrera's alleged conduct was the actual and proximate cause of his knee replacement or extreme pain.
4. The court did not need to reach qualified immunity because it determined that Bermejo-Barrera committed no constitutional violation.

Questions Presented

1. Whether Bermejo-Barrera violated the Eighth Amendment by acting with deliberate indifference to Sherrell's serious medical needs.
2. Whether a genuine dispute of material fact precluded summary judgment on the § 1983 deliberate-indifference claim.
3. Whether Bermejo-Barrera was entitled to qualified immunity.

Disposition

other