Corey Rae Willis v. John “Bob” Faulkner, et al.

Summary

The United States District Court for the District of Nevada grants defendants’ motion for summary judgment in Corey Rae Willis’s 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action alleging deliberate medical indifference under the Eighth Amendment. The court assumes without deciding that Willis exhausted his claims under the PLRA and concludes that the defendants are entitled to qualified immunity because Willis did not show that they violated a clearly established constitutional right.

Holdings

1. Defendants were entitled to qualified immunity because Willis failed to identify a sufficiently similar precedent clearly establishing that their alleged conduct violated the Eighth Amendment under the specific circumstances presented.
2. The record did not establish a genuine dispute of material fact because Willis failed to show that defendants knew he had not received his medication or that delivery of the medication was their direct responsibility.

Questions Presented

1. Whether defendants were entitled to qualified immunity on Willis's Eighth Amendment deliberate-indifference claim.
2. Whether the evidentiary record presented a genuine dispute of material fact concerning defendants' knowledge of, and responsibility for, the alleged interruption in Willis's medication.
3. Whether the court should reach defendants' arguments concerning PLRA exhaustion and punitive damages after resolving the case on qualified immunity.

Disposition

other