Jacob C. Brier v. Titianna Moody, WCU Kitchen Supervisor, et al.

Summary

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana grants defendants’ motion for summary judgment in Jacob C. Brier’s Eighth Amendment conditions-of-confinement action. The court concludes that Brier failed to exhaust the available prison grievance process before filing suit and that he presented no evidence showing exhaustion or unavailability of administrative remedies. The clerk is instructed to enter judgment for defendants and close the case.

Holdings

1. A prisoner must exhaust available administrative remedies before filing an action concerning prison conditions; when the prisoner files suit before exhaustion, the action must be dismissed and the court may not resolve the merits.
2. Summary judgment was warranted for Defendants because the undisputed evidence showed that Brier did not exhaust an available grievance process before filing suit, and Brier offered no contrary evidence or evidence that the process was unavailable.

Questions Presented

1. Whether Defendants established that Brier failed to exhaust available administrative remedies before filing his prison-conditions action.
2. Whether Defendants were entitled to summary judgment based on the undisputed grievance records and Brier's failure to respond.

Disposition

other