Belbachir v. McHenry

Dist. Ct. erred in granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment by defendant clinical social worker in section 1983 action alleging that several defendants at jail were deliberately indifferent to plaintiff’s risk of suicide, such that said defendants failed to prevent plaintiff’s suicide at said jail. Social worker noted that plaintiff posed suicide risk three days prior to plaintiff’s suicide and yet failed to inform anyone else of said threat in spite of record reflecting plaintiff’s deteriorating mental state. Moreover, record suggested that had plaintiff provided notice of suicide risk, others could have placed plaintiff in mental hospital or on suicide watch at jail. Dist. Ct. did not err, though, in dismissing remaining defendants since there was no evidence indicating that said defendants had any knowledge that plaintiff posed suicide risk, and any alleged failure by defendant-County to discover any deficiencies in its suicide watch policy would not have prevented plaintiff’s suicide.