Plaintiff-pretrial detainee was entitled to new trial on his section 1983 action, alleging that defendant-prison officials violated his due process rights by failing to provide him with adequate medical care, where plaintiff presented defendants with suicide risk, and where defendants failed to prevent him from attempting suicide. Although jury found in favor of defendants, Dist. Ct. gave erroneous jury instruction that required jury to ascertain defendants’ subjective belief as to whether they were deliberately indifferent to plaintiff’s medical needs, rather than requiring jury to determine whether defendants acted in objectively reasonable manner based on plaintiff’s conduct prior to his suicide attempt. Moreover, said instruction likely had determinative effect on jury’s verdict, where defendants based their defense on claim that they did not consciously fail to take reasonable measures to prevent plaintiff’s suicide attempt.
Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Prisoners