Passwater v. Pretorius

Plaintiff, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was placed on constant suicide watch while an inmate at a state correctional facility. The prison’s psychiatrist ordered that plaintiff be given a dose of psychotropic medication, which resulted in adverse effects that exacerbated plaintiff’s psychosis and resulted in him engaging in severe self-harm. Plaintiff filed a lawsuit alleging that defendants exhibited deliberate indifference to his medical needs in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The district court granted summary judgment for the defendants and plaintiff appealed. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding that no reasonable jury could find in the plaintiff’s favor. (RIPPLE and KIRSCH, concurring)