DISCLAIMER: Any unofficial case summaries below are prepared by the clerk's office
as a courtesy to the reader. They are not part of the opinion of the court.
082781P.pdf 10/06/2009 Sandy Krout v. Luke Sawdy
U.S. Court of Appeals Case No: 08-2781
and No: 08-2815
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas - Little Rock
[PUBLISHED] [Colloton, Author, with Loken Chief Judge, and Rosenbaum,
District Judge]
Civil case - civil rights. Under the principles applicable to review of
denials of motions for summary judgment based on qualified immunity,
the court lacked jurisdiction to review the contentions of the arresting
officers that there is insufficient evidence of causation to hold them
liable for plaintiff's decedent's death; record supports district court's
denial of motion for summary judgment based on qualified immunity filed
by three officers who allegedly were present during the beating as there
was evidence to support a finding that they violated the victim's rights by
failing to intervene to stop the application of excessive force when they
had a duty and opportunity to do so; with respect to the correctional
officers at the detention facility where plaintiff's decedent was taken,
plaintiff failed to show that they were deliberately indifferent to the
victim's medical needs as they constantly reviewed his condition, spoke
to him about his need for medical assistance and summoned EMS staff to
examine him; while it is debatable whether defendant Johnson's decision
to await the arrival of EMS staff rather than attempt CPR was reasonable,
the evidence does not show that he deliberately ignored the victim's
condition and shows, at most an unreasonable judgment call which is not
sufficient to establish a constitutional violation.