Porter v. Nussle
United States Supreme Court
534 U.S. 516 (2002)
- Written by Whitney Kamerzel , JD
Facts
Ronald Nussle (plaintiff) was an inmate at a prison in Connecticut. Nussle sued corrections officers (defendants) in federal court under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging a pattern of abuse stemming from Nussle’s relationship with the governor, including a single occasion when the officers unjustifiably beat Nussle. Nussle brought the suit in federal court without using the grievance mechanism of the Prison Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PLRA). The PLRA requires prisoners to first bring suits about prison conditions through the PLRA’s grievance process before filing suit in federal court. The district court dismissed Nussle’s case for failing to exhaust administrative remedies. The court of appeals reversed, holding that the PLRA only applies to general prison conditions or a pattern of abuse, as opposed to a single instance of abuse. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Ginsburg, J.)
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