Smith v. Pierce County
United States District Court for the Western District of Washington
218 F. Supp. 3d 1220 (2016)
- Written by Kyli Cotten, JD
Facts
Matthew Smith, a 47-year-old man, was arrested and held in a county jail (defendant) for six weeks. The medical staff at the jail was aware that Matthew suffered from Crohn’s disease. Matthew began to suffer from symptoms of Crohn’s and ultimately died from complications while awaiting medical treatment. Matthew’s parents, Ben and Nona Smith (the Smiths) (plaintiffs) brought suit against Pierce County, the jail, and jail officials (defendants) under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The Smiths alleged that their substantive-due-process rights were violated through loss of association with their son. The county filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s prevailing approach that finds such a right to exist is erroneous because the Supreme Court has found such a right to exist only in the case of minor children.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Settle, J.)
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