On December 3, 2013, a pre-trial detainee in the Sacramento County Jail filed this lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The plaintiff sued the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department, the County of Sacramento, the University of California, and the University of California Health System (UCDHS) under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and state law. Represented by private counsel, the plaintiff asked the court for monetary relief, claiming violations of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments to the US Constitution. Specifically, the plaintiff attempted to commit suicide while he was a pre-trail detainee in the jail and suffered a spinal injury that left him paralyzed and cognitively impaired for the rest of his life. Prior to the suicide attempt, the plaintiff had also been assaulted by Jail correctional officers and sexually assaulted by other inmates. The plaintiff alleged that despite knowledge his history of assaults and mental illness, the defendants failed to provide him with appropriate mental health care and failed to take adequate steps to protect him from harm.

The University of California moved to dismiss the complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state claims upon which relief can be granted. On September 10, 2015, Judge John A. Mendez granted in part and denied in part the defendant's motion to dismiss. Judge Mendez held that the University is an arm of the state and immune from state law claims in federal court. Judge Mendez also struck the plaintiff's prayer for restitution and punitive damages against UCHDS.

As of September 30, 2015, the case is ongoing.

Jessica Kincaid - 09/30/2015


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