While in Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility, Martin Crowson suffered from a metabolic encephalopathy – a serious health problem that could lead to permanent brain damage.
The jail had no written policies related to its core healthcare functions and instead relied on a largely absentee physician to provide treatment. As a result, the jail’s medical personnel simply assumed Mr. Crowson was detoxing and treated him for substance withdrawal instead of conducting the necessary diagnostic tests and treating him appropriately. This worsened his condition and delayed access to the care he actually required.
Mr. Crowson filed an action in the district court against the jail nurse and absentee doctor who failed to treat him appropriately. He also brought suit against the county, alleging that its undertrained staff and lack of written protocols for monitoring, diagnosing, and treating detainees led to Mr. Crowson’s poor treatment.
The district court sided with Mr. Crowford, denying summary judgment to the nurse, doctor, and county, finding that the jail’s healthcare policies were “severely lacking” and reasoning that Mr. Crowson’s “maltreatment can be seen as an obvious consequence” of the county’s failures.
The MacArthur Justice Center (MJC), alongside the Schriever Law Firm, represented Mr. Crowson in the nurse, doctor and county’s appeal to the Tenth Circuit.
UPDATE
The Tenth Circuit granted summary judgment to the nurse and qualified immunity to the doctor but held the claim against the county could move forward, explaining that it cannot escape liability for systemic failures.
The county petitioned for rehearing and rehearing en banc, which MJC opposed. The Tenth Circuit denied the county’s petition, allowing Mr. Crowson’s claim to proceed to trial.
The county also petitioned for certiorari at the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking review of the decision. The Supreme Court denied the petition.