No. 22-756

Lannette Linthicum, et al. v. Robin Wayne Smith

Lower Court: Fifth Circuit
Docketed: 2023-02-10
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response RequestedRelisted (2) Experienced Counsel
Tags: civil-procedure civil-rights clearly-established-law constitutional-rights due-process fifth-circuit medical-needs qualified-immunity standing summary-judgment summary-reversal
Key Terms:
SocialSecurity Punishment
Latest Conference: 2023-09-26 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Fifth Circuit manifestly departed from this Court's precedent by holding that authority that postdates the defendant's alleged acts can clearly establish the law for purposes of overcoming qualified immunity

Question Presented (from Petition)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED This Court has repeatedly held that cases postdating a government official’s allegedly unlawful acts are of “no use” in analyzing the clearly established prong of qualified immunity. City of Tahlequah v. Bond, 142 S. Ct. 9, 12 (2021) (per curiam); see also, e.g., Kisela v. Hughes, 138 S. Ct. 1148, 1154 (2018) (per curiam); Brosseau v. Haugen, 543 U.S. 194, 200 n.4 (2004) (per curiam). The decision below created an exception from this rule for caselaw published after the defendant’s acts that discusses pre-existing law. The Fifth Circuit joined the Second, Sixth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits in embracing this rule despite this Court’s clear precedent to the contrary. This Court has also warned lower courts against “defin[ing] clearly established law at a high level of generality.” City of Escondido v. Emmons, 139 8. Ct. 500, 503 (2019) (per curiam). And it has summarily reversed decisions that fail to heed that warning. E.g., Kisela, 138 S. Ct. at 1154-55. Nevertheless, as the dissenting judge noted, the decision below holds that an authority from an altogether different factual context clearly established the constitutional right at issue. The questions presented are: 1. Whether the Fifth Circuit manifestly departed from this Court’s precedent by holding that authority that postdates the defendant’s alleged acts can clearly establish the law for purposes of overcoming qualified immunity. 2. Whether the Fifth Circuit defined inmates’ rights to care for serious medical needs at an impermissibly high level of generality. (I)

Docket Entries

2023-10-02
Petition DENIED.
2023-06-28
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/26/2023.
2023-06-27
2023-06-12
2023-05-01
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including June 12, 2023.
2023-04-28
Motion to extend the time to file a response from May 11, 2023 to June 12, 2023, submitted to The Clerk.
2023-04-11
Response Requested. (Due May 11, 2023)
2023-03-29
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 4/14/2023.
2023-02-08
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due March 13, 2023)

Attorneys

Lannette Linthicum, et al.
Lanora Christine PettitOffice of the Texas Attorney General, Petitioner
Lanora Christine PettitOffice of the Texas Attorney General, Petitioner
Judd Edward Stone IITexas Attorney General's Office, Petitioner
Judd Edward Stone IITexas Attorney General's Office, Petitioner
Robin Wayne Smith
Devi Maheswari RaoRoderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center, Respondent
Devi Maheswari RaoRoderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center, Respondent
Daniel SyedSheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton L.L.P., Respondent
Daniel SyedSheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton L.L.P., Respondent