In Wiertella v. Lake County, 141 F.4th 775 (6th Cir. 2025), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit allowed our clients’ civil rights claims to go forward to trial against two nurses at the Lake County, Ohio jail.
What happened
Randy Wiertella entered the Lake County Adult Detention Facility in December 2018 to serve a short sentence. Jail medical staff knew he needed daily medication for serious conditions, including hypertension. He did not receive it, and he died in the jail eight days after booking. His estate sued under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for deliberate indifference to his serious medical needs.
What the court held
The nurses argued qualified immunity, which shields government employees from suit unless they violated a clearly established constitutional right. The Sixth Circuit rejected that defense on June 24, 2025, and later denied rehearing en banc. The court held that prior case law clearly established that jail medical staff who know a person needs essential medication and fail to act can violate the Constitution.
Why it matters
Qualified immunity ends many civil rights cases before a jury ever hears them. Wiertella confirms that in the Sixth Circuit (Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Tennessee), failing to provide known, essential medication to a person in custody is not protected by qualified immunity. The case later resolved.
The Petrov Group Co., LPA represents employees and people whose civil rights were violated in Cleveland and across Northeast Ohio. Call 216-621-3500.