United States Eighth Circuit

In a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 action by a prisoner alleging that he was unlawfully disciplined for filing a grievance, judgment for plaintiff is affirmed where: 1) the filing of a disciplinary charge was actionable under section 1983 if done in retaliation for the inmate's having filed a grievance pursuant to established procedures; 2) the district court did not clearly err in finding that defendant would not have filed the disciplinary report at issue but for a retaliatory motive; and 3) because defendant's actions resulted in only nominal compensatory damages, the district court did not err in concluding that the high ratio of punitive to compensatory damages awarded did not offend due process.

Appellate Information

• Decided 12/16/2009
• Published 12/16/2009

Judges

• GRUENDER, Circuit Judge., Before MELLOY, GRUENDER and BENTON, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Eighth Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Shawn J. Johnson, AAG, Little Rock, AR, for appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Linda S. Sheffield, Atlanta, GA, for appellee.