United States Ninth Circuit

Summary judgment for defendants in a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 action brought by a Washington state prisoner who alleged that the continuous twenty-four-hour illumination of his cell violated the Eighth Amendment is reversed and remanded, where: 1) material issues of fact existed as to the brightness of the continuous lighting in plaintiff's cell, as to the effect on him of the continuous lighting, and as to whether the defendant officials were deliberately indifferent; and 2) even if it were possible for a defendant to defeat an Eighth Amendment conditions of confinement claim at summary judgment by showing a legitimate penological interest, defendants failed to make such a showing in this case.

Appellate Information

• Decided 01/16/2014
• Published 01/16/2014

Judges

• FLETCHER

Court

• United States Ninth Circuit

Counsel