Ex Parte Harvey Ruffin, Shelton Patterson, Sandra Giles, and Kenneth Jones (in Re Thomas Donahey, Jr. v. Harvey…

Summary

The court granted the correctional officers' petition for a writ of mandamus and directed the circuit court to enter summary judgment for them on immunity grounds. The officers established State-agent immunity for the state-law negligence, wantonness, and recklessness claims, qualified immunity for the Eighth Amendment claim, and sovereign or statutory immunity for claims seeking damages in their official capacities. The uncontroverted evidence showed that the attack was spontaneous and that Donahey offered no evidence establishing an applicable immunity exception or deliberate indifference.