Minnesota Law’s Civil Rights Appellate Clinic Wins Case in the U.S. Court of Appeals on Behalf of Survivors of a Veteran who Died in Prison

A student team from one of Minnesota Law’s newest clinics, the Civil Rights Appellate Clinic, took on the appeal as one of its inaugural cases and won. The main issue was whether the district court erred in denying the defendants’ motion to dismiss based on qualified immunity. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit unanimously affirmed the ruling, denying the corrections officers qualified immunity and allowing the case to proceed.

The lawsuit, filed in 2022 on behalf of Andrew Campbell’s estate and surviving child, alleges violations of his Eighth Amendment rights by eight defendants—two prison guards and six supervisory officials in the Georgia Department of Corrections. It argues that they were deliberately indifferent to Campbell’s known high risk for suicide, regularly disregarded suicide protocol, and oversaw a prison that was understaffed and lacked sufficient training to prevent suicides.

This case embodies the mission of the clinic, says clinic director Elizabeth Bentley, visiting assistant professor of law. Through its seminar and casework, the clinic aims to help students develop appellate advocacy skills in state and federal courts while working to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to live as their fullest self, with dignity and respect. 

Read the full story in the digital edition of Minnesota Law magazine.