Johnson v. Davis County

CourtDistrict Court, D. Utah
DecidedFebruary 17, 2021
Docket1:18-cv-00080
StatusUnknown

This text of Johnson v. Davis County (Johnson v. Davis County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Utah primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Johnson v. Davis County, (D. Utah 2021).

Opinion

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF UTAH

SUSAN JOHNSON, for herself and on behalf MEMORANDUM DECISION AND of minor child X.H., MR. HAYES, and the ORDER GRANTING [74] ESTATE OF GREGORY HAYES, DEFENDANTS’ MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT AND Plaintiffs, DENYING [97] PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR PARTIAL SUMMARY JUDGMENT v.

DAVIS COUNTY; SHERIFF TODD Case No. 1:18-cv-00080-DBB RICHARDSON; DANIEL LAYTON; JOHN DOES 1-5, District Judge David Barlow

Defendants.

Before the court are the parties’ cross motions for partial summary judgment.1 The parties seek summary resolution of two causes of action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and do not argue the merits of a separate cause of action under the Utah Constitution.2 In their briefing, Plaintiffs agreed to dismiss claims against Defendant Sheriff Todd Richardson, in his official capacity, and to dismiss punitive damages claims against Defendant Davis County.3 Having reviewed the evidence, the briefing, and relevant law, the court rules as follows.

1 ECF Nos. 74, 97. Plaintiffs original summary judgment motion, ECF No. 75, was amended on February 3, 2021. See ECF No. 97. Accordingly, the earlier motion at ECF No. 75 is terminated. 2 Plaintiffs’ first and second causes of action are for relief under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and their third cause of action seeks relief under Article I, Section 9 of the Utah Constitution. See Amended Complaint, ECF No. 27 at 8, 10, 12. 3 Plaintiffs’ Amended Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment, ECF No. 98; see ECF No. 27 at 11 ¶¶ 10, 49, 57. BACKGROUND The Incident On October 19, 2017, Gregory Hayes was booked into the Davis County Jail.4 The booking officers took from Hayes the prescription medications in his possession, which included a total of twenty-three clonazepam tablets and nineteen buprenorphine tablets.5 Hayes had been

incarcerated multiple times before and had become an “inmate worker,” so some of the jail staff knew him quite well.6 On December 13, 2017, the State of Utah’s Second Judicial District Court ordered Hayes’ release.7 The jail released him, returning his prescription medications.8 John Herndon, Hayes’ probation officer, arranged to have Hayes live with his brother Andrew Hayes.9 Andrew Hayes picked Hayes up from the jail and took him to Andrew Hayes’ house.10 Later that day, Hayes learned that his estranged wife was dating someone else.11 That evening, Andrew Hayes called Herndon and told him that Hayes was “high” and that he didn’t know what to do.12 Andrew Hayes then called 911 and an ambulance, and police arrived a short time later.13

4 ECF No. 72, Exh. A to Defendants’ Motion for Summary Judgment at HAY0127. 5 Id. at HAY0003, 9. 6 ECF No. 73, Exh. G, Baer Depo. at 26–27; id., Exh. H, Reid Depo. at 45–46. 7 ECF No. 72, Exh. A at HAY0037. 8 Id. at HAY0003, 36; ECF No. 73, Exh. M, Richardson Depo. at 73–76. 9 ECF No. 72, Exh. B, Andrew Hayes Depo. at 16–17. To avoid confusion, the court refers to Andrew Hayes only by his full name and refers to Gregory Hayes as Hayes. 10 Id. at 21. 11 Id. at 26–27. 12 Id.; ECF No. 72, Exh. D, Herndon Depo. at 13–14, 42–43; id., Exh. B at 33. 13 ECF No. 72, Exh. B at 26–27, 34. Officer Heather Arnell responded to the call and requested that an ambulance stand by.14 Arnell observed Hayes’ behavior as “lethargic, groggy, perspiring, and had slurred speech.”15 Arnell asked Hayes if he wanted medical attention and Hayes refused, saying he was fine and did not need help.16 Arnell then told dispatch to cancel the ambulance.17 Hayes told Arnell that he had taken three clonazepam tablets and two over-the-counter sleeping pills.18 His clonazepam

prescription indicated he should take one or two pills per day as needed for his anxiety.19 During a search of Hayes’ person by another officer, Arnell observed some blue sleeping pills fall out of Hayes’ pocket.20 Officer Arnell spoke to Herndon because Hayes may have been abusing his prescription medications, possibly in violation of probation orders.21 Assuming the police had criminal charges against Hayes, Herndon asked Arnell to take Hayes to jail and indicated he would meet them there.22 Arnell arrested Hayes and transported him to Davis County Jail where they met Herndon.23 Herndon did not have much interaction with the arresting officer or the booking officer at the jail, but he had a short discussion with Hayes while awaiting Hayes’ booking.24 Hayes told Herndon that he took two of his prescription clonazepam.25 Herndon described Hayes as slow at

14 ECF No. 73, Exh. E, Arnell Depo. at 9–10. 15 Id. 16 Id., Exh. E at 11; see id. Exh. F; ECF No. 72, Exh. B at 38. 17 ECF No. 73, Exh. E at 11; id., Exh. F. 18 Id., Exh. E at 25, 26; id., Exh. F. 19 ECF No. 73, Exh. E at 26. 20 Id. at 28. 21 Id. at 13; see id., Exh. F (the Arnell police report). 22 ECF No. 72, Exh. D at 43–4; ECF No. 73, Exh. E at 14; id., Exh. F. 23 ECF No. 73, Exh. E at 15. 24 ECF No. 72, Exh. D at 29, 33. 25 ECF No. 66, IMG_0671.MOV (video taken by Herndon of a brief discussion with Hayes). answering and sweating.26 Herndon requested a 72-hour hold order on Hayes from the Second District court, and that request was granted.27 Sergeant Kelcie Baer booked Hayes into the jail on the evening of December 13, 2017.28 Baer estimated that about 95% of those being booked into Davis County Jail are intoxicated.29 Intake officers are trained to use sound judgment to determine “is this just normal intoxication,

or do we need to get medical up here to evaluate?”30 To determine an inmate’s level of intoxication, Baer would assess “if they can walk into intake, talk on their own,” and answer processing questions.31 If the inmate could not answer these questions, Baer would call medical staff to respond.32 When asked about medications, Hayes told Baer that he takes one and a half to two tablets of medication each day and that they are 8 milligrams each, for a total of 16 milligrams.33 Hayes told Baer this was his normal dose.34 Baer did not recall the name of the medication, though Hayes came in with two medication bottles and they were provided to medical staff.35 Baer “could tell that [Hayes] took his medications, but he was compliant with” Baer’s requests.36 “[Hayes] had to have help putting his hands on the counter in front of him, but

26 ECF No. 72, Exh. D at 33, 35, 36. 27 Id. at 16; id., Exh. A at HAY0184. 28 ECF No. 73, Exh. G at 19. 29 Id. 30 Id. at 15. 31 Id. at 12. 32 Id. 33 ECF No. 66, IMG_0673.MOV (video taken by Herndon of Hayes answering Baer’s questions at intake). 34 ECF No. 73, Exh. G at 25. 35 Id. at 24. The bottles were prescription clonazepam and a bottle of over-the-counter sleep aid, Tylenol PM. ECF No. 72, Exh. A at HAY0086. 36 ECF No. 73, Exh. G at 29. he answered all of [Baer’s] questions perfectly fine.”37 The intake officers tried but were unable to obtain a urinalysis sample from Hayes.38 After completing the intake process, Baer gave Hayes a blanket and put him in an intake cell.39 He was not admitted to the facility’s general population. Officer Reid arrived at the jail on the evening of December 13, 2017, and Hayes was

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Johnson v. Davis County, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-v-davis-county-utd-2021.