Wood v. Sunn

865 F.2d 982, 1989 WL 1918
Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit·Decided July 27, 1988·No. No. 87-2056·Published·Cited by 20 cases

Opinion

LEAVY, Circuit Judge:

OVERVIEW

The appellee Frank H. Wood, a prison inmate at the Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) in the state of Hawaii, filed an action claiming his eighth amendment rights were violated when certain prison staff and administrators acted with deliberate indifference toward his serious medical needs. Wood, who was born with only one kidney, has a history of urological complications which has required hospitalization before and during his incarceration.1 Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Wood sued the appellants Franklin Y.K. Sunn, the director of the Department of Social Services and Housing of the State of Hawaii, which administers the state’s correctional facilities; Edwin Shimoda, administrator of the OCCC; Dr. William Haning, OCCC’s medical director and physician consultant; and Beatrice Chang, a registered nurse and administrator of the medical unit. Wood sought damages for pain, suffering, and emotional distress during the period from May 23, 1983 to October 18, 1983. Following a trial to the district court, the judge found the defendants were deliberately indifferent to Wood’s medical needs pursuant to Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97, 103, 97 S.Ct. 285, 290, 50 L.Ed.2d 251 (1976) and awarded Wood $25,000 in damages, plus costs and attorneys’ fees of $49,523.17.

[985] The prison staff and administrators claim on appeal that they are entitled to qualified immunity in light of a recent Supreme Court decision, Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S. 635, 107 S.Ct. 3034, 97 L.Ed.2d 523 (1987). They claim the district court erred in finding deliberate indifference to Wood’s medical needs. They also claim the court erred in its use of a multiplier in awarding attorneys’ fees. In addition, Dr. Haning and Nurse Chang claim they are not liable because they did not act under color of state law. We affirm on all issues except the imposition of liability on Sunn and Shi-moda and the award of attorneys’ fees.

FACTS AND PEOCEDUEAL HISTOEY

On December 2, 1982, Wood was incarcerated at OCCC. At that time he had urological complications stemming from a work-related injury and subsequent hernia operation in 1980. His symptoms included urinary tract infections, recurrent inflammations, urine retention, and neurological problems which required hospitalization several times prior to his incarceration. Upon incarceration, Wood provided OCCC’s medical staff with a history of his problems and treatment. He was placed in the medical module of the prison.

Shortly after he was incarcerated, Wood was hospitalized under the care of a urology specialist, Dr. Andrew Morgan. Dr. Morgan performed two exploratory surgeries and removed a blood clot. Wood continued to see Dr. Morgan until May 23, 1983. At that time, Dr. Morgan recommended that all antibiotics be discontinued and that cultures be taken of any new infections. He stated that Wood might require pain medication.

On May 21, 1983, Wood saw Dr. Haning for the first time. Wood complained of pain in his left testicle. Haning, who is a general practitioner, prescribed an antibiotic to treat the infection he suspected was present in the lower urinary tract.

On June 6, 1983, Dr. Birendra Huja, another OCCC general practitioner, recommended that Wood see another urologist for a second opinion with respect to Wood’s continuing complaints. Although the OCCC medical staff did not contact a second urologist, it made an appointment for Wood to see Dr. Morgan, but failed to arrange transportation.

On June 24, 1983, Wood saw Haning twice, complaining of drainage from his left scrotal area. Haning noted the area was warm to the touch and that a red, purulent material was draining from a shallow abscess. Later laboratory tests showed a staphylococcal infection was present in the abscess. Haning prescribed several antibiotics to be given twice a day for ten days. However, no prison records show that Wood received the antibiotics. From January 1983 to December 1985 there are no medical records whatsoever on Wood. Accordingly, there is no documentation of treatments or tests, if any, that Wood received subsequent to Dr. Morgan’s or any other doctor’s recommendations.

From May to October of 1983, Wood continued to report testicular pain and difficulty in urinating to the OCCC staff. He claims his requests for medical attention and treatment were ignored, and that he was taunted and accused of malingering. He required catheterization, which was done only twice a day.

On October 18, 1983, Wood was taken to Dr. Lee Simmons, a urology specialist. Dr. Simmons’ initial notes describe Wood’s problems as:

post-surgical and inflammatory neuralgia, left genital femoral nerve. This, I believe, is the patient’s source of pain.... Chronic prostatitis, low grade, active, dysfunctional voiding with history of recurrent urinary retention.... Questionable beginning hydradenitis su-purativum, left groin, and depression, reactive, situational most likely.

Simmons thought Wood needed ongoing supervision and urological overview in light of his chronic prostatic infections and problems with voiding. Dr. Simmons also recommended psychological evaluation and treatment.

Two days after seeing Dr. Simmons, Wood was admitted to the hospital for two weeks of treatment for acute urinary reten[986] tion and painful, potentially dangerous infections. Since then, Wood cannot urinate and is constantly catheterized.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The trial judge’s findings of fact, whether based on oral or documentary evidence, shall not be set aside unless clearly erroneous, and due regard shall be given to the opportunity of the trial court to judge the credibility of the witnesses. Fed.R. Civ.P. 52(a), Cooling Systems and Flexibles, Inc. v. Stuart Radiator, Inc., 777 F.2d 485, 487 (9th Cir.1985). A district court’s determinations on questions of law and on mixed questions of law and fact which implicate constitutional rights are reviewed de novo. LaDuke v. Nelson, 762 F.2d 1318, 1322 (9th Cir.1985). See, e.g., Lindquist v. Idaho State Bd. of Corrections, 776 F.2d 851, 854 (9th Cir.1985) (the issue of whether inmates were provided meaningful access to the courts is reviewed de novo).

A district court’s award of attorney fees will not be disturbed absent an abuse of discretion. Clark v. City of Los Angeles, 803 F.2d 987, 990 (9th Cir.1986).

DISCUSSION

1. Whether This Court Must Consider the Qualified Immunity Issue in Light of Anderson v. Creighton

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