Abuse of Discretion 8th Amendment violation.

Byline: Derek Hawkins

7th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: James V. Pennewell v. James Parish, et al.

Case No.: 18-3029

Officials: BAUER, MANION, and ROVNER, Circuit Judges.

Focus: Abuse of Discretion 8th Amendment violation

James Pennewell is a Wisconsin state prisoner who became legally blind while incarcerated. He filed a pro se complaint alleging numerous defendants were deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The district court held that based on his adequate pleadings he was competent to litigate the case alone during the advanced pre-trial stages of the litigation. Because this determination was an abuse of discretion and the district court failed to give Pennewell's motion particularized...