Bell v. Johnson.

• Position: ACCESS TO COURT - Brief Article

U.S. Appeals Court

RETALIATION

Bell v. Johnson, 308 F.3d 594 (6th Cir. 2002). A former state inmate sued prison officers, alleging that they retaliated against him in violation of the First Amendment because he filed a civil rights lawsuit. The district court granted judgment as a matter of law in favor of the officers and the inmate appealed. The appeals court reversed and remanded, finding that the inmate engaged in protected conduct when he filed his initial complaint against the officers, and that the officers were not entitled to qualified immunity. The inmate alleged that the officers...