DENNIS WIERTELLA, as father and administrator of the estate of Randy Wiertella, deceased v. LAKE COUNTY, OHIO, DIANA SNOW, RN and CHRISTINA WATSON, RN, in their individual and official capacities - Articles

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DENNIS WIERTELLA, as father and administrator of the estate of Randy Wiertella, deceased v. LAKE COUNTY, OHIO, DIANA SNOW, RN and CHRISTINA WATSON, RN, in their individual and official capacities

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jun 24, 2025

Head Comment: With separate dissenting opinion from READLER

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ON BRIEF: Kathleen M. Minahan, MEYERS, ROMAN, FRIEDBERG, & LEWIS, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellants. Daniel P. Petrov, Sarah E. Wyss, THORMAN PETROV GROUP CO., LPA, Shaker Heights, Ohio, for Appellee.

Attorneys 2: NA

Judge(s): GILMAN, READLER, and BLOOMEKATZ, Circuit Judges

RONALD LEE GILMAN, Circuit Judge. Randy Wiertella died in the Lake County Adult Detention Facility (the Jail) on the morning of December 10, 2018. Dennis Wiertella, as the Administrator of the Estate of Randy Wiertella (the Estate), filed suit on behalf of the Estate. The Estate brought several claims, including a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim that Wiertella’s constitutional rights under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments were violated by Jail staff Diane Snow, RN, and Christina Watson, LPN. Snow and Watson filed a motion for summary judgment, seeking dismissal on the basis of qualified immunity. The district court denied their motion. For the reasons set forth below, we AFFIRM the decision of the district court and REMAND the case for further proceedings on the Estate’s § 1983 claim.

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