The Michigan Supreme Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the Kent County Sheriff’s Department for failing to take a mentally ill man into protective custody before he killed himself.
The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Rick Pluta reports.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Department acknowledges it did not follow its own procedures when it delayed executing a warrant requested by Stephen Bradley’s family to him to hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Nine days after the warrant was issued, Bradley committed suicide nine.
Courts dismissed a wrongful death suit filed by Bradley’s sister. That’s because governments are immune from most civil lawsuits filed by people who not satisfied with how a service is performed. The sister went back to a judge seeking a contempt of court order. The Michigan Supreme Court ruled that was effectively the same lawsuit – it made the same arguments and demanded the same damages – and dismissed it, as well.
