Estelle v. Gamble
| Estelle v. Gamble | |
|---|---|
| Argued October 5, 1976 Decided November 30, 1976 | |
| Full case name | Estelle, Corrections Director, et al. v. J. W. Gamble |
| Citations | 429 U.S. 97 (more) 97 S. Ct. 285; 50 L. Ed. 2d 251; 1976 U.S. LEXIS 175 |
| Holding | |
| In order to state a cognizable Section 1983 claim for a violation of Eighth Amendment rights, a prisoner must allege acts or omissions sufficiently harmful to evidence deliberate indifference to serious medical needs, and that medical malpractice did not rise to the level of "cruel and unusual punishment" simply because the victim was a prisoner. | |
| Court membership | |
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| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Marshall, joined by Burger, Brennan, Stewart, White, Powell, Rehnquist |
| Concurrence | Blackmun (in the judgment) |
| Dissent | Stevens |
Estelle v. Gamble, 429 U.S. 97 (1976), was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States established the standard of what a prisoner must plead in order to claim a violation of Eighth Amendment rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Specifically, the Court held that a prisoner must allege acts or omissions sufficiently harmful to evidence deliberate indifference to serious medical needs. Though the Court credited Gamble's complaint that doctors had failed to provide appropriate care, it held that medical malpractice did not rise to the level of "cruel and unusual punishment" simply because the victim is a prisoner.