Rees v. Jones

Order Ralph Rees spent almost 40 years in Indiana's mental hospitals until his discharge in 1971. He was billed almost $40,000 for room and board, without credit for work he performed while a patient. In early 1986 Rees settled his bill for $20,000. About six months later, with new counsel, he filed this suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 demanding the $20,000 back, plus compensation for services rendered between 1931 and 1971. He named as defendants Indiana's Department of Mental Health and Dennis Jones, its current Commissioner. The district court dismissed the complaint against Jones in his individual capacity because Rees had not provided sufficient detail concerning Jones's personal acts. The complaint did not allege that Jones was Commissioner during 1931 to 1971 or took any personal role in decisions concerning Rees' case. Rees' brief essentially abandons any attempt to hold Jones personally liable, and we therefore need not decide what allegations of personal involvement would satisfy Fed. R. Civ. P. 8.