Norfleet v. Webster

Armond Norfleet suffers from arthritis. While incarcerated in a federal prison at Milan, Michigan ("Milan"), Norfleet was given certain medical treatments for his arthritis, including Naprosyn and soft-soled shoes for his aching feet. On May 22, 2002, he was transferred to the federal prison at Terre Haute, Indiana ("Terre Haute"), where the medical authorities were not as sympathetic to his joint problems. A doctor at Terre Haute concluded the soft-soled shoes and other treatments were unnecessary, and pursuant to prison policy the drugs Norfleet had been taking for his pain were curtailed. Norfleet sued, naming five prison officials, claiming that they had been deliberately indifferent to his serious medical needs in violation of the Eighth Amend- ment. The district court granted summary judgment to three of the defendants, but denied it as to Dr. Thomas Webster, Clinical Director at Terre Haute in charge of the medical care and treatment of all inmates, and physician assistant Alejandro Hadded, whose duties included scheduling appointments for inmates to receive their prescribed drugs. Before us is the governments appeal of that denial. Seeing things differently than the district court, and agreeing with the government, we reverse.