The Gold Weems Civil Rights defense team of
Steven M. Oxenhandler,
Michael J. O’Shee, and
M. Allison Johnson won an important victory for the Union Parish Detention Center. On May 21, 2018, the Louisiana State Police arrested Alyson Nale and transported her to the Union Parish Detention Center (the “UPDC”). A few months earlier, Ms. Nale contracted what is known as Renaud’s Phenomena (“Renauds”), where blood flow to a person’s extremities is reduced or stopped, thereby resulting in possible tissue death. Ms. Nale bonded out of the UPDC on June 15, 2018. While incarcerated at the UPDC, Nale claimed her Renaud’s became worse because the UPDC and its health care professionals deliberately ignored her condition and treated her in a negligent manner. Upon release from the UPDC, Ms. Nale waited almost three (3) weeks, until July 3, 2018, to go to the doctor. The tips of Ms. Nale’s first and second fingers on her left hand had to be amputated on July 12, 2018. Ms. Nale filed suit against the facility nurse and the UPDC (the Complaint is attached). To make matters worse for the UPDC, the UPDC misplaced some of Ms. Nale’s medical records. Ms. Nale hired an expert in correctional facility standard of care, Kathryn Wild. After discovery, the defendants filed a Motion for Summary Judgment, which the Court granted on January 12, 2021, dismissing all of Ms. Nale’s claims, with prejudice. Because the Court’s Memorandum Ruling is sealed, we are attaching the Complaint, Memorandum Ruling regarding limiting Ms. Wild’s testimony, and the Judgment granting summary judgment. Ms. Nale did not appeal the decision. Particularly significant was the role of Gold Weems attorney,
M. Allison Johnson, who beautifully drafted the winning Motion for Summary Judgment.
Here are links to the Complaint, Memorandum Ruling and Judgment granting Sumary Judgment