Missouri Prisoner Plaintiffs Win Appeal Supported by Paul, Weiss Amicus Brief

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court decision granting class certification in a lawsuit brought by three Missouri inmates alleging inadequate medical screening and care of prisoners with chronic Hepatitis C (HCV). Paul, Weiss submitted an amicus brief on behalf of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in the case, which alleges that the Missouri Department of Corrections violated prisoners’ Eighth Amendment rights as well as the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The amicus brief argued that recent drug advancements have revolutionized HCV treatment, but that almost none of Missouri’s prisoners with HCV receive such treatment; that Missouri’s prison healthcare provider is single-mindedly focused on costs; that courts in similar cases have certified plaintiff classes; and that expanded treatment would yield enormous social benefits. The lawsuit, which will now proceed, could change how HCV is treated inside Missouri state prisons.

The Paul, Weiss team included litigation partners Andrew Ehrlich and Gregory Laufer, counsel Robert Kravitz and associates Arielle Linsey, Nicholas Caselli and Victoria Black.