Court Says Double-Amputee Prisoner Can Sue Warden Over Cell

DETROIT (AP) — A lawsuit can go forward against a Michigan prison warden who placed a double-amputee prisoner in a cell that wasn't built for the disabled.

In a 3-0 decision Friday, a federal appeals court says Susan Davis doesn't have immunity. Martinique Stoudemire says her rights were violated when she was forced to crawl from her bed to a toilet.

Stoudemire says she had one shower in two weeks while in segregation for an infection at the Huron Valley prison in 2006. The segregation occurred after her third amputation.

Davis, now retired, was warden at Huron Valley at the time. She claims she was never informed that Stoudemire's needs weren't being met.

But the appeals court says Davis can't "hide behind" medical staff. The court says she was aware of Stoudemire's condition.