Prisoner Can Sue After Medical Emergency Led to Impotence

An Oklahoma inmate can move forward with most of his claims that jail officials were indifferent to his medical emergency, likely resulting in his permanent impotence, the Tenth Circuit said.

Dustin Lance was held in a detention center in McAlester, Okla. Lance ingested a pill given to him by another inmate and suffered priapism, a persistent and painful erection. Lance alleges that prison staff ignored his requests for medical attention for three days before finally taking him to a hospital.

That facility was unable to help him and recommended he go to another hospital, but Lance was allegedly taken back ...