U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
Christopher Sullivan v. Sam Benningfield
Panel
The judges who heard this appeal.
- Senior Judge Ransey Guy Cole Jr.
- Senior Judge Richard Fred Suhrheinrich
Case history
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April 4, 2019decided Decision issued in Christopher Sullivan v. Sam Benningfield
Opinions and writings
RECOMMENDED FOR FULL-TEXT PUBLICATION Pursuant to Sixth Circuit I.O.P. 32.1(b) File Name: 19a0060p.06 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT CHRISTOPHER SULLIVAN; NATHAN HASKELL; WILLIAM ┐ GENTRY, │ Plaintiffs-Appellants, │…
COLE, Chief Judge. In May 2017, Judge Sam Benningfield issued an order offering a 30-day sentencing credit to inmates in White County, Tennessee. There was one condition: to obtain the credit, inmates had to submit to sterilization. After public outcry about the sterilization-for-sentencing-credits program, Judge Benningfield issued a second order declaring that inmates could no longer enroll in the program, followed…
SUHRHEINRICH, J. dissenting: None of the Plaintiffs suffered any injury in this case. Plaintiffs' sentences were not increased; rather they served their sentences as originally ordered. Being offered contraceptive services, even being encouraged to accept free contraceptive services, is not an injury in fact for purposes of standing. Plaintiffs did not receive the vasectomies and their right to procreate has not been…