Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Livingston County is again seeking to have a 2018 wrongful death lawsuit involving a jail inmate dismissed.

The case involves the death of 54-year-old John Griswold, who died in custody after showing signs of illness. In 2018, law enforcement officers arrested John Griswold after a domestic disturbance. He admitted to taking several pills that were later identified as ulcer medication. After being medically cleared by doctors and discharged from then St. Joseph Mercy Livingston Hospital, the officers placed Griswold in a jail cell. He died several hours later.

Griswold’s estate sued several jail officials alleging deliberate indifference in violation of his constitutional rights.

On May 11th, the 6th Circuit United States Court of Appeals issued a published decision in the case reversing the federal court’s denial of qualified immunity to the remaining individual Livingston County defendants. In reversing the decision, the court said the jail officials are entitled to qualified immunity.

Back in 2025, Sheriff Mike Murphy and three deputies were dismissed from the case. Trinity Health Michigan remains a defendant.

Meanwhile, Livingston County just this week filed a motion in federal court for reconsideration given the Appeals Court ruling. The motion referenced that the panel held that the Estate failed to establish that the law was clearly established in October 2018 because “Griswold's medical condition did not satisfy the objective prong of the Farmer v. Brennan deliberate indifference test”.

Livingston County is now asking that the Court “reconsider its decision given the change and find that the County is entitled to dismissal.

The motion was filed July 7th. A status conference originally set for that same day has been moved out twice and is now scheduled for July 15th before Judge Robert White.

The opinion and motion are attached.