9th Circuit tolls prisoner’s civil rights claims

SAN FRANCISCO — The Ninth Circuit found an Oregon federal court improperly dismissed a prisoner’s civil rights claims as time-barred. The prisoner says correctional officers denied him a decontamination shower after his skin and lungs were exposed to pepper spray. He filed his complaint after the two-year limit, but Oregon law allows the statute of limitations to be tolled when another law prevents plaintiffs from filing suit, and a federal law required the prisoner to exhaust his administrative remedies before filing the claim. Therefore the time he spent completing the prison grievance process did not count toward the statute of limitationsRead the ruling here.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads