Saint Barnabas Medical Center v. County of Essex

The opinion of the Court was delivered by

STEIN, J.

The novel question for decision in this case is the extent to which a county is responsible for the hospitalization costs of an indigent county jail inmate where the inmate remains hospitalized past the termination of his sentence. The Appellate Division held that an implied contract existed between the parties obligating defendant Essex County to pay to plaintiff, Saint Barnabas Medical Center (Saint Barnabas), the full amount owing for the inmate’s hospitalization, here nearly $54,000, provided Saint Barnabas could prove that the entire…