Porter v. Epps

EDWARD C. PRADO, Circuit Judge:

Defendant Christopher Epps, the Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (“MDOC”), appeals the district court’s denial of his motion for judgment as a matter of law or, in the alternative, motion for a new trial. The jury found Epps liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for violating Will Porter’s constitutional rights by unlawfully incarcerating him for fifteen months beyond the expiration of his sentence. Because we find Epps is entitled to qualified immunity, we reverse.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Porter received a five-year sentence after he…