Smith v. Department of Corrections

¶1

Melnick, J.

Joyce Smith, individually and in her capacity as personal representative of the estate of her husband James Smith,1 appeals from the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in the Department of Corrections’ (DOC) favor. The Estate argues that DOC negligently supervised an offender on community custody, causing the offender to murder James Smith. We conclude that because DOC promptly issued an arrest warrant for the offender after he absconded and it had no information about his whereabouts, DOC had no further duty to control the offender. Additionally, the Estate failed to…