State, Department of Corrections v. Johnson

OPINION

FABE, Justice.

I. INTRODUCTION

The State appeals a jury verdict in favor of Garry Johnson, a former inmate at the Ket-chikan Correctional Center, for damages he suffered when a swinging door knocked him down a stairway. Because the superior court incorrectly instructed the jury on the duty of care that the State must exercise when building a jail, we reverse. Although we remand on the issue of whether the State breached its duty to Johnson, we find no error tainting either the jury's finding that Johnson's fall caused his injuries or its calculation of damages. We therefore remand for a…