A Federal appeals court upheld a lower court's finding that South Carolina prison officials did not subject Anthony Tyrone Williams, who is HIV-positive, to cruel and unusual punishment by refusing to fill his medication requests. Williams charged that officials and health care workers were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs while he was awaiting trial in the Berkeley County jail. Prison officials refused his request for Darvocet, a narcotic, and Restoril, a sleep aid, although drugs to treat his other conditions were provided. The prison nurse could not be held liable because she was not permitted to dispense the drugs. The appeals court also rejected Williams' claim that he was denied his due-process right to be free from the use of excessive force. Prison gaurds sprayed Williams with pepper mace after he threatened to sling blood at them. The court said the effects of the spray were minimal and officials followed proper clean up procedures.

Analgesics, Opioid/*THERAPEUTIC USE Civil Rights/*LEGISLATION & JURISPRUD *HIV Seropositivity Human Male *Prisoners Refusal to Treat/*LEGISLATION & JURISPRUD South Carolina NEWSLETTER ARTICLE

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