The mother of an inmate who hanged himself at the beginning of his sentence can move forward with part of her lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, and prison health care providers.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted in part and denied in part motions to dismiss Wendy Summers' constitutional claims against the agencies.

In her lawsuit, Summers claimed her bipolar son, Courtney McLeod, was suffering from depression after his conviction and sentencing of two to four years in prison on burglary charges. She claimed prison officials did not properly communicate that her son was suicidal when he was transferred from one facility to another to serve his term.