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Prisoner Testimony Must Be Considered in Spears Hearing
Loaded on Oct. 15, 1996
published in Prison Legal News
October, 1996, page 9
The court of appeals for the fifth circuit held that a district court abused its discretion when it heard a prisoner's testimony during a Spears hearing and then disregarded it and dismissed the complaint. Danny Eason, a Texas state prisoner, filed suit claiming his eighth amendment rights were violated when …
Filed under:
Excessive Force,
Guard Brutality/Beatings,
Restraints,
Summary Judgment,
Complaints.
Location:
Texas.
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More from this issue:
- UNICOR Hogs Body Armor Market, by Dan Pens
- Prisoners May Be Allowed to Lead Religious Services
- From the Editor, by Dan Pens
- The "Honorable Men" Defense, by Mumia Abu-Jamal
- Plaintiff Entitled to Respond to Qualified Immunity Defense
- Alleged Work Refusal Requires Trial
- Unrest in South American Prisons
- Less than Lethal Force Liability
- Smoke and Mirrors
- A Matter of Fact
- Correction
- Cause of Action Accrues on Disciplinary Reversal
- Prisoner Testimony Must Be Considered in Spears Hearing
- Texas Parole Rules on Litigants and Victim Statements Enjoined
- Extending Release Date Violates Eighth Amendment
- Attorney Fees Awarded for Opposing Motion to Vacate
- Attica: Looking Back 25 Years, by Jaan Laaman
- Jail Guards File Suit
- Fifth Circuit Applies New Standard to Detainee Claims
- MCC Settlement Upheld
- Evidence Required for Disciplinary Sanction, Sandin Questioned
- Pepper Spray Madness, by Lynn Wilson
- Pepper Spray Unsafe?
- Indigents Entitled to Full Credit for Pretrial Detention
- De Novo Review Required of Magistrate's Report
- Texas Shaving Rule Declared Illegal
- Parolee's Jail Rights Discussed
- Missouri Haircut Rule Upheld under RFRA
- No Right to Assistance in Family Law
- Retaliation for Grievance Committee Participation Requires Trial
- PI Granted in Haircut Claim
- Court Responsible for Jury Demand
- Complaint Can't Be Dismissed if Partial Filing Fee Paid
- No FLSA Protection for Work Release Prisoners
- Right to Witnesses and Court Access Well Established
- News in Brief
- Court Okays Disclosure of AIDS Status
More from these topics:
- Washington Governor Fires Independent Prison Watchdog, May 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Restraints, Administrative Detention/Segregation.
- Atlanta Jail Boasts Improvements Since Consent Decree, Reports from Monitor and ACLU Are More Critical, May 1, 2026. Staffing, Sanitation, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Consent Decrees, Bail/Pretrial Release.
- Oklahoma Supreme Court: Jail Trust Cannot Withhold Requested Records under Law Enforcement Exemption of ORA, May 1, 2026. Summary Judgment, Disclosure of Records, Public Records, Public Records Act, Statutory Construction/Interpretation.
- Six Maryland Guards Convicted in Prisoner’s Beating, Cover-up; § 1983 Suit Filed, May 1, 2026. Guard Brutality/Beatings, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Obstruction of Justice, Wrongful Use of Force, Evidence - Destruction/Fabrication/Manipulation of.
- Nevada Non-Profit Founder Under Investigation for Misconduct, May 1, 2026. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Staff-Prisoner Harassment, Contractor Misconduct, Complaints, Restrictions, discrimination.
- Indiana DOC Found in Violation of State Public Records Act for Withholding Execution Drug Cost Information, May 1, 2026. Summary Judgment, First Amendment, Public Records Act, Interlocutory Appeals, Lethal Injection Method of Execution.
- Judge Denies New York Prison Chief’s Motion to be Dismissed from Case Related to Robert Brooks’ Murder, May 1, 2026. Work Strikes, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Failure to Train/Supervise, Police--Excessive Force, Deliberate Indifference.
- Eighth Circuit Revives Lawsuit Over Iowa Jail Detainee’s Suicide, April 1, 2026. Summary Judgment, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides.
- $10.3 Million Paid for Teen’s Death at Kansas Juvenile Detention Facility, April 1, 2026. Restraints, Qualified Immunity, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Wrongful Use of Force.
- Eighth Circuit Rules Iowa Prisoner’s Adverse Summary Judgment Is Not a “Strike”, March 1, 2026. Filing Fees (PLRA), Frivolous Litigation (PLRA), Summary Judgment, Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Access To Courts.

