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Death Row Eulogy
Loaded on Oct. 15, 1999
by Van Poyck, William
published in Prison Legal News
October, 1999, page 3
By William Van Poyck
Filed under:
Guard Misconduct,
Eulogies,
Crime/Demographics,
Prison/Jail Murders,
Excessive Force,
Guard Brutality/Beatings.
Location:
Florida.
On July 17, 1999, my friend and co-defendant, Frank Valdes, was stomped and beaten to death in his X-Wing cell by a large group of Florida State Prison (FSP) guards. As FSP prisoners know only too well, this beating was uncommon only because Frank actually died. …
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More from this issue:
- Insanity, Brutality and Fatality: Florida's X-Wing Marks the End of the Line, by Dan Pens
- Death Row Eulogy, by Van Poyck, William
- Worst of the Worst?
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Florida Jail Workers Busted in Bribery Investigation
- Pro Se Tips and Tactics (Discovery), by John Midgley
- Georgia Court Access Consent Decree Terminated
- Arizona DOC Settles Sexual Abuse Suit
- ADOC Settlement Terms
- FBI Investigates CCA-Run INS Center in New Jersey
- Pro Se Texas Prisoner Awarded $1.08 Million in Failure to Protect Suit
- Media Interview Protected Free Speech
- Florida Jail Guard Found Guilty in Prisoner's Death
- Tough on Prisoners Florida Sheriff Avoids Prison
- Supreme Court Holds PLRA Attorney Fee Cap Inapplicable to Work Performed Before Enactment
- PLRA Attorney Fee Limits Not Retroactive in Second Circuit
- Utah Jail Settles ADA Suit
- $90,000 Settlement in Utah Jail Suicide
- CDC Settles Excessive Force Suit for $1,000, by John Gann
- Private Transportation Company Liable Under 42 USC § 1983
- Michigan's Female Prisoners Have Educational Parity
- Go Directly to Jail: At the Academy in Alpharetta, Men Pay Big Bucks to Pretend They're in Prison, by Dan Savage
- Concealment of Info Tolls Statute of Limitations
- Texas Settles with Hanged Prisoner's Family
- Prison Officials Waive Untimely Asserted Heck Defense
- Racial Segregation in Double Celling Unconstitutional
- Georgia Parole Regulation Still Ex Post Facto
- Feds Not Obligated to Accept State-Ordered Concurrent Sentence, by Ronald Young
- CDC Whistleblower Gets $1.7 Million
- Alabama Prison Officials Held in Contempt Again
- News in Brief
- BOP Sentence Reduction Exclusion Based on INS Detainer Upheld, by Ronald Young
- Perp Walks Unconstitutional According to New York Federal Court
More from Van Poyck, William:
- Death Row Eulogy, Oct. 15, 1999
- How the Florida DOC Circumvents Prisoners' Rights to Meaningful Access to the Courts, Feb. 15, 1996
- Unconstitutionality of Florida's Outdoor Yard Policies for Close Management Prisoners, Jan. 15, 1995
More from these topics:
- CoreCivic’s Long Record of Abuse and Neglect in Tennessee, June 1, 2026. Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Systemic Medical Neglect, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Medical Neglect/Malpractice.
- Alabama Prison Warden Reportedly Arrested and Walked Off Job, June 1, 2026. Corrections Corporation of America/CoreCivic, Guard Misconduct, DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct.
- Warden, Four Other Louisiana Jailers Indicted for Brutalizing Compliant Detainees with Riot Shield, June 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Stun Guns/Tasers, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Wrongful Use of Force.
- $112,500 Paid to Former New Mexico Prisoner Denied Public Records of Excessive Force by Guards, June 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Settlements, Public Records Act, False Imprisonment.
- Former Georgia Prison Warden Indicted for Role in Smuggling Scheme, June 1, 2026. DOC/BOP misconduct, Government Misconduct, Prison/Jail Murders, RICO, Bribery/Extortion/Theft.
- $75,000 for Pennsylvania Prisoner’s Excessive Force Claim Against Jail Guard, June 1, 2026. Failure to Treat, Guard Brutality/Beatings, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Monell Liability, Wrongful Use of Force.
- Federal Jury Awards $2,500 to Male Wisconsin Prisoner Sexually Assaulted by Female Guard, June 1, 2026. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, Evidence, Prison Rape Elimination Act, Cruel and Unusual Punishment.
- Two More Guards Face Prison Time for Messiah Nantwi Killing, June 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Sentencing, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), Plea Agreements/Guilty Pleas.
- Pepper Spraying Incident Prompts Policy Change at Washington Women’s Prison, June 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Settlements, Staff Training, Cruel and Unusual Punishment.
- In Wake of Murders of Prisoners by Guards, New York Passes Legislation to Enhance Safety, Accountability and Training, June 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Corrections Audits, Security Systems, State Legislation, Statutes of Limitation and Laches.

