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Four Pennsylvania Jail Guards Fired, Two Resign Over Prisoner Beating
Loaded on Jan. 15, 2010
by David Reutter
published in Prison Legal News
January, 2010, page 30
by David M. Reutter
Filed under:
Guard Misconduct,
Crime/Demographics,
Informants,
Guard Brutality/Beatings,
Guard Unions.
Location:
Pennsylvania.
Four Pennsylvania guards have been fired for beating a prisoner at the Westmoreland County Prison (WCP). The June 8, 2009 incident revealed a cover-up orchestrated by prison guards and their union leader.
When WCP prisoner James Edwards, 27, and other prisoners in his cellblock were ordered …
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More from this issue:
- Prison Health Care, Political Choice and the Accidental Death Penalty in Michigan, by Elizabeth Alexander
- $950,000 Settlement for California Prisoner Rendered Quadriplegic
- From the Editor, by Paul Wright
- Hadix Litigation Winding Down, by David Reutter
- Shortcomings Cited at Virginia’s Civil Commitment Facility, by Matthew Clarke
- BOP Settles FTCA Abuse/Religious Discrimination Suit for $48,000, by Brandon Sample
- U.S. DOJ Calls Houston Jail Unconstitutional, Prisoner Death Rate Alarming, by Gary Hunter
- $75,000 Settlement in Heart Attack Death of Missouri Jail Prisoner
- Don’t Build it Here Revisited (or “There is no Economic Salvation Through Incarceration”) - Prisons Do Not Create Jobs, by Clayton Mosher
- $125,000 Settlement in Suicide Death Of New York Jail Prisoner
- Pennsylvania Prisoner Gets $12,500 in Retaliation Suit After Remittitur, by John E Dannenberg
- Settlement in Class-Action Suit Against CCA Modified After PLN Unseals Court Documents, by Alex Friedmann
- Colorado Detainee Tasered During Seizure, Paid $116,731.73 and $83,268.27 in Fees
- Prison Video Visitation Expands into For-Profit Market, by David Reutter
- Sex with Former Jail Employee Lands Texas Sex Offender Back in Prison
- Soft Porn, Bribery and Jailed Millionaire Make for a Dangerous Mix, by Brandon Sample
- California Communities Made Less Safe as Sex Offender Housing Restrictions More Strictly Enforced, by Michael Brodheim
- Texas Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Ex-Prisoner’s Religious Halfway House, by Matthew Clarke
- Former High-Ranking CIA Official Imprisoned for Corruption, by Matthew Clarke
- $2.4 Million Settlement in Children’s Death Caused by California Jail Guard’s Driving
- $1.95 Million Awarded to New Hampshire Guards Falsely Accused of Assaulting Prisoner, by David Reutter
- Guantanamo’s Youngest Prisoner Can’t Be Tried, Won’t be Released, by Matthew Clarke
- Education for Persons in Detention—A Human Right, by Jimmy Franks
- BOP Guard Found Guilty in Prisoner’s Death, Sentenced to Life, by Brandon Sample
- Four Pennsylvania Jail Guards Fired, Two Resign Over Prisoner Beating, by David Reutter
- South Dakota: Prisoner May Enforce Third-Party Kosher Meal Obligation
- Federal Jury Awards $5 Million for Wrongful Conviction Involving Houston Crime Lab, by Matthew Clarke
- Seventh Circuit Upholds $9,063,000 Award to Illinois Ex-Prisoner Exonerated by DNA, by Brandon Sample
- Iowa Supreme Court: Retroactive Good Conduct Time Denial is Unconstitutional, Depending on Date of Conviction, by Matthew Clarke
- Seventh Circuit Reverses Dismissal of 8th Amendment and FTCA Medical Claims; Case Settles on Remand for $20,000
- New York Politicians Want to Re-Evaluate Civil Confinement Release Law, by Matthew Clarke
- New Hampshire City Ordinance Restricting Sex Offender Residency Found Unconstitutional
- PLN Sues Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice Over Censorship; Court Upholds Rights of Book Distributors, by Alex Friedmann
- Oneida County, NY Jail Suicide Litigation Settled for $225,000
- Los Angeles County Jail Agrees To Pay $900,000 to Settle Lawsuit over Inadequate Medical Care
- DHS Ordered to Respond to Petition Seeking National Stan-dards at Immigration Detention Facilities, by Brandon Sample
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- Discovery Disputes in Suit Over Pennsylvania Jail MRSA Deaths, by Matthew Clarke
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- Washington Supreme Court Upholds Denial of Parole for Sex Offender Who Refuses to Admit Guilt
- Washington Pretrial Release UAs Invalidated
- Second Circuit Establishes Anonymous Pleading Standards
- Fifth Circuit Reinstates Texas Prisoner’s Failure-to-Protect Suit, by Matthew Clarke
- Reversal of Summary Judgment to BOP Doctor Accused of Deliberate Indifference, by Brandon Sample
- News in Brief:
More from David Reutter:
- Eight Circuit Reverses Denial of Partial Qualified Immunity in Detainee’s Pepper Ball Claim, Remands Excessive Force Claims, Sept. 1, 2026
- Nevada Prisoners, Families Call Out Predatory Tablet Program, Sept. 1, 2026
- Fourth Circuit: Error in Granting Judgment Prior to Adjudging Spoliation Motion, Sept. 1, 2026
- Fourth Circuit Affirms Qualified Immunity in Strip Searches Resulting from Anonymous Tips, Sept. 1, 2026
- Tenth Circuit: Colorado Governor Unentitled to Eleventh Amendment Immunity on Claim Related to DOC Religious Policies, Aug. 1, 2026
- Michigan Appeals Court: Witnesses Cannot be Forced to Wear Jail Clothes at Trial, Aug. 1, 2026
- Sixth Circuit Affirms Denial of State-Law Qualified Immunity in Scabies Case, Aug. 1, 2026
- Fourth Circuit Revives Disabled Prisoner’s Claim for Denial of Out-of-Cell Exercise Time, Aug. 1, 2026
- Sixth Circuit Announces State-Law Exceptions to Appeal Deadlines Preserve “Pending” Status Under AEDPA, Holding Belated-Appeal Procedures Toll Federal Habeas Limitations Period, April 1, 2026
- Florida Supreme Court Announces Rule 3.170(f)’s Good-Cause Plea-Withdrawal Standard Does Not Apply at Post-Appeal Resentencing, April 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- L.A. County Begins Making Nearly $5 Billion in Payouts to Survivors of Sex Abuse in Juvenile Detention, Sept. 1, 2026. Sexual Assault, Staff-Prisoner Assault, Prisoner-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, Jail Misconduct, Settlements, Juvenile Offenses/Offenders.
- Wave of Staff Arrests Exposes Persistent Misconduct at South Carolina Jail, Sept. 1, 2026. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, Jail Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Obstruction of Justice.
- Eight Circuit Reverses Denial of Partial Qualified Immunity in Detainee’s Pepper Ball Claim, Remands Excessive Force Claims, Sept. 1, 2026. Guard Brutality/Beatings, Stun Guns/Tasers, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Qualified Immunity, Wrongful Use of Force.
- Four Massachusetts Guards Face Charges for Assault on Prisoners During Brawl, Sept. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings.
- Last of 11 Guards Sentenced in Death of New York Prisoner, Sept. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Excessive Force (Wrongful Death), False Statements/Perjury, Obstruction of Justice.
- $500,000 for Mentally Ill Detainee Beaten by Guard at Ohio Jail, Sept. 1, 2026. Guard Brutality/Beatings, Summary Judgment, Settlements, 42 U.S. Code § 1983, civil action for deprivation of rights, Monell Liability.
- Troubled Illinois Lockup Sees Guard Abuses, Prisoners on Hunger Strike, Sept. 1, 2026. Hunger Strikes, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas, Restraints, Administrative Detention/Segregation.
- Warden Out, Nineteen Guards Administratively Charged in Maryland Prisoner’s Death, Aug. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Prison/Jail Murders, Failure to Protect (Wrongful Death), Failure to Protect (Staff).
- At Least Three Guards Charged for Assaulting Two Massachusetts Prisoners, Aug. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Assaults on Staff, Wrongful Use of Force.
- Ombudsman Report Finds Use of Force Misapplied in Contraband Search, Aug. 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Failure to Treat, Body Cavity Searches, Guard Brutality/Beatings, Pepper Spray/Tear Gas.

