×
You've used up your 3 free articles for this month. Subscribe today.
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 …
Full article and associated cases available to subscribers.
As a digital subscriber to Prison Legal News, you can access full text and downloads for this and other premium content.
Already a subscriber? Login
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
- $1.31 Million Awarded to California Man Wrongly Jailed on Murder Charge
- $1.31 Million Award to Wrongfully Jailed California Man
- Discovery Disputes in Suit Over Pennsylvania Jail MRSA Deaths, by Matthew Clarke
- China Taking Steps to Reduce Number of Executions
- Federal Court Awards $1.47 Million in Attorney Fees and Costs against Sheriff Arpaio
- Massachusetts Court of Appeals Reinstates Prisoner’s Dental Negligence Suit
- Starting Out: The Complete Reentry Book, by William Foster and Carl Horn, 446 pp, $22.95, by Matthew Clarke
- BOP Fails To Meet Drug Treatment Goals; Lack of Funding Blamed
- Georgia Prisoners Must Use Court Promulgated Form to Initiate a Court Action
- District Court May Order Martinez Report, Ninth Circuit Holds
- 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:
- 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
- Colorado Supreme Court Announces Defendant Must Be Competent Before Undergoing Mental-Condition Examination Under § 16-8-107(3)(b), April 1, 2026
- California Court of Appeal Announces Plea Agreements Cannot Bar § 1172.1 Resentencing, Holds Merit-Based Denial of Petition Is Appealable, April 1, 2026
- Georgia Supreme Court Clarifies That Failure to Object to Ineligible Juror Does Not Constitute Waiver Unless Party Knew or Could Have Discovered Ineligibility Through Ordinary Diligence, April 1, 2026
- Washington State Guard’s Conviction Affirmed in Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound Scheme, March 1, 2026
- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds Motion Judge Abused Discretion by Denying Evidentiary Hearing on IAC Claim Where Plea Counsel’s Affidavit Was Not Inherently Inconsistent With Colloquy Statements Regarding Immigration Advice, March 1, 2026
- Washington Supreme Court Clarifies Double Jeopardy Analysis for Multiple Assault Convictions, Holding That Assaultive Acts Occurring Over Short Time Period in Same Location Without Intervening Events Constitute Single Course of Conduct, March 1, 2026
- New Jersey Supreme Court Reverses Drug Convictions Under Cumulative Error Doctrine, Holding Combined Effect of Improper References to Television Series, Gun Violence, and Search Warrants Deprived Defendant of Fair Trial, March 1, 2026
- New York Court of Appeals Announces Coercive Police Tactics Compelling Suspect to Exit Home Constitute “Constructive Entry” Violating Payton, Holds Attenuation Analysis Applies to Third-Party Consent, March 1, 2026
More from these topics:
- 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.
- Idaho DOC Director Denies Verified Report of Rampant Sexual Abuse of Women Prisoners by Staff, May 1, 2026. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, DOC/BOP misconduct, Retaliatory Segregation, Prison Rape Elimination Act.
- “Like the Walking Dead”: Smuggled Drugs Fuel Chaos Inside Ohio Prisons, May 1, 2026. Contractor Misconduct, Guard Misconduct, Drug Overdose, Security Systems, Drugs - Determination of.
- Watchdog Finds Barely 1 in 10 Complaints Against California Prison Staff Handled Adequately, May 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, DOC/BOP misconduct, Evidence, Staff Training, Statutes of Limitation and Laches.
- 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.
- Records Show Culture of Impunity Among Kentucky Prison Guards, May 1, 2026. Guard Misconduct, Snitch Jacketing, Whistleblowing, Evidence - Admissibility.
- 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.
- Guaranteed Income Helps People Leaving Jail and Prison, and That Helps Everyone, May 1, 2026. Crime/Demographics, Prisoner Privileges, housing, jobs, Restrictions, discrimination, Probation, Parole & Supervised Release, Fines.
- Class Certification Granted to Suit Challenging Suspension of HALT Act in New York Prisons, April 1, 2026. Injunctions, Class Certification, Control Units/SHU/Solitary Confinement, Guard Unions, Administrative Detention/Segregation.
- Idaho Struggles to Respond to Devasting Report of Widespread Prisoner Sex Abuse, April 1, 2026. Staff-Prisoner Assault, Guard Misconduct, Prison Rape Elimination Act, State Legislation, Public Records Act.

