Illegal Police Action Cognizable Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 by Illegal Police Action Cognizable Under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 The United States Supreme Court held that the illegal actions of city police, while on duty, that amount to an unreasonable search and seizure, constituted action taken `under the 'color of …
Seventh Circuit Orders Disciplinary Hearing Due Process, Attorney Access, Legal Materials Returned by Seventh Circuit Orders Disciplinary Hearing Due Process, Attorney Access, Legal Materials Returned The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ordered prison officials to cease denying prisoners due process at disciplinary hearings, access to their …
IL DOC Director Must Exercise Discretion on Good Time Awards by The Illinois Fourth District Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of a mandamus petition seeking to enforce the Director of the Department of Corrections duty to exercise his discretion to award good time credits. The Director implemented an unwritten …
Disagreement on Medical Treatment Fails to State Constitutional Violation; Summary Judgment Granted Defendants by Disagreement on Medical Treatment Fails to State Constitutional Violation; Summary Judgment Granted Defendants An Illinois federal district court granted summary judgment to doctors at Joliet and Stateville Correctional Center in a 42 U.S.C §1983 action alleging …
Dismissal, Strike in Prisoner's §1983 Suit Partly Reversed by Dismissal, Strike in Prisoner's §1983 Suit Partly Reversed The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, partly reversing the U.S. District Court, Central District of Illinois, held that a prisoner could bring a civil rights suit for demotion in job status and, …
IL Guard's Challenge to Her Dismissal Held Untimely by Erma Rodriguez, a jail guard, was fired by the Sheriff's Merit Commission of Kane County, Illinois (Commission). A copy of that decision was mailed to her on May 23, 2003. She filed for review by a Kane County trial court on …
State Appointment and Compensation of Attorneys in Federal Action Upheld by The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that legal counsel appointed in Illinois state court were legally appointed in state court and compensated by state court order in a federal civil rights action. Joan Schmude, …
OK to Feed Hunger striking Illinois Prisoner by The Illinois Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed a trial Court's injunction allowing prison officials at the Pontiac Correctional Center: to force feed a prisoner on hunger strike, which was began (1) Protesting his transfer to Pontiac, (2) objecting to having his …
Law Library Denial Didn't Prevent Habeas Filing by The petitioner failed to file his state post-conviction relief petition timely, so claims not raised on direct appeal are procedurally defaulted. At 984: Petitioner alleges that acts of the State, in keeping him from the law library for a time and confiscating …
Police Surveillance Consent Decree Modified by The court directs modification of a consent decree intended to protect First Amendment activity against police surveillance by removing various onerous requirements ("a dizzying array of highly specific restrictions") while preserving the prohibition on investigations intended to interfere with or deter protected activity and …
Jail Denial of Asthma Inhaler Upheld by The plaintiff was deprived of his asthma inhaler when he was jailed, supposedly pursuant to state standards stating that "all medications must be secured and accessible only to designated staff," and also because inhalers can be fashioned into weapons or produce a high …
Forcible Drugging of IL Prisoner Upheld by The plaintiff complained of being medicated against his will. Defendants followed their procedures, which are constitutional, except that the plaintiff never received a decision on his appeal to the Medical Director. At 880: ". . . [T]he failure of the prison officials to …
BOP Prisoner Bystander Hurt in Gang Fight States FTCA Claim by The plaintiff sued under the Federal Tort Claims Act alleging that prison staff negligently permitted him to be injured as a result of a gang fight in which he was not involved, and that he did not receive proper …
Complaint Against Police Survives Motion to Dismiss by The plaintiffs complained of a warrantless search and use of force by police officers. At 994: The City argues that the appropriate standard for a motion to dismiss is "not whether plaintiffs can demonstrate a set of facts, but rather, . . …
Prior Disciplinary Actions against Police Inadmissible by In a police brutality case, evidence pertaining to prior, unrelated disciplinary actions against the arresting officer is held inadmissible in the absence of a showing of any purpose other than to show that the officer acted in conformity with his character, which is …
Retaliatory Transfer, Arm Smashing by Guards, Denial of Care State Claim by The plaintiff complained that an officer intentionally smashed his hand and arm in the food slot in his cell door, and then denied him medical care. He recounted a second incident of the same nature, plus additional incidents …
Police Not Liable for Arrestees Post Surgery Injury by The plaintiff, who had had bowel resection surgery five days previously, was arrested in the hospital and taken to jail. She asked if she could back into the van and sit on the floor and was refused. When she climbed into …
Town Enjoined from Banning Games by The village passed an ordinance that prohibited playing games in public places, including streets, sidewalks, schoolyards, parks, and bodies of water, and cited parents for "parental irresponsibility" when their children disobeyed the ordinance. The village then repealed the ordinance after being preliminarily enjoined. The …
Multiple Prisoner Plaintiffs Can Split Filing Fee by In a multi-plaintiff case, defendants moved to make each plaintiff pay the entire filing fee, relying on Hubbard v. Haley. The court points out that Hubbard doesn't support their position, since it holds that the PLRA repeals the joinder provisions of the …
Lawyers Must be Allowed Access to Indigent Interrogatees by The following decision was stayed, appeal was expedited, and the decision was promptly reversed on the merits in a highly instructive opinion by Judge Easterbrook. 319 F.3d 967 (7th Cir. 2003). Chicago has a legal aid agency created specifically to provide …
