Maryland DOC Pays $500,000 for Detainee Beaten to Death By Guards by Maryland DOC Pays $500,000 for Detainee Beaten to Death By Guards In May, 2008, the State of Maryland settled for $500,000 a lawsuit brought by the family of a detainee who was beaten to death by jail guards …
Youth Services International Not Liable for Child’s Rape by Cellmate by The plaintiff alleged that he was sexually assaulted by his roommate in a privately operated juvenile facility. The corporation is entitled to summary judgment in the absence of evidence of a corporate policy supporting liability. Its policy was to …
Unlawful Maryland Strip Search Suit Settles for $285,000 by Kent County, Maryland high school students Heather Gore and Jessica Bedell received a total of $285,000 and apologies in a settlement for nefarious strip searches conducted in 2004. The Kent County Sheriff’s Dept. brought drug sniffing canines into the school in …
Maryland Juvenile Justice Official Resigns Over Past Abuse Allegations by David Reutter Just seven months after he was hired as director over Maryland’s juvenile detention facilities, Chris Perkins, 38, resigned his $76,000 a year position when a Montana judge unsealed a report that found Perkins had abused children at a …
$215,000 Settlement in Maryland False Arrest Case by Daniel Miller was paid $215,000 to settle a civil rights action after he was falsely arrested and spent 19 days in jail in Prince George’s County, Maryland. The Associate County Attorney said the settlement did not reflect any wrongdoing. The case stemmed …
No Safety or Security for Maryland Prisoners by Michael Rigby Twenty-five guards have been fired amid allegations that they beat prisoners at two Maryland prisons. The Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) initially terminated the employment of eight guards on April 4, 2008. Another nine were fired …
Maryland State Damages Cap Trumps Federal Awards For 11 Year Old Paraplegic by Davita Carter, an 11 year old resident of Illinois and a Marine veteran's daughter, appealed the damages reduction awarded her in 2000 after surgery left her a paraplegic. The federal court's award was dictated by Maryland State …
Prison Health Services Physician’s Assistant License Revocation Upheld by On June 2, 2005, a Maryland court of appeals upheld the revocation of a Prison Health Services (PBS) Physician’s Assistant (PA) certificate for fraudulently procuring prescriptions for his adult son. Carl F. Oltman, Sr., was a PA, employed by PHS, contracted …
Maryland Prisoner Wins $230,144 in Police Brutality Suit by Charles Totten, a Maryland state prisoner, tried to escape Baltimore cops John Burns and Stephen Kolackovsky on foot. When they caught him, they cuffed him, slammed his head into the street in a "pile driven" fashion and threw him in the …
Maryland Settles Suit Over Guard Wearing Dreadlocks by On 05-24-04, Maryland settled a suit brought by a prison guard who was disciplined for failing to cut his dreadlocks. Jonathan Booth was a 35-year old, married, black Maryland prison guard when he was ordered to cut his dreadlocks. Booth, who is …
Massachusetts Court of Appeals: Instructional Videotape Not Learned Treatise by On March 15, 1990, a Massachusetts court of appeals ruled that an instructional medical videotape was not a learned treatise and was therefore inadmissible as evidence in a medical malpractice case. Stanley G. Simmons, 69, was a patient of Dr. …
Internal Affairs Reports Available to Maryland Criminal Defendant; 2 Prong Test Discussed by Maryland’s Special Court of Appeals has held that a criminal defendant is entitled to disclosure of a detective’s Internal Affairs Division (IAD) filed, but held the Court must review that file to determine what must be disclosed. …
Maryland Prison Officials Get Qualified Immunity for Prisoner “Retake” Orders by Maryland Prison Officials Get Qualified Immunity for Prisoner "Retake" Orders Based on a state appellate decision concerning sentence credit, prison officials decided they had released some prisoners incorrectly, so they had them arrested and reincarcerated through "retake orders." The …
Audit Reveals Problems with Maryland’s New Prisoner Health Care System by Michael Rigby Audit Reveals Problems with Maryland's New Prisoner Health Care System by Michael Rigby Maryland's new prisoner health care program remained understaffed in 2006, and the state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) has yet to …
Guards’ Failure to Enforce Prison No-Smoking Policy May Violate 8th Amendment by Guards' Failure to Enforce Prison No-Smoking Policy May Violate 8th Amendment Dwayne Manning, a federal prisoner, was exposed to cigarette smoke when prison guards didn't enforce the prison's no-smoking policy. He developed medical problems and sued the guards …
Records Unsealed, Doors Re-opened to Proceedings in Maryland Police Shooting Settlement by Maryland newspaper The Baltimore Sun (Sun) sought reversal of a 1999 court order closing courtroom doors and sealing records in a civil settlement for wrongful death following a shooting by police. On a writ of certiorari, the appellate …
Citizen Who Triggered Investigation Against Baltimore Police Refused Access To Report's Findings by Maryland citizen Kevin Briscoe appealed a 1993 court ruling denying the disclosure of investigative records initiated by his complaint against Baltimore police. The court affirmed nondisclosure because Briscoe was not the subject of the investigation. Briscoe and …
Maryland Public Information Act Requires Disclosure of Criminal Case File To Defendant by Maryland's Court of Special Appeals has held that a criminal defendant is entitled to disclosure relating to his prosecution for murder upon request under the Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) once there is no pending proceeding. Maryland …
Jail Policy of Cross Gender Guard Doesn’t Establish Liability in Guard Rape by The plaintiff alleged that a male guard had engaged in sex with her, taking advantage of her mental and physical state. The officer was fired and entered an Alford plea to criminal charges. A policy of "cross-gender …
Prison Drinking Water and Wastewater Pollution Threaten Environmental Safety Nationwide by John Dannenberg by John E. Dannenberg Aging infrastructure concerns are not limited to America's highways, bridges and dams. Today, crumbling, overcrowded prisons and jails nationwide are bursting at the seams -- literally -- leaking environmentally dangerous effluents not just …
