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Oxford House, Inc. v. City of Baton Rouge, LA, Atty Fee Mtn., Fair Housing Act Violation, 2014

Brief • April 14, 2014

Filed under: Fair Housing Act

Oxford House, Inc. v. City of Baton Rouge, LA, Atty Fee Mtn., Fair Housing Act Violation, 2014 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA ____________________________________ ) ) OXFORD HOUSE, INC., et al., ) ) Plaintiffs, ) ) Docket No. 11-00391-JJB-RLB v. ) ) CITY OF BATON ROUGE, ) ) …

Thomas v. Nugent, LA, Police Union Amicus Brief, Taser Death, 2014

Brief • February 21, 2014

Filed under: Stun Guns/Tasers, Police--Excessive Force

Thomas v. Nugent, LA, Police Union Amicus Brief, Taser Death, 2014 No. 13-862 IN THE Supreme Court of the United States _________ LATRINA D. THOMAS, TUTRIX ON BEHALF OF KA’DARY DA’SHUN THOMAS, Petitioner, v. SCOTT NUGENT, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS POLICE OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF WINNFIELD. …

Ball v. LeBlanc, LA, Judgment, 8th Amendment Heat Exposure, 2013

Brief • December 19, 2013

Filed under: Eighth Amendment, Exposure to Heat

Ball v. LeBlanc, LA, Judgment, 8th Amendment Heat Exposure, 2013 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA ELZIE BALL, ET AL. CIVIL ACTION VERSUS JAMES M. LEBLANC, ET AL. NO.: 13-00368-BAJ-SCR RULING AND ORDER I. INTRODUCTION On August 5, 2013, this matter came before the Court for a non-jury …

Trustee Awarded $335,407 for Job-Related Accident

Article • August 15, 2013

Filed under: Work, Work Conditions/Safety, Injury -- Misc.

Trustee Awarded $335,407 for Job-Related Accident by Larry D. Hollie, a Louisiana prisoner, was working to repair potholes when the hot mix asphalt truck he was working on suddenly shifted. Hollie fell, hitting his lower back and hip area on the ground. He “suffered a lumbrosacral strain with a herniated …

LA Prison Conditions Held Unconstitutional

Article • August 15, 2013

Filed under: Medical, Systemic Medical Neglect, Failure to Protect (General), Overcrowding, Eighth Amendment, Staffing

LA Prison Conditions Held Unconstitutional by In 1973, Hayes Williams and three other Louisiana state prisoners filed suit in federal district court claiming that the Angola prison was being run in violation of the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment in the 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The allegations …

Louisiana Supreme Court Reverses Sentence for Escape, but Sentence Affirmed on Remand

Article • August 15, 2013 • from PLN August, 2013

Filed under: Escapes, Sentencing

Louisiana Supreme Court Reverses Sentence for Escape, but Sentence Affirmed on Remand by The Louisiana Supreme Court reversed an appellate court that found excessive a sentence which was twice as long as the original sentence imposed prior to a successful appeal, but remanded the case for consideration of whether the …

Louisiana Supreme Court Rejects Ex Post Facto Challenge in Sex Offender Supervision Case

Article • July 15, 2013 • from PLN July, 2013

Filed under: Discrimination, Sex Offender Registration, Ex Post Facto

Louisiana Supreme Court Rejects Ex Post Facto Challenge in Sex Offender Supervision Case by Derek Gilna The Louisiana Supreme Court has reversed the judgment of a state appellate court and reinstated the "lifelong supervision" of Rudy Trosclair, who had contested that condition on ex post facto grounds. At the time …

$75 Awarded for Magazine Denial; Access to Personal Law Books Denied

Article • May 15, 2013

Filed under: Boot Camps, Hygiene Supplies, Reading Materials, Law Library Access/Adequacy, Mail, Publications/Books, Mail Regulations

$75 Awarded for Magazine Denial; Access to Personal Law Books Denied by On January 3, 2001 a U.S. Magistrate judge upheld the denial of a prisoner's access to personal law books and awarded $75 for magazines denied by the unit. Louisiana State prisoner Leo J. Schwartz, III was segregated over …

Louisiana Public Service Commission Postpones Prison Phone Reforms

Article • April 15, 2013 • from PLN April, 2013

Filed under: Misconduct/Corruption, Contractor Misconduct, Telephone Rates

Louisiana Public Service Commission Postpones Prison Phone Reforms by Mel Motel After heated hearings and postponement, on December 12, 2012, the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) voted to lower the cost of phone calls made from Louisiana prisons and jails by cutting the rates of most calls by 25% and …

Fifth Circuit Reverses $659,300 Katrina-Related Jury Award

Article • March 15, 2013 • from PLN March, 2013

Filed under: Conditions of Confinement, Jail Specific, Wrongful Imprisonment

Fifth Circuit Reverses $659,300 Katrina-Related Jury Award by Matthew Clarke by Matt Clarke In March 2012, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a $659,300 jury award in favor of two men who were arrested for public intoxication in New Orleans two days before Hurricane Katrina struck, and were then …

Fifth Circuit Disallows Louisiana Deputy's Interlocutory Appeal

Article • March 15, 2013

Filed under: Failure to Treat, Drug Overdose, Summary Judgment, Immunity/Liability, Qualified Immunity

Fifth Circuit Disallows Louisiana Deputy's Interlocutory Appeal by Matthew Clarke by Matt Clarke In an opinion filed on November 18, 2011, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that it had no jurisdiction over a Louisiana deputy's appeal from the denial of his motion for summary judgment based on qualified …

Nagle et al v. Gusman et al, LA, Letters to Judge, Coast Guard prisoner suicide, 2013

Brief • March 5, 2013

Filed under: Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides

Nagle et al v. Gusman et al, LA, Letters to Judge, Coast Guard prisoner suicide, 2013

LaSalle Corrections: A Family-Run Prison Firm

Article • February 15, 2013 • from PLN February, 2013

Filed under: Staff-Prisoner Assault, Private Prisons, LaSalle Management Company, Contractor Misconduct, Guard Misconduct, Escapes, Rehabilitation/Recidivism

LaSalle Corrections: A Family-Run Prison Firm by Matthew Clarke by Matt Clarke Unique circumstances have combined to make northern Louisiana a prime location for private prisons, as Louisiana sheriffs can profit by letting a private company build and operate facilities that house both local prisoners and prisoners from other jurisdictions. …

Louisiana Public Service Commission Votes to Lower Prison and Jail Phone Rates

Article • January 15, 2013 • from PLN January, 2013

Filed under: Telephones, Telephone Rates, State Legislation

Louisiana Public Service Commission Votes to Lower Prison and Jail Phone Rates by Mel Motel On December 12, 2012, after a “raucous” hearing with four hours of testimony, the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) voted to lower the cost of telephone calls made from state prisons and local jails. With …

Louisiana Sex Offender Internet Restrictions Unconstitutional

Article • January 15, 2013 • from PLN January, 2013

Filed under: Discrimination, Sex Offenders (Discrimination), Parole Conditions, State Legislation

Louisiana Sex Offender Internet Restrictions Unconstitutional by In a February 16, 2012 opinion, a Louisiana federal court held that restrictions placed on sex offenders’ Internet access were unconstitutional. John and James Doe are pseudonyms for two Louisiana registered sex offenders who filed a federal civil rights action, pursuant to 42 …

Louisiana Public Service Commission, LA, Ex Parte Order, relief from high phone rates, 2012

Brief • December 12, 2012

Filed under: Telephones, Telephone Rates

Louisiana Public Service Commission, LA, Ex Parte Order, relief from high phone rates, 2012 LOUISIANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION ORDER NUMBER R-31891 LOUISIANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, EX PARTE Docket Number R-31891 In Re: Review and Update of the Regulations and Guidelines of the Louisiana Public Service Commission Applicable to Customer Owned …

Jones v. Gusman, LA, Consent Agreement - Orleans Parish Prison, 2012

Brief • November 12, 2012

Filed under: Sexual Assault, Prisoner-Prisoner Assault, Prisoner-Staff Assault, Medical, Mental Health

Jones v. Gusman, LA, Consent Agreement - Orleans Parish Prison, 2012 Case 2:12-cv-00859-LMA-ALC Document 101-3 Filed 12/11/12 Page 1 of 53 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA _________________________________________ LASHAWN JONES, et al., and ) THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) ) PLAINTIFFS, ) ) v. ) ) MARLIN …

Fifth Circuit Holds Louisiana Prisons Can’t Ban Nation of Islam Newspaper

Article • October 15, 2012 • from PLN October, 2012

Filed under: Racial Discrimination, Religious Discrimination, Mail, Publications/Books

Fifth Circuit Holds Louisiana Prisons Can’t Ban Nation of Islam Newspaper by In 2005, Louisiana prison officials instituted a statewide ban on The Final Call, a newspaper published by the Nation of Islam. The ban was based solely on the content of a statement of beliefs called “The Muslim Program,” …

FEMA Funds New Orleans Jail Complex

Article • September 15, 2012 • from PLN September, 2012

Filed under: Conditions of Confinement, Jail Specific

FEMA Funds New Orleans Jail Complex by The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has committed approximately $114 million to build a new jail complex that will be overseen by the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Orleans Parish Prison and sheriff’s administration facilities suffered significant damage in …

Nagle et al v. Gusman et al, LA, Complaint, Coast Guard prisoner suicide, 2012

Brief • July 23, 2012

Filed under: Failure to Treat (Mental Illness), Suicides

Nagle et al v. Gusman et al, LA, Complaint, Coast Guard prisoner suicide, 2012 Case 2:12-cv-01910-SSV-JCW Document 1 Filed 07/23/12 Page 1 of 66 Case 2:12-cv-01910-SSV-JCW Document 1 Filed 07/23/12 Page 2 of 66 Case 2:12-cv-01910-SSV-JCW Document 1 Filed 07/23/12 Page 3 of 66 Case 2:12-cv-01910-SSV-JCW Document 1 Filed 07/23/12 …