Prison Doctor, Administrators Not Indifferent; Prison Nurse Was by The U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that an Indiana prisoner's complaint stated a claim for deliberate indifference to a serious medical need against a prison nurse but did not state a claim against either the prison's physician or administrators. …
$35,000 Award In Indiana Prison Guard Gender Discrimination Suit by On April 18, 2002 an Indiana federal jury awarded Johnana Horn, a prison lieutenant at the Wabash Valley Prison, a $35,000 verdict for gender discrimination by her employer the Department Of Corrections (DOC). In 1998 Horn was working the night …
Not Allowing Prisoner to View Disciplinary Video Upheld by The petitioner was disciplined for stealing a mattress, as supposedly revealed by a videotape; he was not permitted to see the videotape because prison officials "did not want the offenders to know the capabilities of the cameras for security reasons." The …
Delousing Shampoo Process Upheld by A Johnson County, Indiana, jail policy requiring incoming inmates to use a delousing shampoo did not violate their due process right to be free from unwanted medical treatment. The court assumes without deciding that use of the shampoo constitutes medical treatment and says that the …
Prison Officials Cannot Refuse to Process Grievances by The plaintiff's injunctive claims against prison officials are moot because he has been transferred to another prison. Use of Force (815): The plaintiff's allegation that officers used excessive and unnecessary force against him states a claim. Medical Care--Standards of Liability--Deliberate Indifference (816): …
79 Day Indiana Death Row Lockdown Upheld by The plaintiffs alleged that a 79-day lockdown of a death row unit after a death row prisoner was murdered during recreation violated their rights. Although the case was removed from state court, the district court holds it must screen it under 28 …
Indiana Handcuff Injury Suit Dismissed by The plaintiff refused to allow his handcuffs to be removed on re-entering his cell, so the defendant officers pulled his hands through the cuff port of the cell door and then removed the handcuffs, against the plaintiff's resistance, causing a cut to his left …
Indiana Guard States Retaliation Claim by The district court should not have dismissed a correction officer's claim that after she voiced concern to a higher-level supervisor about a new policy not to search state vehicles entering the prison, and reported her observation of two staff members transferring material from private …
Indiana Prisoner Raped By Staff Ordered to Amend Complaint by Since Indiana has a tort claims act, plaintiff's allegation that defendants took a watch from him does not state a due process claim. At 972: "Denying an inmate nutritious food may constitute an Eighth Amendment violation, but conditions that would …
$54,000 Attorney Fees Awarded in Indiana Disability Discrimination Suit by An Indiana federal district court has awarded $54,000 in attorney fees and costs in a prisoner's disability discrimination lawsuit. The award came after a $5,000 summary judgment settlement between the parties. James Kennington was arrested and booked into Indiana's Marion …
No Absolute Immunity for Parole Officials by The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's dismissal of a suit against several parole officials, finding they were not entitled to absolute immunity. In 1990, Lance Dawson was convicted of Indiana criminal charges and placed on probation for 3 years, …
Correctional Institution's Security Concerns Can Override Rights To Free Speech, Political Expression by Correctional Institution's Security Concerns Can Override Rights To Free Speech, Political Expression Indiana State prisoner Eric Smith appealed the 2005 dismissal of his complaint for constitutional violation of right to free speech by Department of Corrections (DOC) …
Jail Rape Claim Fails for Lack of Notice to Jailers by The plaintiff was raped by other prisoners. He had previously told officers that he was "having problems in the block," and his mother said she told an unidentified jail employee shortly before the assault that her son had been …
Prior Evidence of Brutality Admissible in Police Trial by The defendant police officers were prosecuted for brutalizing a civilian. The court properly admitted a prior incident in which one of the officers, while off duty, had abused another person who had confronted him. The evidence was admissible because it went …
Circumstantial Evidence Supports Disciplinary Drug Conviction by The plaintiff was convicted of a disciplinary drug offense based on circumstantial evidence related to the finding of drugs in a trash can in the visiting area. He lost good time, so his claim is cognizable under Sandin, and he proceeded via writ …
Immediate Appeal Allowed of Class Certification Ruling by The appeals court granted defendants' request for discretionary appellate review of class certification under Rule 23(f), Fed.R.Civ.P., for two reasons. The class certification turned a $200,000 dispute into a $200 million dispute, which might induce a substantial settlement even if the claim …
Indianapolis’ Sex Offender Ordinance Banning Presence in Public Places with Children Enjoined by Indianapolis' Sex Offender Ordinance Banning Presence in Public Places with Children Enjoined An Indiana federal district court has granted a preliminary injunction to the plaintiffs in an action challenging a City of Indianapolis ordinance that bans sex …
New BOP Program Isolating Muslim, Middle Eastern Prisoners by by Jennifer Van Bergen The US Department of Justice has implemented a secretive new prison program segregating ?high-security-risk? Muslim and Middle Eastern prisoners and tightly restricting their communications with the outside world in apparent violation of federal law, according to documents …
Jail Chaplains Scrutinized for Affairs with Female Prisoners by Two county jail chaplains in different states are being accused by female prisoners of seeking sex from them while in custody. When she was held in Indiana?s Morgan County Jail, Susan L. Robbins, 38, was involved in the jail?s GED program. …
Chain of Custody Defect Doesn't Void Drug Test by The court of appeals for the Seventh circuit held that an Indiana state prisoner's due process rights were not violated when prison officials failed to maintain an adequate chain of custody for his urine sample that later tested positive for marijuana. …
