Alabama Jail Totality Of Conditions Suit by The US District Court Of Alabama ruled on a action brought by the prisoners at the Choctaw County jail. The prisoners complained of numerous violations of state codes for safety, and violations of their constitutional right to be free from cruel and unusual …
Supreme Court Orders Dismissal of Some Defendants in Pugh by The U. S. Supreme Court ordered the State of Alabama and Alabama Board of Corrections dismissed from the Pugh v. Alabama class-action prison conditions suit on the basis of Eleventh Amendment immunity The Supreme Court ruled that because neither entity …
Alabama Appellate Court Upholds Civil Immunity of Witness Testimony at Parole Hearing by Alabama Appellate Court Upholds Civil Immunity of Witness Testimony at Parole Hearing Alabama state prisoner William Sullivan filed a civil lawsuit in state court against William Smith and Karen Smith for slander, perjury and obstruction of government …
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Judgment and $25,000 Award Against Prison Guard For Injuries Prisoner Received When Stabbed by The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals Upholds Judgment and $25,000 Award Against Prison Guard For Injuries Prisoner Received When Stabbed Alabama state prisoner Willie Glover filed a §1983 suit …
Deliberate Indifference to Strong Likelihood that Prisoner Will Commit Suicide Implicates Eighth Amendment by Deliberate Indifference to Strong Likelihood that Prisoner Will Commit Suicide Implicates Eighth Amendment Stephanie Poiroux Snow committed suicide while in the Citronelle, Alabama jail for drunk driving. Her estate sued city officials and jailers in the …
Eleventh Circuit Overturns Order Prohibiting Access To Hearings, Documents by In this case brought by a newspaper publisher seeking to cover the enforcement of a consent decree concerning overcrowding in Alabama prisons, the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a district court's order prohibiting public access to court bearings …
Alabama Jail Still not Liable for Suicides by The plaintiff, a crack addict with a history of suicidal ideation and other psychiatric problems, was arrested for shoplifting and behaved in a deranged fashion. Once locked up, she calmed down, but then starting tearing up her mattress and tied part of …
Alabama Jail Not Liable for Suicide by Here's another cookie-cutter jail suicide case. The decedent, who had twice before tried to kill himself and had been placed on suicide watch during his previous stays in the jail, was arrested for DUI, driving without a license, and possession of drugs and …
Five Hour Delay in Treating Beaten Arrestee Okay by The deaf plaintiff alleged that he was arrested because of his disability (i.e., because he didn't sufficiently cooperate with police because he couldn't hear what they were saying). Police investigative activities are "government programs" under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as …
No Federal Claim Where Wife Took Prisoner's Social Security Funds by The plaintiff alleged that the defendant, his daughter, who had his power of attorney, took his social security disability benefits while he was in prison. However, the court lacks jurisdiction over the claim, since the plaintiff cited no statutory …
Summary Judgment Denied to Jail Guards Who Killed Mentally Ill Prisoner by The decedent died after a use of force in jail. He said on admission that he had a history of mental illness and was on psychotropic medication "for rest"; though the jail usually obtained medical records for inmates …
AL Jail Fined for Violating Population Cap by A federal district court in Alabama issued an order fining the Mobile County, Alabama, jail $5,000 a day for failing to comply with a jail population limit. The court had previously found that overcrowding at the jail was so severe that it …
Dothan, AL Jail Conditions Unconstitutional by A federal district court held that conditions in the Houston county jail in Dothan, Alabama were unconstitutional. The court held the jail provided inadequate food, no exercise for the prisoners, was a fire hazard and overcrowded. The court awarded $10,000 in attorney fees to …
Supreme Court Holds Racial Segregation Illegal by The United States Supreme Court affirmed a ruling by a three judge district court that held the racial segregation of prisoners in Alabama violates the Fourteenth amendment. See: Lee v. Washington, 390 U.S. 333, 88 S.Ct. 994, 19 LE.2d 1212 (1968).
Grievance Retaliation Unconstitutional by The court of appeals for the Eleventh circuit held that an Alabama prisoner had stated a claim that he was retaliated against for using the prison grievance system. Such retaliation is unconstitutional. The case was remanded for further proceedings. See: Wildberger v. Bracknell, 869 F.2d 1467 …
Race Discrimination in Seg Placement and Parole Denial States Claim by The court of appeals for the Fifth circuit held that a district court erred in dismissing an Alabama prisoner's claim that he was placed in indefinite administrative segregation and denied parole due to being black and filing lawsuits. Case …
Denial of Visits Based on Race States Claim by The court of appeals for the Fifth circuit held that a district court erred in dismissing an Alabama prisoner's lawsuit that he was denied visits solely because he was black. Case was vacated and remanded for further proceedings. Not a ruling …
Ban on Sharing Literature in Seg Unit Questioned by The court of appeals for the Fifth circuit reversed and remanded the dismissal of a suit by Alabama prisoners in protective custody challenging a segregation rule prohibiting prisoners from giving anything to prisoners in the segregation unit. The court held prison …
AL Jail Injunction Affirmed by The court of appeals for the Fifth circuit affirmed a district court ruling and injunction that the Rouston County jail in Dothan, Alabama, was overcrowded, posed a health hazard to prisoners and did not have a classification system and did not segregate male and female …
Okay to Withhold Water from Prisoner Who Refuses to Work by The court of appeals for the Eleventh circuit held it was permissible for an Alabama prison guard to deny water to a prisoner who refuses to work. Ruling discusses the use of force to coerce prisoner labor. See: Ort …
