No Liability for Arrestee Who Chokes to Death on Vomit While Wearing Spit Mask by The decedent was arrested for public intoxication based on ample visible evidence, and vomited in the police cruiser. He had a large amount of fluid in his mouth, which he refused to spit out until …
District Court Partly Upholds Prisoner's Excessive Force, Medical Negligence Claims by A federal district court in the Western District of Virginia has partly upheld a prisoner's civil rights claims against Virginia prison officials. Discovery was ordered in the case. Tyrone Shelton is a Virginia prisoner at Red Onion State Prison …
Summary Judgment Vacated and Remanded in Part on Religious Free Exercise Claim by Summary Judgment Vacated and Remanded in Part on Religious Free Exercise Claim The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed in part and vacated and remanded in part summary judgment to prison officials in a free exercise …
Tear Gassing of VA Prisoner Requires Trial by The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals held that material facts were in dispute in a Virginia prisoner's suit alleging guards willfully and maliciously fired a tear gas device in his face at point blank range, as to whether their action was punitive …
Calling of Disciplinary Hearing Witnesses Contingent on Possible Punishment, Not Actual Punishment by Calling of Disciplinary Hearing Witnesses Contingent on Possible Punishment, Not Actual Punishment The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a prisoner is entitled to call witnesses at a disciplinary hearing when facing loss of good time …
No Fourteenth Amendment Violation Resulting From Losses During Cell Search by The U.S. Supreme Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment does not protect a prisoner's possessions and that prisoners have no reasonable expectation of privacy" in their cells. A Virginia prisoner filed suit in response to a cell search by …
Virginia Court Defines Strip Search by A Virginia appeals court held that a search of an arrestee that was incident to an arrest for auto theft did not constitute a strip search. The arresting officer testified that while pat searching the arrestee he heard the crinkle of plastic in the …
Virginia Grooming Rules Upheld by The plaintiffs challenged a grooming policy requiring short hair, prohibiting facial hair except for trimmed mustaches, and prohibiting braids, plaits, dreadlocks, cornrows, partially shaved heads, designs, etc. There is a medical exception but not a religious one. The policy is modeled after the South Carolina …
Sexually Intrusive Public Pat Search Violates Constitution by The plaintiff was arrested on misdemeanor noise charges and subjected to a search that amounted to a pat frisk inside her dress, under which she was wearing nothing, in which the officer allegedly swiped his hand across her groin area, at which …
Native American Religious Restrictions Upheld by The Native American plaintiff complained of various religious restrictions. The defendants would not let the plaintiff "smudge" with herbs (i.e., burn them), but would allow him to use "nonaddictive tobacco" (what's that?) instead. The policy is a generally applicable regulation, not promulgated to punish …
Restrictions on Voodoo Practices Upheld by The plaintiff alleged that the defendants' refusal to allow items needed for his religious practice including oils, powders, incense, candles, botanicals (roots, herbs, barks and berries), stones, Talisman, and charm bags violated the First Amendment. His complaint identified his religion as Egyptian Freemasonry, but …
Jail Not Liable in Suicide Case by The decedent committed suicide in jail and his estate brought state tort and federal constitutional claims. Under Virginia law, an adult detainee who hanged himself committed common law suicide, and the estate could not recover on wrongful death and gross negligence claims unless …
Back Injury Treatment Suit Dismissed by The plaintiff suffered from a degenerative disc condition resulting in intense pain; the defendants provided only medication and bed rest as treatment. The plaintiff's back problem was a serious medical need. However, there is no showing of deliberate indifference, since the plaintiff was seen …
Preliminary Injunction Denied in Virginia Lethal Injection Challenge by The plaintiff sought a preliminary injunction in the form of a stay of execution based on his claim that the means by which he was to be executed violated the Eighth Amendment. Virginia law lets the condemned person choose the method, …
Proactive Sheriff Not Liable for Assault in Overcrowded Jail by The two plaintiffs were subjected to serious assaults by other prisoners. While the plaintiffs were subjected to an objectively serious risk, the Sheriff was not deliberately indifferent. He inherited an aged, overcrowded jail but began an aggressive campaign to clean …
IFRP Exempt from Privacy Act by The Inmate Financial Responsibility Program allows prisoners privileges such as working in UNICOR (prison industries) if they commit to a schedule for paying their court fees, restitution orders, etc. The plaintiff was put in "refuse" status essentially for spending his money down so he …
Virginia Jail Fees Upheld by The failure to transfer the plaintiff promptly to a prison from a local jail did not violate his rights, since an inmate has no constitutional right to be held in any particular prison. (805) Virginia's prison transfer regulations convey no liberty interest in a specific …
Police Denied Qualified Immunity for Fabricated Evidence by The Fourth Circuit court of Appeals affirmed a lower court's denial of summary judgment to a Virginia State Police agent who fabricated evidence in a capital case. Rebecca Williams was raped and murdered on June 4, 1982. Before she died, Williams stated …
Hernia Suit Dismissed for Lack of Injury by The plaintiff alleged that upon admission to prison, he was diagnosed with a bilateral inguinal hernia, but nonetheless approved to perform any type of work, and not told he had a hernia. Eventually he found out and asked for surgery, and was …
From the Editor by Paul Wright This issue marks PLN?s 17th anniversary and our 205th issue since we first started publishing in May, 1990. This makes PLN the longest published, by far, independent prisoner publication in US history. About 95% of PLN?s articles remain written by current or former prisoners …
