Judge Not: Judges Benched for Personal Misconduct by by Gary Hunter & Alex Friedmann They decide hot-button topics ranging from abortion and racial discrimination to religious freedoms and contested elections. They can put you in prison or vindicate your civil rights. They can even sentence you to death. Who am …
New Mexico Abolishes Death Penalty; Similar Efforts Fail in Other States by David Reutter by David M. Reutter “Regardless of my personal opinion about the death penalty, I do not have confidence in the criminal justice system as it currently operates to be the final arbiter when it comes to …
Colorado's Prison System Structured to Promote Failure by August 12, 12:41 PM - Denver Criminal Justice Examiner - John Miller Mike peers from beneath the sackcloth he uses as a blanket, watching coldly as the other shelter residents ready themselves for sleep. The room is lined with beds and smells …
Adams v. CCA, CO, Plf Mot to Strike Def Govt Immunity, Prison Riot, 2009 DISTRICT COURT, COUNTY OF CROWLEY, STATE OF COLORADO Court Address: Sixteenth Judicial District Court Crowley County Courthouse 110 E. 6th Street, Room 303 Ordway, Colorado 81063 Telephone 719-267-4468 ▲COURT USE ONLY ▲ Plaintiffs: VANCE A. ADAMS …
Colorado Prisoners’ Access to Courts, ADA Claims Allowed to Proceed by U.S. District Judge John L. Kane, Jr. has allowed a group of Colorado prisoners to pursue access to court and ADA claims against the Colorado Department of Corrections. Steven Marquiz, Steven Clouse and several other Colorado prisoners sued the …
Colorado DOC Settles Suit Over Provision of Education Programs to Learning Disabled Prisoner by Colorado DOC Settles Suit Over Provision of Education Programs to Learning Disabled Prisoner The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by a prisoner who was denied the right to participate …
Denver Office of the Auditor - Keefe Commissary Network Audit, 2009 OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR DENVER SHERIFF DEPARTMENT KEEFE COMMISSARY NETWORK, LLC REVENUE AND CONTRACT COMPLIANCE AUDIT JANUARY 2009 Dennis J. Gallagher Auditor City and County of Denver 201 West Colfax Ave., Dept. 705 • Denver, Colorado 80202 • 720-913-5000, …
Sexual Abuse by Prison and Jail Staff Proves Persistent, Pandemic by Gary Hunter Sexual assault, rape, indecency, deviance. These terms represent reprehensible behavior in our society. They also represent recurring themes in our nation’s prisons – not only by prisoners, but also by guards and other staff members. PLN’s August …
Criminal Defense Attorney Helps “Sting” His Own Clients by Jimmy Franks On January 23, 2009, Chevaliee Robinson was sentenced to 15 years by a U.S. District Court in Ohio after pleading guilty to drug conspiracy and money laundering charges. Robinson’s arrest was one of 30 made by federal agents in …
Double Standard of Punishment for Supervisors, Line Staff in Colorado DOC by Gary Hunter Double Standard of Punishment for Supervisors, Line Staff in Colorado DOC by Gary Hunter Records show that supervisors who break the rules at the Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) are punished less severely, if at all, …
Tenth Circuit Finds Colorado Administrative Segregation Placement Does Not Implicate Liberty Interest by The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has held that a prisoner’s administrative confinement conditions did not violate his due process rights because he failed to prove that he had a liberty interest in avoiding such placement. Before …
Federal Prison Officials Granted Qualified Immunity in Colorado by A federal district court in Colorado has granted qualified immunity to the warden and associate wardens of the United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Unit (ADX) in regards to a lawsuit filed by a federal prisoner. Prisoner Ahmed Ajaj filed suit against …
BOP Agrees To Provide Prisoner with BOPDOCS Disc by On August 24, 2007, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) settled a portion of a lawsuit brought under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by a federal prisoner for a copy of its BOPDOCS disc. Brandon Sample, a federal prisoner and PLN …
Dismissal of Suit Alleging Sexual Abuse Affirmed on Statue of Limitation Grounds by On June 10, 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a suit alleging sexual abuse by a guard on statute of limitations grounds. Jill Coit, a Colorado prisoner, sued Joseph …
Colorado DOC Settles Employee Sex Discrimination Suits by The Colorado Department of Corrections (CDOC) has agreed to reinstate one employee and pay her and another woman who were sexually discriminated against a total of $286,210 to settle their lawsuit against CDOC. The suit named CDOC, its former Executive Director, Joe …
Colorado: When Suing Private Prison under Common Law Tort, Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies Not Required by Colorado: When Suing Private Prison under Common Law Tort, Exhaustion of Administrative Remedies Not Required The Colorado Court of Appeals held that prisoners in a private for-profit prison could sue the prison company, in …
Widespread Corruption in Private Halfway Houses by Derick Limberg by Derek S. Limburg Privately-operated halfway houses across the nation have become embroiled in scandals and mismanagement. The wrongdoing stretches from the top to the bottom, from former politicians and corrections commissioners to staff and prisoners. Reports surfaced in June 2008 …
$15,000 Settlement For BOP's Abuse, Conspiracy Against Government Informant by Colorado federal prisoner and government informant, David Merritt, brought a federal tort action against the United States in 1999 after federal guards and officials at the Florence Supermax (ADX) facility conspired to have him killed, violated his constitutional rights and …
BOP's Noncompliance With Parole Provisions Settles For $346.18 by Illinois federal prisoner Michael Knowles petitioned for a writ of mandamus against the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in 1997 to enjoin their noncompliance with statutory parole provisions mandating his parole eligibility. Knowles agreed to dismiss the petition in exchange for being …
Colorado Federal Prisoner's Pastoral Visit Denial Settles For $10,370 by Colorado federal prisoner and Buddhist, Yu Kikumura, brought a Bivens and federal tort action against officials at the United States Penitentiary (USP) at Florence after being denied visits by non Buddhist ministers. The action was settled for $10,370 and the …
