Prison Officials Must Assist Prisoners in Getting Married by Failing to assist a prisoner in getting married is a cognizable First Amendment violation, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit decided on July 31, 2003. Laura Toms and Ira Chaiffetz, an Ohio prisoner, had a hard time getting …
Ohio Woman Awarded $350,000 for False Arrest by On August 30, 2005, a federal jury in Ohio awarded Michelle Black-Hosang $100,000 in compensatory damages, as well as $250,000 in punitive damages for her unlawful arrest by Sergeant James Mendenhall of the Ohio State Police. Additionally, Black-Hosang is seeking more than …
Ohio Supreme Court Restricts Public Access to Court Records by David Reutter by David M. Reutter The Ohio Supreme Court has approved new rules that allow state courts to restrict public access to court documents or entire case files if deemed necessary. The new rules, which have an effective date …
Systemic Constitutional Violations at Ohio Juvenile Facilities Leads to Settlement in Class Action; Guards Attempt to Block Relief by Brandon Sample Systemic Constitutional Violations at Ohio Juvenile Facilities Leads to Settlement in Class Action; Guards Attempt to Block Relief by Brandon Sample The Ohio Department of Youth Services (ODYS) has …
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 …
$7,025 Award in Slip and Fall From Ohio Prison Bunk by $7,025 Award in Slip and Fall From Ohio Prison Bunk The Ohio Court of Claims has awarded a former Ohio prisoner $7,025 for injuries related to a slip and fall from a prison bunk. Stacy Rose slipped and fell …
Ohio Court Releases Prisoners from Private Jail to Protect Them by Ohio Court Releases Prisoners from Private Jail to Protect Them One thing about privately-operated jails and prisons is fairly consistent: They rarely function properly. A series of incidents at Ohio’s Columbiana County Jail, which is operated by CiviGenics, Inc. …
Sixth Circuit Outlines Exceptions to Heck Favorable-Termination Doctrine by Sixth Circuit Outlines Exceptions to Heck Favorable-Termination Doctrine The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has held the favorable-termination doctrine does not apply to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 actions brought by prisoners who were foreclosed from challenging their incarceration in a habeas …
Ohio Pays $552,500 For 13 Years Of Wrongful Imprisonment by Ohio ex prisoner Anthony Green settled his wrongful imprisonment action against the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction for $552,500. He had been imprisoned for 13 years. Green was found guilty by a Cuyahoga County jury for rape and aggravated …
$10,000 Settlement For Ex Federal Prisoner After Slipping In Water by Ex Federal prisoner and Michigan resident William Bonhart brought a federal tort action in 2000 against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) after slipping in water in 1998 at the Federal Correctional …
Ohio Settles Actual Innocence Claim For $1,500,000 by Ohio and Ohio prosecuting officials settled a wrongful incarceration lawsuit by agreeing to pay $1,500,000 to a man who was imprisoned for 26 years after his conviction for a robbery and murder he did not commit. Gary James, 55, and his friend …
Ohio DNA Specimen Law Ruled Not Retroactive by The Ohio Supreme Court held that a state law requiring convicted felons and some misdemeanants to provide DNA specimens could not be applied retroactively to offenders placed on supervised release before the law’s May 2005 effective date. On August 6, 2002, Craig …
TASER Avoids Liability in Three Deaths by Suing Medical Examiner by John Dannenberg TASER Avoids Liability in Three Deaths by Suing Medical Examiner by John E. Dannenberg Arizona-based TASER International, Inc. (TASER) was cleared of liability in the unrelated deaths of three drug-afflicted Ohio men who died shortly after being …
Ohio Court Finds Three-Drug Execution Protocol Violates Prisoners’ State Rights by Ohio Court Finds Three-Drug Execution Protocol Violates Prisoners’ State Rights On June 10, 2008, Judge James J. Burge of the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas has held that the three-drug protocol used by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation …
$7,025 Award in Slip and Fall From Ohio Prison Bunk by $7,025 Award in Slip and Fall From Ohio Prison Bunk The Ohio Court of Claims has awarded a former Ohio prisoner $7,025 for injuries related to a slip and fall from a prison bunk. Stacy Rose slipped and fell …
Ohio Jail Guard’s Excessive Force Conviction Affirmed by The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a former jail guard’s criminal convictions for using excessive force on three prisoners. Michael J. Budd, once second-in-command of the Mahoning County, Ohio Sheriff’s Department, was charged in a four-count indictment with subjecting prisoners …
Ohio Reformatory Liable For Loss Of Prisoner's Property by Bob Williams Ohio State prisoner Harmony Love sought recovery of the value of personal items lost by the Ohio Reformatory for Women (ORW). The court awarded Love $511.62 and assessed court costs against the ORW. Love was incarcerated in the ORW …
$500,000 Settlement In Shooting Death of Mentally Ill Individual by The Sheriff of Franklin County, Ohio agreed to settle a suit concerning the shooting death of a mentally ill individual for $500,000. Nasir A. Abdi, a Somali immigrant, had a history of mental illness. When Abdi failed to comply with …
Ohio Man Receives $600,000 for Wrongful Imprisonment by During mediation, a settlement of $600,000 was reached between Kenneth Moore and the State of Ohio in a claim of wrongful imprisonment. Moore had sued Ohio for damages incurred in his defense at trial and post-conviction proceedings related to the criminal charges, …
