Third Circuit: Prison Officials Liable for Failing to Protect Informant by The Third Circuit Court of Appeals held on September 24, 2012 that prison officials may be held liable for failing to protect an informant held in a Special Housing Unit (SHU). The appellate court affirmed in part and reversed …
Third Circuit Discusses FRCP 17(c) Guardian Appointment; Evidence of Incompetency Requires Sua Sponte Inquiry by The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has held that "a court is not required to conduct a sua sponte determination whether an unrepresented litigant is incompetent unless there is some verifiable evidence of incompetence." Federal …
U.S. Supreme Court Reinstates BOP Prisoner's FTCA Suit by J.R. Bloom On March 27, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court clarified that the scope of the Federal Tort Claims Act's waiver of sovereign immunity for certain intentional torts committed by federal law enforcement officials was not limited to executing searches, seizing …
Research Study Finding Benefits from Prison Privatization Funded by Private Prison Companies by In April 2013, two professors at Temple University in Philadelphia released a study, titled "Cost Analysis of Public and Contractor Operated Prisons," that alleged financial savings through prison privatization and equal or better performance by private prison …
Pennsylvania Prison Guards, Sergeants Out-earn Supervisors by David Reutter by David M. Reutter Life in prison has alwayss been far different than life in the free world. An investigation by the Pittsburgh-Gazette into the wages of Pennsylvania prison employees revealed one of those differences – an Alice-in-Wonderland quality to the …
Fleck v. City of Philadelphia, PA, Complaint, False Arrest for Recording Police, 2013 Case 2:13-cv-03081-LDD Document 1 Filed 06/05/13 Page 1 of 16 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA ALEXINE FLECK, Plaintiff, ~ ) ) ) ) ) ) Civil Action No.- - - - - …
Loeb v. Philadelphia, PA, Complaint, False Arrest for Photographing Police, 2013 Case 2:13-cv-03082-SD Document 1 Filed 06/05/13 Page 1 of 13 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYL VANIA ) COULTER LOEB, ) ) Plaintiff, ) ) v. ) ) CITY OF PHILADELPHIA; ) POLICE OFFICER GEORGE …
Investigation of Solitary Conditions at PA's SCI-Cresson DoJ 2013 U.S. Department of Justice Wa.rltington, DC 205.10 MAY 3 1 2013 The Honorable Tom Corbett Governor's Office 225 Main Capitol Building Harrisburg, PA 17120 Re: Investigation of the State Correctional Institution at Cresson and Notice of Expanded Investigation Dear Governor Corbett: …
Investigation of State Correctional Institution at Cresson, DOJ Civil Rights Division, 2013 U.S. Department of Jnstice Washington, DC 20530 MAY 31 2013 The Honorable Tom Corbett Governor's Office 225 Main Capitol Building Harrisburg, PA 17120 Re: Investigation of the State Correctional Institution at Cresson and Notice of Expanded Investigation Dear …
Pennsylvania: No Prison Time for Guards Convicted of Abusing Prisoners by Christopher Zoukis A former Pennsylvania prison guard who was convicted on 27 counts of abusing prisoners will serve no prison time of his own, after a state court sentenced him to five years’ probation and six months on house …
$17.75 Million Settlement for Victims of Pennsylvania “Kids for Cash” Scandal by David Reutter by David M. Reutter Several of the defendants in a “widespread scheme and subversion of the Luzerne County juvenile justice system” in Pennsylvania have agreed to a $17.75 million settlement to resolve a class-action federal lawsuit. …
Hearst Television Wins Right to Know Case against Pennsylvania Coroner by Hearst Television, Inc., through its television affiliate WGAL-TV and reporter, Daniel O'Donnell, finally prevailed on its appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that it was entitled to obtain information responsive to a records request with the Cumberland County Coroner, …
Pennsylvania: USDC Grants Habeas Bond Hearing for Alien by On May 24, 2012 the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania granted in part the habeas petition of Robert A. Bautista seeking release from Department of Homeland Security custody, which was not granted, and a bond hearing, …
Pennsylvania: Public Records Requests Under Right-to-Know Law Should Not be Derailed by Technicalities by In June 2012, a divided Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania affirmed a decision of the Office of Open Records that a request for public records is governed by the Commonwealth’s Right-to-Know Law (RTKL), 65 P.S. §§67.101-67.3104, even …
Gartrell v. Federal Bureau of Prisons, PA, Settlement Agreement - Releasing RFRA and Equal Protection Claims - Prayer Accommodations (2013) AGREEMENT FOR COMPROMISE, SETTLEMENT AND RELEASE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT AND EQUAL PROTECTION CLAIMS It is hereby agreed by and between Plaintiff, ISADORE GARTRELL, and Defendant, Federal Bureau of …
Shoatz v. Wetzel et al, PA, Complaint, 8th Am escape prolonged isolation, 2013 !aaassseee 222:::000555---mmmccc---000222000222555 DDDooocccuuummmeeennnttt 666333555 FFFiiillleeeddd 000555///000888///111333 PPPaaagggeee 111 ooofff 111333 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA RUSSELL SHOATZ, a/k/a RUSSELL SHOATS Plaintiff, v. JOHN E. WETZEL, in his official capacity as …
Shoatz v. Wetzel, PA, Complaint, Prolonged Solitary Confinement, 2013 !aaassseee 222:::000555---mmmccc---000222000222555 DDDooocccuuummmeeennnttt 666333555 FFFiiillleeeddd 000555///000888///111333 PPPaaagggeee 111 ooofff 111333 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA RUSSELL SHOATZ, a/k/a RUSSELL SHOATS Plaintiff, v. JOHN E. WETZEL, in his official capacity as Secretary of the Pennsylvania …
Aughenbaugh v. DeJulia, PA, Amended Complaint, Wrongful Death Suicide, 2013 Case 3:09-cv-00159-KRG Document 148 Filed 04/25/13 Page 1 of 25 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA DONNA R. AUGHENBAUGH, individually and as Administratrix of the Estate of NATHAN AUGHENBAUGH, and JAMES C. AUGHENBAUGH, Plaintiffs, …
Lawsuit Filed Against Solitary Confinement of 800 “Seriously Mentally Ill” Prisoners in Pennsylvania by Sal Rodriquez On March 11, 2013, the Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRNP) filed a lawsuit against John E. Wetzel, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, charging that the confinement of prisoners in Restricted Housing …
Former Pennsylvania DOC Director Hired to Run CDCR by Anne-Marie Cusac Jeffrey A. Beard, an almost 40-year old veteran of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, and most recently that state’s Corrections Secretary, was hired by California Governor Jerry Brown in December 2012 to become the new head of the California …
