Sixth Circuit Holds Prisoner's Access to Court Not Violated by Affirming a Tennessee federal district court decision, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a state prisoner incarcerated in a private prison suffered no violation of his right to meaningful access to courts. Danny Ray Thomas is a …
Confiscation of Social Security Benefits Actionable Under Rehabilitation Act by The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that juveniles formerly in state custody whose benefits were seized by the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) to pay for their "maintenance," could pursue a claim under the Rehabilitation …
Sixth Circuit Affirms Summary Judgment Against Injured Prisoner by The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment granted by the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee, against a state prisoner stabbed by other prisoners. Harvey Hester, a Tennessee prisoner, sued Jack Morgan, warden of the Turney Center …
Sixth Circuit Affirms Dismissal of Bivens Action Against Federal Agents by The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a Tennessee federal district court's dismissal of a Bivens claim against federal agents who allegedly destroyed a federal prisoner's property and denied him medical care. Thomas Harold Stiger, a federal prisoner, …
Sixth Circuit Dismisses Tennessee Jail Officials' Qualified Immunity Request by In an unpublished opinion dated October 20, 2004, the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed for lack of jurisdiction an interlocutory appeal challenging a district court's denial of qualified immunity to Tennessee jail officials. While imprisoned in Tennessee's Shelby …
Prisoner Guilty Of Introduction Of Marijuana Into County Jail by State prisoner Gary Yarbro was found guilty of introducing marijuana into the Hardin County (Tennessee) jail in a tube of toothpaste upon reporting to serve a forty-five day sentence on an unrelated charge. Yarbro was allowed to bring a clothes …
Denial of Class Certification Reversed by The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal held that a district court used the wrong standard in denying class certification and remanded for consideration of the detainees' First Amendment claim. This action was filed by pretrial detainees at Tennessee's Warren County Jail, alleging constitutional violations …
Washington Sex Offender Release & Supervision Statute Explained by John Bader, a Washington state prisoner, was serving a 102-month sentence for child rape. The offense was committed in late 1997 or early 1998. In August of 2002, he filed a motion in superior court for release to community custody based …
Individual Capacity Claims Can Be Inferred From Complaint by Whether a plaintiff sued defendants in their individual or official capacities is determined by a "course of proceedings" test. The court disingenuously denies that it has applied a rigid rule that capacity must be spelled out explicitly or it will be …
TN DNA Collection Statute Held Constitutional by Bruce Scarborough and Mack Transou, Tennessee state prisoners, are both convicted sex-offenders. Upon their admission to the state prison system both were asked to provide blood samples for DNA testing per Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-35-3231, et seq. (DNA Statute). Had they refused …
TN Prisoner States Medical Malpractice Claim Re: Failure to Provide Remedial Surgery by Sheila Proffitt, a Tennessee state prisoner, had a cast put on her broken leg by Prison Health Services, Inc. (defendants). The cast was secured by two bolts, which orthopedic physicians later said should be removed to promote …
Federal Law Requiring Felons Submit DNA Sample Constitutional by The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has held that a federal statute, 42 U.S.C. § 14135a, that requires persons convicted of federal felonies to submit a DNA sample is constitutional. That ruling comes in the appeal of Bobbie J. Conley, who …
Prisoner Legal Advisor's Transfer Upheld by The plaintiff, an inmate legal advisor, alleged that he was reclassified and transferred in retaliation for filing grievances. At 1037: In this case, the Warden terminated Smith from his position as inmate legal advisor and transferred him to another prison because of his aggressive …
TN Prisoner Not Entitled by State PRA to Free Inspection of Records Kept Outside of Prison by TN Prisoner Not Entitled by State PRA to Free Inspection of Records Kept Outside of Prison Between 1997 and 1999, Omawali Ashanti Shabazz (AKA Fred E. Dean), a Tennessee state prisoner, asked prison …
TN Chancery Court Must Award Reasonable, Rather Than All, Costs and Fees to Winner in Public Records by TN Chancery Court Must Award Reasonable, Rather Than All, Costs and Fees to Winner in Public Records Act Cases The Pollow family settled a civil rights action against police in Memphis, Tennessee …
Tennessee Prison Contracting Official Engaged to Contractor by The Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) is investigating whether a romance between a prison contract oversight official and a prison contractor involved any impropriety. TDOC purchasing director Nola Butler disclosed her romantic relationship with prison commissary contractor Martin Jennen, president of American …
Prisoners In 13 States Allowed Work-Access To Social Security Numbers by John Dannenberg by John E. Dannenberg The U.S. Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reported that prisoners in thirteen states had access to Social Security numbers (SSNs) during the course of their prison employment. Following a nationwide survey, the …
Eight Tennessee Guards Convicted in Prisoners’ Beatings, Death by Gary Hunter Eight Tennessee Guards Convicted in Prisoners? Beatings, Death by Gary Hunter Walter "Steve" Kuntz was beaten to death by jailers in Wilson County, Tennessee. His murder led to a federal investigation, the indictment of nine jailers, six guilty pleas …
Reese v. Corrections Corporation of America, TN, Settlement, 2007 RELEASE In consideration for the payment by Corrections Corporation of America ("CCA") to James Andrew Reese ("Reese") of the amount of Six Thousand One Hundred Eighty Four Dollars and Seventy One Cents ($6,184.71), after the execution of this Release, Reese hereby …
