State of Washington Settles Parolee’s Unlawful Detention Suit for $39,695.10 by In February 2008, the state of Washington entered into a stipulated judgment to settle a lawsuit for damages filed in Pierce County Superior Court by Mark Stephen Rice. In settling the suit, which was filed in June 2007, the …
Washington DOC Agrees to Settle Inadequate Medical Care Suit for $55,000 by The State of Washington has agreed to settle a prisoner suit alleging deliberately indifferent medical care. The suit, filed in 2006, took almost two years to resolve. Richard Hibdon sued the Stafford Creek Corrections Center, a Washington Department …
Certificate of Merit in Medical Malpractice Suits Unconstitutional in Washington State by Jimmy Franks In 2007, Kimme Putman, a Washington state resident, filed suit against the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center and a number of its employees. Putnam’s lawsuit alleged negligence by medical personnel when they failed to properly diagnose her …
Washington Sex Offender Relieved of Obligation to Register by On September 9, 2008, following more than ten years of compliance with Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative (SSOSA) restrictions and guidelines, a Washington state trial court relieved Brian A. McMillan of his duty to register as a sex offender. The State …
$60,000 Settlement for Washington Prisoner Injured by Chemical Spill by The State of Washington paid $60,000 to settle a prisoner’s claim that he was injured due to a chemical spill. While working in the kitchen at the McNeil Island Correction Center, prisoner George D. Douglas reached for a chemical bottle …
Washington DOC Ordered to Pay $174,000 for False Imprisonment by A Washington state woman has been awarded $174,000 in damages after the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) miscalculated her sentence, causing her to stay in prison an extra 18 months. Melanie Hinkle was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in …
Swine Flu Widespread in Prisons and Jails, but Deaths are Few by David Reutter by David M. Reutter For hundreds of years the cramped, overcrowded and often filthy confines of dungeons, prisons, jails and other places of imprisonment have served as incubators for infectious diseases, which have killed more prisoners …
Free Rent for Some Washington State Parolees by Due to a roughly $9 billion state budget deficit, the Washington State legislature approved a plan to offer 90-day rent subsidies for selected prisoners who are eligible for early release. The program is expected to save taxpayers an estimated $1.5 million over …
Army Prisoners Isolated, Denied Right to Legal Counsel by Dahr Jamail The military’s treatment of Army prisoners is “part of a broader pattern the military has of just throwing people in jail and not letting them talk to their attorneys, not let visitors come, and this is outrageous. In the …
Washington State Makes Work Release Available to Disabled Prisoners; Monetary Payments to Class Members by The Washington Department of Corrections (WDOC) agreed to a settlement in a class action lawsuit alleging violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that results in not only a policy change but monetary payments …
$6,000 Settlement in Illegal Arrest of Washington State Probationer by The State of Washington paid $6,000 to settle a wrongful imprisonment claim. The claim involved the probation violation arrest of Kenneth Butler. When he reported to the community corrections office on January 23, 2008, as required, he was advised that …
Judge Enjoins Collection of Cost of Incarceration Fees From Federal Prisoner in Washington State Prison by On February 25, 2008, Judge William Thomas McPhee of the Thurston County Superior Court entered an injunction prohibiting the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) from withholding cost of incarceration and crime victim compensation from …
Washington Supreme Court Upholds Denial of Parole for Sex Offender Who Refuses to Admit Guilt by In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court of Washington state, sitting en banc, upheld the denial of parole for an untreated sex offender. Richard J. Dyer was convicted of abducting and repeatedly raping two …
Washington Pretrial Release UAs Invalidated by In three consolidated criminal cases, the Court of Appeals for Washington state held that a standard pretrial release condition requiring weekly urinalysis (UA) tests was inappropriate. Washington residents Amber Dee Rose, Danielle Wilson and Kevin Wentz were charged with criminal offenses. The state recommended …
Washington DOC Agrees to Pay $450 To Settle Public Disclosure Act Suit by On March 1, 2006, the Washington Department of Corrections (DOC) agreed to settle a Public Disclosure Act (PDA) suit for $450. The suit, brought by Nicholas Roy, a prisoner at the Airway Heights Corrections Center, alleged that …
Washington Prisoners Have The Right To Seek Divorce by A prisoner’s due process right of access the courts includes the right to bring actions for dissolution of marriage and related matters, the Supreme Court of Washington decided March 26, 1987. The court’s decision comes in response to an appeal by …
$13,500 Settlement in Washington Sex Discrimination Claim; Public Records Act Violation by The State of Washington has paid $13,500 to settle the Public Records Act and gender discrimination suit of Marge Southard, a counselor for the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). Southard was employed by DSHS as a …
$20,000 Settlement by King County in Assault, False Imprisonment Claim by Washington State’s King County has settled an excessive force and false imprisonment claim for $20,000. The claim, brought by Bradley T. Nebinger, sought compensation for injuries incurred at the jail on March 4, 2006. Nebinger claimed that he was …
$26,000 Settlement for Public Records Violations by Washington Jail by Washington state’s Kitsap County Jail paid $26,000 to settle an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) claim that resulted in “catastrophic injuries” to a prisoner. The claim also asserted violations of Washington’s public records law. The claim was filed on behalf …
Fees and Costs Awarded Against Washington State DOC in Public Records Appeal by On July 25, 2005, a Washington State Court of Appeals awarded a citizen additional fees and costs incurred in a Public Records Act (PRA) suit. John R. Berg requested disclosure from the Washington State Department of Corrections …
