Three Florida Guards Charged in Prisoner’s Beating by David Reutter by David M. Reutter Three Florida prison guards have been arrested and charged in the December 16, 2008 beating of a handcuffed prisoner at the Charlotte Correctional Institution (CCI). The criminal proceedings can be viewed as a fulfillment of Florida …
$50,000 Awarded to Florida Prisoner in Excessive Force Case by A federal jury has awarded $50,000 to a prisoner who was subjected to excessive use of force while in handcuffs at Florida’s Everglades Correctional Institution (ECI). When housed at ECI on July 1, 2006, prisoner Michael Curry was called to …
Third-Party Calling Disconnects at Jail Net $1.25 Million Settlement; Customers Get Nothing by by David M. Reutter When it comes to prison and jail telephone services, it’s all about how much money can be made without regard to the people who are bilked by for-profit phone companies. That is the …
Four-Year Statute of Limitations Applies to § 1983 Claims Filed in Florida by Four-Year Statute of Limitations Applies to § 1983 Claims Filed in Florida The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has held that 42 U.S.C. § 1983 actions filed in Florida have a four-year statute of limitations. The appellate …
Doe v. Young et al, FL, Unopposed Mot for Leave to Proceed Under Fictitious Name, sheriff sexual misconduct, 2010 IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA TALLAHASSEE DIVISION JANE DOE, Plaintiff, Case No. 4:09-cv-424-RH/WCS v. HON. MORRIS YOUNG, individually and as Sheriff, and JAMES ELIJAH …
BOP Guard Found Guilty in Prisoner’s Death, Sentenced to Life by Brandon Sample On July 30, 2009, a federal jury found a former prison guard at the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) in Coleman, Florida guilty of civil rights violations in connection with a prisoner’s death. She later received a life …
Soft Porn, Bribery and Jailed Millionaire Make for a Dangerous Mix by Brandon Sample In April 2007, Joe Francis, 36, the multi-millionaire founder of the popular soft porn Girls Gone Wild videos – which consist of young women exposing themselves at parties, clubs and spring break – was charged with …
Donald v. NWFRC, FL, Interrogatories, Negligent Medical Care, 2010 Interrogatories to Dr. Frank Johanson The Plaintiff sets forth the following definitions particular to this litigation: A. “Department” means the Florida Department of Corrections. B. “Decedent” means Vermon Donald. C. The matter sued upon means the treatment of Vermon Donald between …
Donald v. NWFRC, FL, Interrogatores, FDOC Medical Care, Treatment Care Costs and Procedures Chronically Ill Inmates, 2010 Discovery sets DonaldV Interrogatories Time frame: if not otherwise specified, time frame of matter sued upon: 05/30/08 to 07/16/10. FDOC What is FDOC design capacity; operable capacity? Samuel Culpepper What cross-check with health …
Private Prisons Don’t Make Better Prisoners by Andrew L. Spivak by Prof. Andrew L. Spivak The incarceration rate, which from the 1920s to the early 1970s hovered between about 100 to 120 state and federal prisoners per 100,000 Americans, has risen nearly fourfold. While the rate of increase has slowed …
Miami Sex Offenders Still Living Under Bridge; Lawsuits Fail to Solve Problem by David Reutter by David M. Reutter PLN has reported several times on the plight of Florida sex offenders forced to live under the Julia Tuttle Causeway in Miami due to restrictive sex offender residency laws. [See: PLN, …
Florida Law Enforcement Officials on the Wrong Side of the Law by David Reutter by David M. Reutter “We’re a law-respecting, law-abiding community. ... We teach our children to respect and look up to men and women who wear badges, and that’s the way it oughta be,” said Florida state …
Electronic Court Records Permissible in Florida, but Restricting Disclosure is Not by Florida’s Supreme Court has implemented rules related to court reporting services and the use of electronic recordings of court proceedings. The rules were promulgated as amendments to the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration and the Florida Rules of …
Living with Cellmate is “Cohabitation” in Florida and Voids Alimony by Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeals has held that a woman who was sentenced to serve nine years in prison was cohabitating with “another person” and it voided her alimony under her marital settlement agreement. That agreement provided that …
Florida Jail Death Ruled a Homicide; Investigations Pending by The Florida Medical Examiner’s Office called the March 31, 2009 in-custody death of 62-year-old Nicholas Christie at the Lee County Jail a homicide, finding that restraint methods and pepper spray were contributing factors in his death. “You could tell immediately there …
Florida to Allow Exportation of Prisoners to Other States by David Reutter by David M. Reutter Florida lawmakers have handed a victory to the private prison industry by passing a bill (SB 1722) that allows Florida prisoners to be exported to out-of-state facilities, which are mostly privately-operated. When Governor Charlie …
Confidential Settlement for Denial of HIV Drugs to Florida Jail Prisoners by An undisclosed settlement has been reached in a lawsuit by two former prisoners at Florida’s Broward County Jail. The lawsuit alleged that the Sheriff’s Office and Armor Correctional Health Services showed “callous indifference” to the medical needs of …
$110,000 Award for Florida Man Falsely Arrested for Child Molestation by A Florida jury awarded a man $10,000 for being falsely arrested on a child molestation charge. Following the verdict, the trial court awarded the man an additional $100,000. The plaintiff lived next to a 5-year-old girl. In 2005, the …
Florida DOC’s Pen Pal Advertisement Prohibition Challenged by The operators of two pen pal advertising services have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Florida Department of Corrections’ rule that prohibits prisoners from receiving information from or posting ads with pen pal advertisement services. The lawsuit was filed by the Florida …
Florida Prison Guards Fired, Suspended for Shocking Children with Stun Guns by David Reutter by David M. Reutter The Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) has fired three guards, demoted a warden and disciplined other employees following an investigation into dozens of children being shocked with stun guns during “Take Our …
