FL Good Time Change Violates Ex Post Facto by The court of appeals for the Eleventh circuit affirmed a district court ruling granting habeas relief to Florida prisoners. After petitioners were convicted, the Florida legislature changed the good time scheme, to their detriment, and DOC applied the change retroactively to …
Attorney Fees Deposited in Escrow Due to Defendant Intransigence by Florida jail prisoners successfully challenged unconstitutional jail conditions. The district court awarded $7,506.50 in attorney fees for post judgment work done to monitor the injunction and ordered the money deposited into a court escrow account due to the defendants' unwillingness …
Retaliatory Transfer States Claim by The court of appeals for the Fifth circuit held that a lower court erred in dismissing a Florida prisoner's civil rights suit that he was transferred to a higher security prison in retaliation for filing lawsuits and challenging his criminal conviction in court. Case was …
No Right to Copies of Cases when Law Library Access Available by No Right to Copies of Cases When Law Library Access Available The court of appeals for the Eleventh circuit held that a Florida prisoner had no right to be provided with photocopies of court cases as long as …
Extra Protection Provided Under Florida Disciplinary Rules by Florida's First District Court of Appeal has held that the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) rules require it to provide a prisoner with the names of witness to incidents within the disciplinary report, produce videotapes, or explain the reasons for the failure …
Delay in Providing Surgery to Florida Prisoner States a Claim by A prisoner survived defendants' motion for summary judgment after the court found a genuine issue of material fact might exist as to whether a delay in treatment demonstrated deliberate indifference to a serious medical need. Seven prisoners from the …
Florida Son of Sam Law Upheld by The Florida District Court of Appeals for the First District, affirmed the Bradford County Circuit Court's decision to impose a lien against Danny Rolling, a convicted serial murderer, and his former wife (London), for proceeds of a book, art work, and autographs related …
No Temporary Injunction Before Conviction Under Florida Son of Sam Statute by The First District Court of Appeals of Florida held that the Bradford County Circuit Court erred in temporarily enjoining the payment of proceeds earned from the reenactment of a crime, even though there had not yet been a …
Florida Reporter Criminally Charged for Receiving Written Communication from Prisoner by Florida Reporter Criminally Charged for Receiving Written Communication from Prisoner Florida's First District Court of Appeals held that a state statute that prohibits a news media reporter from receiving a written communication during a prison visit interview of a …
Statutes Permitting Repossession Without Hearing Violated Due Process by The U.S. Supreme Court held that Pennsylvania and Florida prejudgment replevin statutes, which allowed private parties to repossess goods without first giving the possessors an opportunity to be heard, violated the Fourteenth Amendment. Appellants, most of whom had purchased household goods …
Insane Prisoner Cannot Be Executed by The United States Supreme Court held the Eighth Amendment prohibits the state from inflicting the penalty of death upon a prisoner who is insane, and that Florida Statute § 922.07 was inadequate to assure adequate facts are developed to make a determination of a …
Retroactive Application of Florida Sentencing Guidelines Violates Ex Post Facto Clause by Retroactive Application of Florida Sentencing Guidelines Violates Ex Post Facto Clause The United States Supreme Court held that the use of Florida's revised sentencing guidelines retroactively when those guidelines change the legal consequences of acts committed before their …
US Supreme Court Held Laws Targeting Religion Are Unconstitutional; Santeria a Religion by US Supreme Court Held Laws Targeting Religion Are Unconstitutional; Santeria a Religion The US Supreme Court held that no law can be enacted that denies people their right to religious freedom. The free Exercise Clause protects religious …
US Supreme Court Held Officials Are Qualifiedly Immune From Suit Unless They Violate Clearly Established Law by US Supreme Court Held Officials Are Qualifiedly Immune From Suit Unless They Violate Clearly Established Law The US Supreme Court held that an official's qualified immunity defense depends upon the objective reasonableness of …
$200,000 Verdict for Florida Prisoner in Failure to Treat Epilepsy by The plaintiff in this case was arrested and housed in Florida's Broward County Jail. Upon his arrest, he had a history of epilepsy and brought his medication with him to the jail. A doctor employed by defendant Prison Health …
Florida: Prisoner Raped In County Jail Awarded $65,950 by In this case published by the Florida Jury Verdict Reporter in April 1990, the plaintiff, a prisoner who was raped by another prisoner, was awarded $65,950. On November 23, 1987, while imprisoned in the medium-security section of the Pinellas County (Florida) …
Florida: County Prisoner Slipped On Wet Floor, Awarded $6,000 by On August 18, 1994, a former prisoner in Florida's Escambia County Jail was awarded $6,000 for injuries she sustained when she slipped and fell on the wet floor in a holding area. Plaintiff, Sandra James, a prisoner in the jail's …
Warm, Sanitary Condition Required in Cells; Fla. Jail Regulations Fail to Create Liberty Interest; Short Denial of Court Access Permissible by Warm, Sanitary Condition Required in Cells; Fla. Jail Regulations Fail to Create Liberty Interest; Short Denial of Court Access Permissible The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals held a prisoner …
Mailbox Rule Applies to Florida Grievance Procedure by Florida's Fourth District Court of Appeal held that the "mailbox rule" applies to the Florida Department of Corrections' Inmate Grievance Procedure. The mailbox rule holds that an appeal or document to be filed with the courts is deemed filed "at the moment …
Florida Prisoner's Have Right to Bring Civil Actions by The Florida Second District Court of Appeal reversed a trial court's order that held a prisoner endures "civil death" upon conviction, loses his right to sue under § 944.292 (1983), Florida statutes, and abated the prisoner's civil tort suit. The court …
