Ad-Seg for Eleven Months Without Review States Due Process Claim by The Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversing a Florida U.S. District Court,, held that a prisoner held in Administrative Segregation (Ad-Seg) for eleven months without any review of his close management (CM) status, stated a claim for relief. …
Florida DOC Clamps Down on Prisoner Writers by David Reutter by David M. Reutter In an effort to limit prisoners' free speech rights, the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) has taken steps to prohibit prisoners from engaging in a business or profession. For some years now, the FDOC has had …
Florida Good Time Law Applied by Florida's First District Court of Appeals held that the Correctional Reform Act of 1983 (The Act) does not allow the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) to grant additional days of gain-time as a matter of grace of forfeit the right to gain-time earned prior …
Intermediate State Appellate Court Ruling Fails to Override Qualified Immunity Defense in Over-Detention Suit by The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that a ruling from the Florida First District Court of Appeals (DCA) falls short of the clarity of the law to defeat a defense of qualified immunity. A …
Florida Jail Detainee Entitled to Clean Cell, Medical Diet by A Florida Federal District Court held a pretrial detainee at the Monroe County Jail stated claims for unconstitutional conditions and medical treatment in his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action. The matter was before the court after the magistrate judge recommended …
Miscalculation of Sentence Defeats Summary Judgment by A Florida Federal District Court held that prison officials may be held liable for miscalculating a prisoner's release date and causing him to be detained beyond his sentence expiration. Former prisoner James S. McCurry brought suit under 42 U.S.C. section 1983 seeking monetary …
Negligence Claim Stated in Florida Jail Prisoner's Suicide by The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal has upheld a Florida district court's grant of judgment as a matter of law on a claim of deliberate indifference to medical needs and a state tort claim of negligent supervision, training, and management in …
Guard's Liability for Florida Prisoner's Suicide Jury Question by By David M. Reutter A Florida Appeals Court held that a jury, not a judge, must determine if a guard at the Pinellas County Jail (PCJ) is entitled to sovereign immunity and qualified immunity. This case was before the court on …
FL Prisoner's Petition Deemed Filed When Given to Prison Officials by Florida's First District Court of Appeal held that a prisoner's petition for a writ of mandamus was timely filed under the "mailbox rule." The circuit court dismissed as untimely the underlying petition challenging disciplinary sanctions, which must be filed …
Florida Jail Liable in Medical Neglect Death by PHS by Carol Ancata, personal representative of Anthony Ancata, deceased, and natural guardian of Tara Ancata, filed a lawsuit against Prison Health Services, Inc. (PHS), the Broward County Jail and the Sheriff of Broward County (defendants) for violating Anthony Ancata's Fourteenth and …
Florida's "Right-of-Reply" Statute Unconstitutional by Florida's "Right-of-Reply" Statute Unconstitutional The U.S. Supreme Court held unconstitutional Florida's "right-of-reply" statute, which grants a political candidate the right to equal space to answer criticism and attacks on his record by a newspaper, and makes it a misdemeanor for the newspaper to fail to …
$8.2 Million Awarded for Florida Malicious Prosecution by A Florida federal jury awarded a former employee of Brinks, Inc. $8,261,050 for malicious prosecution by Brinks' failure to provide complete information and withholding important evidence from the police regarding a theft. In 1996, while plaintiff was an employee of Brinks, $350,000 …
$1,063,000 Verdict in Florida Prisoner's Wrongful Death by This action was brought by the estate of decedent, who was in his 30's, alleging improper characterization of prisoners and negligent food distribution. The decedent was placed in a cell with a convicted murderer. A dispute erupted over orange juice. The ensuing …
$28,500 Paid in Florida Jail Prisoner's Medical Negligence Claim by On October 13, 1986, Neal D. Braude cut open his little finger on his right hand at the Florida Dade County Jail. Jail personnel failed to treat the injury. The hand eventually became infected and required three surgical procedures that …
$35,000 Paid to Florida Jail Nurse for Assault by On November 12, 1988, while employed as a nurse at Florida's Palm Beach County Jail, Ella Donald was assaulted by a prisoner on suicide watch after a guard opened the prisoner's cell. The prisoner charged through the door, striking Donald. She …
$10,000 Florida Jury Award for Injunction and Confinement by False Claim by On June 10, 2002, a Florida jury awarded a man $10,000 against his ex-wife for 191 days of imprisonment caused by her false accusations. Caryl and Marilyn Brown were being divorced in 1988. She falsely claimed he made …
Fla DOC Cannot Alter Concurrent Sentence by The Florida Supreme Court held the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) must comply with the terms of a court's sentencing order and cannot refuse to carry it out. A Florida prisoner received a 13-year habitual offender sentence to run concurrent and conterminous with …
Fla. Prisoners Have Liberty Interest to Remain in General Population by The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (now the 11th Circuit) and the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) had implemented regulations that created a liberty interest to remain free of segregation. This 42 U.S.C. §1983 action was filed by a …
Failure to Accommodate Blind Prisoner Violates ADA by A Florida federal district court has held that a private medical contractor, EMSA Correctional Care, Inc. (EMSA), and Sheriff Ken Jenne violated a blind prisoner's rights under the Eight Amendment and the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) when they failed to provide …
Delay in Treating Broken Foot States Cause and Shows Deliberate Indifference by The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that the delay of a few hours in treating a prisoner's broken foot states a constitutional claim. This action was filed by a prisoner of the Hamilton County Jail. The prisoner …
