Delay of HIV Medication Claim Dismissed by The plaintiff complained that he did not get his HIV medication on time. However, the evidence showed that his viral loads got better rather than worse during the relevant period, a doctor testified that it really didn't matter whether he got his medications …
No Suit Dismissal for Not Answering Deposition Questions by The plaintiff refused to answer questions at his deposition on the ground that he was being threatened with harm at the prison if he spoke, and he asked the Assistant Attorney General to protect him. His claim was of retaliation for …
Village Failure to Investigate Police Abuse May Create Liability by The plaintiff alleged abusive conduct by a police office. There had been six prior letters of complaint or criticism of the officer's abuse of civilians. At 479: ". . . [A] reasonable jury could infer from these repeated complaints an …
Habeas Required to Challenge Abuse Parole Arrest by The plaintiff's allegations of an abusive and improper arrest by parole officers and an improper parole violation hearing may not be pursued under § 1983 because he is incarcerated after having had his parole revoked. The court does not distinguish finely among …
Pro Se Complaints Broadly Construed by At 461: "Where a party appears pro se, the Courts are required to broadly construe that party's pleadings and interpret them 'to raise the strongest argument they suggest.' Graham v. Henderson, 89 F.3d 75, 79 (2nd Cir. 1996)." Factual allegations in an opposition to …
ADA Suit by Alcoholic Work Release Residents Dismissed by Residents of a halfway house for alcoholics were disabled for purposes of the disability statutes, since alcoholism is a recognized disability and since the halfway house only admitted persons who inter alia were determined to be unable to abstain without continued …
Alcoholism is a Disability by Alcoholism is an "impairment" under the disability statutes; to be a disability, an impairment must substantially limit one or more major life activities, and the impact must be "permanent or long-term." Major life activities include caring for one's self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, …
Default Denied Where Defendant Ignores Complaint by The plaintiff is not entitled to a default judgment against a defendant who has not answered because he has not exhausted. The court does not explain in its two-sentence reference to this issue why the defendant in question hasn't waived exhaustion, and also …
Medical Staff Records Subject to Disclosure by The plaintiff alleged that he suffers from a potentially severe psychiatric condition and was subjected to placement in SHU without due process, to deliberate indifference to his medical needs, and to unconstitutional conditions. The plaintiff (who is represented) is entitled to production of …
Timeliness of Administrative Exhaustion Claim Needs to be Presented in Grievances by Timeliness of Administrative Exhaustion Claim Needs to be Presented in Grievances Plaintiff said he shouldn't have to exhaust because inmate assault is not grievable. Wrong. He said he shouldn't have to exhaust because Porter v. Nussle hadn't been …
New York Jail Strip Search Upheld by The plaintiff was arrested on a civil contempt warrant and was strip-searched in a holding cell at the courthouse upon arrest; upon intake at the county jail; and upon admission to the jail's SHU, where he was taken after being found with contraband, …
Having Won Compensatory Damages in State Court, Suit for Punitives Dismissed by The plaintiff, having won his excessive force case in the state Court of Claims and been awarded $3,151.38, cannot pursue an Eighth Amendment claim based on the same incident, even though he wished to pursue punitive damages, which …
Telephone User Has Standing to Sue Over Poor Service by A telephone user complaining of poor service had standing to sue the telephone service provider under 47 U.S.C. §§ 206 and 207 (the Communications Act), which makes violators of the Act liable to parties whom they injure. The substantive violation …
Gay New York Prison Guard Sues over Harassment by The plaintiff complained of a course of severe anti-gay harassment of him in his employment by the prison system, apparently as a correction officer. Claims against DOCS and prison personnel in their official capacities were barred by the Eleventh Amendment, but …
Defendants Can Amend Answer to Raise Administrative Exhaustion Defense by Defendants are granted leave to amend their answer to assert non-exhaustion as a defense. There was no indication of bad faith; they rely on a change in the law occasioned by Porter v. Nussle. Why they waited two years is …
Damage Awards to 22 Minority Cops Upheld by A jury awarded $50,000 to each of 22 black or black-Hispanic police officers transferred on racial grounds to the precinct where Abner Louima was tortured. The court affirms. At 55: It is well-established that courts may award emotional distress damages in section …
Court Upholds Firing of Racist NY Cop by The plaintiff, a New York City police officer, received solicitations from the Mineola Auxiliary Police Department and stuffed the return envelopes anonymously with racist and anti-Semitic literature. He was traced and reported to his employer, which fired him. The court assumes that …
Removal of Children From Domestic Violence Victims Enjoined by The court handily summarizes the various abstention doctrines plus Rooker-Feldman. Younger abstention doesn't apply to an injunctive challenge to the removal of children from mothers' custody as a result of the mothers' victimization by domestic violence. At 231: "While in the …
Exhaustion Defense Not Waived by 22 Month Delay by The plaintiff said he complained to the Inspector General and wrote letters to the Superintendent. He didn't exhaust. Even if his letters were viewed as having commenced the expedited harassment grievance process, he didn't get a favorable decision and didn't appeal. …
Parties Involvement Must Be Shown in Vascular Care Suit by The plaintiff alleges that the defendants denied him appropriate medical care for a vascular condition, causing him great pain over an extended period of time and resulting in his confinement to a wheelchair. The court recites medical care boilerplate, including …
