No Immunity for 10 Day Cell Confinement by The court of appeals for the Second circuit affirmed and remanded a district court's ruling denying qualified immunity to New York state prison officials who placed a prisoner in cell confinement for ten days without notice or hearing. Upon being denied qualified …
NY Prisoner Awarded Damages in Disciplinary Hearing Suit by A federal district court in New York awarded $1,281 in damages to a New York state prisoner whose due process rights were violated at a disciplinary hearing. Defendants refused to investigate plaintiffs claim that marijuana found in his cell was not …
Habeas Prevents Transfer for Medical Reasons by A New York detainee filed a habeas petition under § 2294 to prevent his transfer to California to face federal charges after being arrested in New York on a California warrant. At the extradition hearing he suffered heart failure. The district court dismissed …
Denial of Religious Services in Segregation States Claim by The court of appeals for the Second circuit held that New York prisoner had stated a claim that his religious rights were violated when he was denied access to religious services in segregation. Court also held that the-prisoner's claim that he …
Prisoner Entitled to Possess Disciplinary Reports before Hearing by The court of appeals for the Second circuit held that a New York prisoner was entitled to receive, and keep possession, of disciplinary reports at least 24 hours before the scheduled hearing. Giving the prisoner the reports, then taking them from …
Late Notice of Appeal Allowed when Prison Officials Don't Provide Paper by Late Notice of Appeal Allowed When Prison Officials Don't Provide Paper A federal district court in New York held that a notice of appeal rejected by the court clerk because it was typed on the wrong size paper …
Additional Evidence in New York Medical Claim Allowed in Part by The United States District Court, Southern District of New York, has granted in part a New York Department of Correctional Services (DOCS) prisoner's motion to submit additional new evidence in a long-running suit over inadequate medical care. Ronald Davidson …
Balisok Doesn't Bar Excessive Force Claims by The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated a district court's dismissal of a prisoner's complaint of excessive force and denial of procedural due process while ruling that reversal of his prison disciplinary convictions was not a prerequisite to relief. Robert …
Prisoner's Out-of-Time Medical Neglect Lawsuit Allowed to Proceed by A U.S. District Court denied a county's motion to dismiss a prisoner's medical neglect claims and granted relief to the prisoner under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b)(6) by reinstating an action that earlier had been dismissed without prejudice. In August …
New York Prisoner Has Right to Witnesses at Disciplinary Hearing by The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that prisoners have the right to due process at disciplinary hearings. A prisoner at the Fishkill Corrections Center in New York filed a civil suit claiming that his right …
Confiscation of Legal Files Excused Failure to Exhaust by A federal district court in New York held that the confiscation of a prisoner's legal files established cause and prejudice sufficient to overcome procedural default for failing to exhaust administrative remedies. In 1998, prisoner F. Lee Hinebaugh filed a federal petition …
Refusal to Treat Tooth Cavity States §1983 Claim by Refusal to Treat Tooth Cavity States §1983 Claim The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed and remanded a federal district court's grant of summary judgment on grounds of qualified immunity to prison officials who refused to treat a prisoner's tooth …
New York Incarceration Alone Not Grounds to Deny Visits with Children by The Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Fourth Department, New York, held that the Erie County Family Court, erred when it denied a prisoners petition for visitation with his children, based solely on the prisoners record of incarceration. The appellate …
New York Prisoner Has No Right to Sue Over being Placed in Protective Confinement by New York Prisoner Has No Right to Sue Over Being Placed in Protective Confinement The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, affirmed the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New …
DOCS Denied Summary Judgment on Mail, Retaliation, and Prison Conditions by The United States District Court for the Western District of New York has partly granted and partly denied summary judgment in a civil rights complaint brought by a New York prisoner against various officials of the Department of Correctional …
Federal Court Holds PLRA Physical Injury Requirement Applies After Release by A federal district court for the Southern District of New York has held that the Prison Litigation Reform Act's (PLRA's) "physical injury" requirement, 42 U.S.C. §1997e(e), applies to actions brought by released prisoners. This ruling conflicts with several federal …
New York Jail Conditions Found Unconstitutional, Remanded for Remedy by New York Jail Conditions Found Unconstitutional, Remanded For Remedy The Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the finding that various conditions at the "Tombs," the Manhattan (New York) House of Detention for Men, were unconstitutional, and remanded the case to …
Appeal Affirmed in Unconstitutional New York Jail Conditions of Confinement by In a class action brought by New York City prisoners in pretrial confinement for declaratory and injunctive relief regarding alleged unconstitutional conditions of confinement, and on appeal by corrections commissioner, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals held that (1) …
Intentional Destruction of Evidence Requires Sanction by The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, reversed a Court of Claims' denial of a motion for sanctions where prison officials destroyed video tapes showing that a prisoner was beaten. The Attica Correctional Facility prisoner sought damages for injuries caused by guards beating …
No Liberty Interest for N.Y. Prisoner to Remain in Shock Incarceration Program by No Liberty Interest for N.Y. Prisoner to Remain in Shock Incarceration Program The Second Circuit Court of Appeals held a New York youthful, nonviolent prisoner does not have a liberty interest to remain in a "shock program" …