Parents of deceased ex Kentucky federal prisoner, Marcus Dascenzo, brought a federal tort action against the United States in 2002 after a guard's failure to treat their son resulted in his death. After the Department of Justice's initial refusal to pay after a settlement agreement was reached, the suit ultimately ...
The County of Los Angeles (L.A.) proposed a settlement of $250,000 after an innocent bystander was wounded by a ricocheting bullet. An investigation cleared sheriff's deputies of any wrongdoing but litigation was feared to result in a greater loss.
L.A. sheriffs responded to a situation in which an inebriated man ...
Virginia federal prisoner Chris Walker brought a federal tort action against the United States in 1998 after various officials refused to treat his severed Achilles tendon. Jail and prison officials, as well as Bureau of Prisons personnel ignored the injury for over two months. The $17.6 million suit settled for ...
Virginia federal prisoner Glen Francis brought a federal tort action in 1995 for $200,000 after being injured at FCI Petersburg while climbing down from his bunk. The suit settled for $1,500.
Francis was on his top bunk when FCI Petersburg guards announced that it was time for head count. Given ...
More Damages, Costs & Attorney Fees Awarded in NH False Disciplinary Case
Three prisoners involved in two federal civil rights lawsuits against officials of the Hillsborough County House of Corrections in New Hampshire (the jail) were awarded nominal, compensatory and punitive damages plus attorney fees and costs.
On July 14, ...
A Virginia State jury awarded $250,000 to a guard who was injured while driving a prisoner transport van. While transporting several prisoners, the van driven by guard Ralph P. Tolbert was hit by a car that drove out from a side road.
Tolbert suffered two cervical disc herniations, which did ...
PLN Attorneys Awarded $137,672 for Post-Settlement Work in CDCR Censorship Case
by John E. Dannenberg
On April 10, 2008, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California awarded $137,672 in supplemental legal fees and costs incurred in enforcing a settlement agreement between PLN and the California Department of ...
The Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that when a defendant in a prisoner’s 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights complaint had participated in the administrative grievance process, but had not been expressly named in a grievance, that defendant was not foreclosed from being named in a subsequent lawsuit. ...
by John E. Dannenberg
The County of San Bernardino, California has agreed to settle a federal class action lawsuit filed against its Sheriff’s Department in 2005 for $25.5 million – one of the largest such payouts on record.
On September 26, 2007 the County preliminarily agreed to pay for damages ...
$2 Million Confidential Settlement In CCA Prisoner's 2004 Beating Death Revealed
by Alex Friedmann
PLN has previously reported on the death of Estelle Richardson, a mentally ill prisoner who died at the CCA-operated Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility in Nashville, Tennessee on July 5, 2004.
Richardson was found unresponsive in a ...