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Oregon to pay inmates who got COVID-19 in $49M class settlement
Oregon will pay $49 million in a class action settlement to inmates who contracted COVID-19 in prison and estates of those who died, resolving claims of inadequate care.
Prisons – Former federal inmate’s Bivens’ action is dismissed
The 4th Circuit affirmed dismissal of Mandriez Spivey’s bivens claims against federal prison employees for inadequate medical care and excessive force.
Prisons – Inmate’s lack-of-exercise claim was wrongly dismissed
The 4th Circuit vacated summary judgment for prison officials in Bolick v. Anderson, finding disputed facts on inmate exercise deprivation at Kirkland Correctional Institution.
Prisons – District court did not err when it construed inmate’s pro se complaint
The 4th Circuit affirmed the district court's dismissal of inmate Daniel Jackson’s deliberate indifference claim under the Eighth Amendment in Virginia.
Tennessee execution raises defibrillator, pain concerns
Story highlights • Ivan Black was executed in Tennessee amid medical concerns. • Officials refused to deactivate his implantable defibrillator. • Legal battles cited intellectual disability and medical ethics. • […]
WDVA: Jail employee owes inmate $700k+ for sexual assaults
In a § 1983 action by a former jail inmate, default judgment was granted against a jail employee who failed to appear despite being properly served. The court found that […]
4th Cir.: “Habitual drunkard” interdiction laws upheld
A district court properly dismissed constitutional challenges to Virginia’s civil interdiction process, which can lead to criminal penalties for possession, consumption, or purchase of alcoholic beverages by individuals subject to […]
WDVA: Prisoner’s dim-lighting claim can proceed to discovery
An inmate’s claim that officials at Green Rock Correctional Center violated his Eighth Amendment rights by keeping cell lights off for 23 hours per day survived a motion to dismiss. […]
EDVA: Solitary confinement was cruel and unusual
The Department of Corrections was enjoined from reverting back to solitary-confinement conditions for Virginia death-row inmates prior to 2015, as such conditions violate the Eighth Amendment. Background Plaintiffs Thomas Porter, […]
EDVA: Solitary confinement was cruel and unusual
The Eastern District enjoined the Department of Corrections from reverting back to solitary-confinement conditions for Virginia death-row inmates prior to 2015, as such conditions violate the Eighth Amendment. Background Plaintiffs […]
Legal Tech
- AI in practice: How new technology is affecting litigation practice
- Experts foresee legal malpractice risk for those who eschew AI
- Legal Decoder launches AI-powered billing analytics interface
Verdicts & Settlements
- Negligence and Tort – E-bike collision leads to neck injury, psoriasis flare
- Motor Vehicle Negligence – ‘Daydreaming’ driver hit plaintiff walking by road
- Motor Vehicle Negligence 92-year-old dies after being hit by vehicle
- Motor Vehicle Negligence – Motorcyclist suffers severe injuries in vehicle accident
- Medical Malpractice – Patient dies after alleged improper medicine admin
Opinion Digests
- Employment – Multiple discrimination claims are dismissed with prejudice
- Commercial – Rental company denied TRO in dispute with Norfolk Airport Authority
- Banks and banking – Court dismisses EFTA claim in fraud victim’s complaint against bank
- Employment – Disability discrimination claim is dismissed
- Copyright – Copyright registrations didn’t extend to interior spaces
- Tort – Suit alleges data center construction is private nuisance
- Civil Procedure – Non-diverse suit remanded to circuit court
