Opinion ID: 458728
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Factual Background and Proceedings in District Court

Text: 7 This case is a consolidation of two class actions commenced in November, 1979, with the members of the Madison County Board of Commissioners and the Sheriff of Madison County named as defendants in their individual and official capacities. The suits were brought under section 1983, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 1983, claiming violations of the First, Fourth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and seeking a declaratory judgment, injunctive relief, and damages. The class was defined as all present and future inmates of the Madison County Jail. Eleven individual causes were either dismissed or consolidated because the claims were identical to those in this case. After consolidation, the class continued to request additional damages for four individual inmates. 8 On February 15, 1980 the court entered a Consent Decree and Partial Judgment. The decree described the existing conditions at the Madison County Jail. Summarized briefly the facility, erected in 1938, (1) lacked ventilation; (2) had no capacity for controlling the heating and cooling system with resulting temperatures which varied from over 100 to freezing; (3) was unclean and generally unsanitary; (4) was a haven for cockroaches; (5) often had inoperative showers, toilets and wash basin facilities; and (6) had inadequate lighting. In addition there was no general library available to the inmates and the facility had no recreation or exercise program. The jail also had no written policy with regard to (1) inmate classification based upon reasonable criteria; (2) an inmate's right to communicate with relatives, friends, or his attorney; and (3) the administration of the jail and the discipline of inmates. Because the facility was overcrowded about 50% of the time and due to the physical design of the jail the sheriff was not able to segregate those detained for violent crimes from those charged with nonviolent crimes. Also, because of limited staff and nonfunctioning TV monitors, the inmates were not adequately supervised. 9 The February, 1980 Consent Decree provided injunctive relief, ordering the construction of a new facility and interim improvements of the existing facility. On May 9, 1980, reacting to the death of two inmates in the jail, the inmate class filed a petition requesting the court to determine whether the defendants were in compliance with the terms of the Consent Decree. The court approved a Memorandum Report describing the problems and intended resolution on August 5, 1980. All the parties agreed that frequent, i.e., less than hourly, monitoring of the residential inmate areas and the special holding areas was not yet achieved. It was agreed that increased emphasis on training and educating the staff and operative TV monitoring cameras by September 1 would improve the existing situation. 10 The county commissioners had intended to fund the new jail by the issuance of a general bond obligation. This plan was frustrated by a successful remonstrance. Since it was an election year the defendants took no further action until after November. The newly elected commissioners decided to disregard the plans of the prior commissioners. A new construction site was selected and new jail plans were drawn up. The court set June 26, 1981 for a hearing on compliance with the Consent Decree. The court found that although the defendants were not strictly complying with the decree they were acting in good faith. 11 On November 22, 1982, it was agreed at a pretrial conference that the class would be closed as of June 30, 1981. On August 4, 1983 the court approved a Pretrial Entry in which the defendants admitt[ed] liability as to general damages on all matters and conditions enumerated in the Consent Decree of February 15, 1980. 12 The trial began November 1, 1983. The defendants admitted that prior to December 19, 1980 the Madison County jail did not meet minimal constitutional standards. They contended, however, that the improvements made in the jail pursuant to the February 15 Consent Decree resulted in the jail meeting constitutional standards on and after December 19, 1980. The jury found, however, that the jail did not meet constitutional standards between December 19, 1980 and June 30, 1981. The jury returned a verdict awarding $13.00 per day for the first subclass period, those incarcerated between October 19, 1979 and December 19, 1980, and $10.00 per day for the second subclass, those incarcerated between December 19, 1980 and June 30, 1981. The damages awarded, involving approximately 3700 inmates, totaled in excess of a half million dollars. The jury awarded special damages of $10,000 to Ricky G. Baines, who had been assaulted in the jail. In two other claims of inmates seeking special damages the court directed a verdict for the defendants, and in a third case the jury returned a verdict for the defendants. 13 The defendants moved the court to enter judgment notwithstanding the verdict. After rescheduling the hearing on the motion so that the parties might conduct settlement negotiations, when a final settlement was not forthcoming the court granted defendants' motion. In granting the motion the court was influenced by the analysis of Judge MacKinnon in Doe v. District of Columbia, 697 F.2d 1115 (D.C.Cir.1983) (MacKinnon, J., Separate Statement reported at 701 F.2d 948). The court stated that, in line with Judge MacKinnon's analysis, it was motivated to grant defendant's motion by several factors. The court noted the pendency of additional class actions by jail inmates seeking similar injunctive relief and money damages and the fact that the judgment or any settlement would affect not only the interest of the class members but the public interest as well. Relying on Carey v. Piphus, 435 U.S. 247, 98 S.Ct. 1042, 55 L.Ed.2d 252 (1978); Ryland v. Shapiro, 708 F.2d 967, 976 (5th Cir.1983); and Doe v. District of Columbia, 697 F.2d 1115 (D.C.Cir.1983) (Separate Statement reported at 701 F.2d 948), the court held that [p]laintiffs may not recover damages for violation of constitutional rights in the absence of proof of actual harm. The court concluded that the evidence of actual harm was insufficient to support the verdicts. 14 The court awarded $1.00 nominal damages and costs to the members of the first subclass, entered judgment for the defendants on claims of the second subclass, and denied the motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict on the claim of Rickey G. Baines.