Case: West v. Howard

1:80-cv-00680 | U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana

Filed Date: April 28, 1980

Closed Date: April 1, 1991

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Case Summary

This is one of a collection of § 1983 cases filed in Louisiana federal courts to challenge the operation and conditions of confinement in the Louisiana prison system and in parish and city jails through Louisiana. These cases have worked their way through the federal courts for three decades.In this case, a civil rights class action complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, alleging unconstitutional conditions of confinement in the Vernon Parish Jail.…

In this case, a civil rights class action complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, alleging unconstitutional conditions of confinement in the Vernon Parish Jail. The lawsuit came on the heels of a 1978 FBI investigation of the Vernon Parish Jail which uncovered a clear pattern and practice of cell assignment on the basis of race. We do not have a copy of the complaint, so the precise nature of the plaintiff's allegations are unknown.

The PACER Docket reflects that a Consent Decree was entered by the District Court (Judge Nauman S. Scott) on October 6, 1982. A Joint Stipulation and Judgment was filed on February 18, 1982, followed by the entry of an Amended Judgment on April 18, 1983.

Thereafter, the case was reopened and closed several times, but it does not appear that any substantive action took place. The last PACER docket entry notes that the case was closed on April 1, 1991.

Summary Authors

Dan Dalton (2/9/2007)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/19121825/parties/west-v-howard/

Judge(s)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Arceneaux, M. Thomas (Louisiana)

Days, Drew S. III (District of Columbia)

Lestage, David R. (Louisiana)

Attorney for Defendant

Cabra, Edwin Louis (Louisiana)

Gold, Daryl (Louisiana)

Judge(s)

Little, F. A. Jr. (Louisiana)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Arceneaux, M. Thomas (Louisiana)

Days, Drew S. III (District of Columbia)

Lestage, David R. (Louisiana)

Walker, Henry C. IV (Louisiana)

Whinston, Stephen A. (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Defendant

Cabra, Edwin Louis (Louisiana)

Gold, Daryl (Louisiana)

Lestage [inactive], David R. (Louisiana)

Montgomery, J. Marvin (Louisiana)

Attorney Contact Information via CourtListener

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Documents in this case

1:80-cv-00680	Docket [PACER]	April 1, 1991	April 1, 1991 Docket
DJ 168-33-64	Memorandum re: Proposed Litigation in Vernon Parish	March 3, 1978	March 3, 1978 Internal memorandum
DJ 168-33-64	Correspondence re: Proposed Litigation in Vernon Parish	July 21, 1978	July 21, 1978 Internal memorandum

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Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/19121825/west-v-howard/

Last updated Oct. 7, 2026, 2:45 a.m.

Docket for: West v. Howard

ECF Number	Date	Description	Link
1	April 28, 1980	COMPLAINT filed (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
2	April 28, 1980	MOTION by Kem C West to proceed in forma pauperis with Proposed Order referred to Judge Earl E. Veron (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
3	April 28, 1980	ORDER granting [2-1] motion to proceed in forma pauperis allowing P individually to proceedi I F P. (signed by Judge Earl E. Veron) (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
44	June 2, 1980	ANSWER to Complaint by Frank A Howard (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
49	June 30, 1980	ANSWER to Complaint by C Paul Phelps, Dan Kelly, Alvis Roberts, George Fischer (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
53	Sept. 16, 1980	MINUTE ENTRY: transferring case to Alexandria Division, Judge Scott & upsetting all settings. (signed by Clerk Robert H. Shemwell) NOE by: dm (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
	Sept. 16, 1980	CASE reassigned to Judge Nauman S. Scott, Alexandria Division this date. (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	PACER
	Sept. 16, 1980	CASE reassigned to Judge Nauman S. Scott, Alexandria Division this date. (former employee)
54	May 18, 1981	ORDER transferring case to Middle District of Louisiana. (signed by Judge Nauman S. Scott) NOE by: AO (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
	May 18, 1981	Case closed (former employee)
	July 21, 1981	Case reopened (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	PACER
	July 21, 1981	Case reopened (former employee)
55	Aug. 24, 1981	MOTION w/ brief by Kem C West to certify class action, set Motion Day deadline on 9/28/81 [55-1] before Judge Nauman S. Scott. Notice issued. (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
60	Oct. 19, 1981	ORDER granting [55-1] motion to certify class action (signed by Judge Nauman S. Scott) NOE by: AO (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
61	Oct. 19, 1981	ORDER appointing Michael M. Wahlder as Special Master in this matter. (signed by Judge Nauman S. Scott) NOE by: AO (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
73	Sept. 3, 1982	ORDER that John King as Secy of Dept of Corr be substituted as dft in place of C Paul Phelps, Carroll Herring as State Fire Protection Dept of Public Safety be substituted as dft in place of Daniel L Kelly, that Roger Guissinter as Secy of Dept of H H R be substituted as dft in place of George Fisher, Dr Sarah Braud as Asst Secy of Health Svcs & Environmental Quality of H H R be substituted for Alvis Roberts, & that William E Tilley as D A of 30th J D C in & for Vernon Parish be substituted for Howat Peters & Asa Skinner (signed by Judge Nauman S. Scott) NOE by: wrg (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
74	Oct. 6, 1982	CONSENT DECREE signed by all attorneys. (signed by Judge Nauman S. Scott) NOE by: bc (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
78	Feb. 18, 1983	JOINT STIPULATION filed. (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
79	Feb. 18, 1983	JUDGMENT re attorney fees (signed by Judge Nauman S. Scott) (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
	Feb. 18, 1983	Case closed (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	PACER
	Feb. 18, 1983	Case closed (former employee)
80	April 18, 1983	AMENDED JUDGMENT (signed by Judge Nauman S. Scott) (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
81	April 15, 1988	MOTION by Kem C West to show cause with Proposed Order referred to Judge Nauman S. Scott (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
82	Dec. 16, 1988	LETTER from Judge Veron to Atty Walker re: address all future correspondence to same. (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
84	Jan. 26, 1989	MINUTE ENTRY: transferring case to Judge Earl E. Veron, Lake Charles Division for further handling. (signed by Judge Earl E. Veron) NOE by: ln (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
	Jan. 26, 1989	CASE reassigned to Judge Earl E. Veron, Lake Charles Division this date. (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	PACER
	Jan. 26, 1989	CASE reassigned to Judge Earl E. Veron, Lake Charles Division this date. (former employee)
85	Dec. 13, 1990	ORDER of dismissal of under ULLR11. Case may be reinstated within 30 days for good cause shown. (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
	Dec. 18, 1990	COPY of document #85 mailed to LA Atty General returned form USPS marked, "Return to sender." (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	PACER
	Dec. 18, 1990	COPY of document #85 mailed to LA Atty General returned form USPS marked, "Return to sender." (former employee)
86	Jan. 10, 1991	MOTION by Kem C West to reinstate, and to set for hearing with Proposed Order referred to Judge Nauman S. Scott (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
	Jan. 14, 1991	MOTION(S) referred: [86-1] motion to reinstate & [86-2] motion to set for hearing referred to Judge Edwin F. Hunter Jr. (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	PACER
	Jan. 14, 1991	MOTION(S) referred: [86-1] motion to reinstate & [86-2] motion to set for hearing referred to Judge Edwin F. Hunter Jr. (former employee)
87	Jan. 17, 1991	ORDER granting [86-1] motion to reinstate & granting [86-2] motion to set for hearing & transferring case to Judge F. A. Little Jr. (signed by Judge Edwin F. Hunter Jr.) NOE by: ln (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
	Jan. 17, 1991	Case reopened (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	PACER
	Jan. 17, 1991	CASE reassigned to Judge F. A. Little Jr. (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	PACER
	Jan. 17, 1991	CASE ASSIGNED to Magistrate John F. Simon (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	PACER
	Jan. 17, 1991	Case reopened (former employee)
	Jan. 17, 1991	CASE reassigned to Judge F. A. Little Jr. (former employee)
	Jan. 17, 1991	CASE ASSIGNED to Magistrate John F. Simon (former employee)
88	Jan. 23, 1991	NOTICE OF SETTING [81-1] motion to show cause before Judge F. A. Little Jr. on 2/19/91 NOE by: om (former employee) (Entered: 01/28/1991)	RECAP
89	Feb. 5, 1991	MOTION by Kem C West to continue ruling with Memorandum and Proposed Order referred to Judge F. A. Little Jr. (former employee) Modified on 02/06/1991 (Entered: 02/06/1991)	RECAP
90	Feb. 7, 1991	ORDER mooting [89-1] motion to continue ruling; dismissing [81-1] motion to show cause w/o prejudice to any interested party having standing to file anew. ( signed by Judge F. A. Little Jr. ) NOE by: bg (Dean, S) (Entered: 02/12/1991)	RECAP
	April 1, 1991	Case closed (former employee) (Entered: 04/15/1991)	PACER
	April 1, 1991	Case closed (former employee)