Filed Date: May 21, 2008
Closed Date: 2016
Clearinghouse coding complete
On May 21, 2008, a California inmate filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The plaintiff, originally proceeded pro se but eventually represented by private counsel and the Prison Law Center, asked the court for declaratory, injunctive, and monetary damages, alleging that the CDCR acted unconstitutionally by segregating the prisoners by race and locking down an entire race of prisoners. The prison staff had informed the plaintiff that it was the policy of the CDCR that "when there is an incident involving any race, all inmates of that race are locked up."
During court mandated settlement negotiations, Judge Jones temporarily assigned counsel to the plaintiff. That counsel ultimately agreed to represent the plaintiff for the case and filed a leave to amend the complaint in order to transform the case into a class action challenging the allegedly race-based lockdowns throughout California's men's prisons. On September 23, 2011, Magistrate Judge Edmund Brennan granted that motion. 2011 WL 4458784. In the second amended complaint, three additional plaintiffs were added as representatives of a class of all prisoners who were currently or would be in the future subject to the CDCR's policy and practice of implementing race-based lockdowns.
Following the filing of the second amended complaint, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss. On June 28, 2012, in his findings and recommendations, Judge Brennan concluded that the plaintiffs had indeed properly exhausted their grievances under the Prison Litigation Reform Act, so the defendant's motion to dismiss should be largely denied. 2012 WL 2521827. On July 27, 2012, the new district court judge, Judge John Mendez, adopted the findings and recommendations in full. 2012 WL 3070084.
On March 5, 2013, the plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification as well as a motion for a preliminary injunction. The defendants then filed for summary judgment. On February 11, 2014, Judge Troy L. Nunley granted part of the defendants' motion for summary judgment, leaving the following claims: claims for injunctive relief based on Fourteenth Amendment violations, a claim for compensatory damages for violations of Fourteenth Amendment rights, and state law claims for intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. 2014 WL 546338.
On June 25, 2014, Judge Nunley denied the plaintiffs' motion for a preliminary injunction finding that the plaintiffs had not met the high burden required to obtain the extraordinary relief sought. 2014 WL 2895232. A month later, Judge Nunley granted the plaintiffs' motion for class certification. 2014 WL 3689287.
On October 20, 2014, the parties entered into a stipulated settlement agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, the CDCR agreed to a number of terms, including: to cease race-based modified programs or lockdowns; to use individualized threat assessment forms to determine who would be retained on a modified program or lockdown; to provide outdoor activity to prisoners in a modified program or lockdown for longer than fourteen days; to revise its policies concerning modified programs and lockdowns, including modifying its definitions; to train its staff; and to provide status reports to plaintiffs' counsel for a defined period of time. The defendants also agreed to pay attorneys fees and costs. The agreement specified that its provisions would control for 18 months after the Court's preliminary approval or 4 months after final approval, whichever was later; plaintiffs could seek 12 months' extension at the end of that period.
The parties sought approval of the agreement on Feb. 27, 2015, and on May 5, 2015, the court granted preliminary approval. Then, the parties jointly moved for final approval on September 10, 2015 which the court granted on October 8, 2015. 2015 WL 5920755. That same day, the court also granted the plaintiffs’ unopposed motion for attorneys’ fees and costs, totaling $2.375 million in attorneys’ fees and costs. 2015 WL 5920797.
On June 2, 2016, the parties jointly proposed an order of dismissal of this action with prejudice. The following day, Judge Nunley dismissed the case with prejudice while retaining jurisdiction to enforce the terms of the agreement until the settlement agreement ends. The agreement was to last 18 months after preliminary approval, leaving the settlement to terminate on November 5, 2016.
On December 20, 2016, the parties filed notice that the court’s jurisdiction to enforce the settlement agreement had terminated and that the case was dismissed with prejudice in its entirety. The case is now closed.
Summary Authors
Jessica Kincaid (8/4/2014)
Priyah Kaul (11/27/2014)
Jake Parker (7/5/2018)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5821263/parties/pc-mitchell-v-felker/
Abernathy, Terri J (California)
Addington, Gregory W. (California)
Albert, Eric D. (California)
Alexander, Keith S (California)
Abrams, Hanna (California)
Abernathy, Terri J (California)
Addington, Gregory W. (California)
Alexander, Keith S (California)
Altman, Stephen D (California)
Altman, Elizabeth (California)
Armijo, Rumaldo R (California)
Armstrong, Samuel D. (California)
Atkinson, Harold O. (California)
Attorney, Noticing 2255 (California)
Auchterlonie, Jennifer D (California)
Auerhan, Arnold M. (California)
Bartlett, Anastasia D. (California)
Bauman, Stephanie Coon (California)
Bedig, Laurel Anne (California)
Bennett, Jared C. (California)
Berger, Michael N. (California)
Bernstein, Bruce D. (California)
Bickers, Kathleen Louise (California)
Bigelow, Jason M. (California)
Boeshart, Paul D. (California)
Bogden, Daniel G. (California)
Borichewski, Lisca N (California)
Brandon, Susan S. (California)
Brown, Aimee Woodward (California)
Brown, Geoffrey J.L. (California)
Burianek, Lisa M. (California)
Burrell, Meredith (California)
Butcher, Daniel Everett (California)
Campbell, Scott J (California)
Capers, Robert Lloyd (California)
Carman, Sean Kevin (California)
Castaldi, Lauren Marie (California)
Chan, Priscilla To-Yin (California)
Chanoine, Hannah W (California)
Chmelar, Michael J (California)
Chorpening, Jennifer (California)
Clark, Caroline Jane (California)
Clarke, Ellen Rebecca (California)
Clayton, Lindsay Laurie (California)
Cohen, Richard Edward (California)
Cohen, Mary Louise (California)
Coleman, Novella Yvette (California)
Coles-Huff, Doris Denise (California)
Cooper, Daniel R. (California)
Corcoran, Thomas F (California)
Daniels, Howard F (California)
Darmstadter, Henry C (California)
Davis, Leonard A. (California)
Davis, Patricia R. (California)
DeBrincat, Lawrence J. (California)
Dimock, Christina Nicole (California)
DOJ, Michelle Bennett (California)
Dougherty, Burtis M (California)
Dubal, Malisa Chokshi (California)
DuBois, James Joseph (California)
Duchemin, Meredith P (California)
Durham, Jessie Huff (California)
Dworkin, Howard Sheldon (California)
Eichenholtz, Seth D. (California)
Entwistle, Ann F. (California)
Epperley, Linda A. (California)
Euliss, Richard D. (California)
Evans, Michael A. (California)
Evenson, Rebekah B. (California)
Ferguson, Edmund M. (California)
Fisher, Douglas M. (California)
Fisherow, W Benjamin (California)
Fonti, Joseph Alberto (California)
Franze-Nakamura, Francis (California)
Fuchs, Siegmund F. (California)
Gallagher, Mark A. (California)
Gallagher, Erin Healy (California)
Gamsin, Matthew F.M. (California)
George, Warren E. Jr. (California)
Gilman, Andrew C. (California)
Glaser, Danica A. (California)
Goldberg, Arthur R (California)
GOVT, Kevin Christopher (California)
Granston, Michael D (California)
Groom, Deborah Fennell (California)
Guadagnino, Charles A (California)
Guneratne, Kathleen (California)
Guthrie, Robert Gay (California)
Habeas, US Attorney (California)
Hall, Jennifer Lynne (California)
Hanower, Patricia L (California)
Harrington, Quinn Patrick (California)
Harwood, Robert I. (California)
Hebert, Janice E. (California)
Hecker, Elizabeth Parr (California)
Hendry, Melanie Dyani (California)
Heygood, Michael Everett (California)
Hikida, Katherine M (California)
Hoffman, Grayson A (California)
Hollis, Christopher W (California)
Holton, Dwight C. (California)
Holtz, Geoffrey Thomas (California)
Horwitz, Matthew Joseph (California)
Houten, Kathryn E (California)
Howlette, Jordan David (California)
Humphrey, Richard D. (California)
Hurley, Daniel R. (California)
Hurtado, Samuel A. (California)
Iannarone, Liberatore Joseph (California)
Jackson, E. Fletcher (California)
Jennings, David Reese (California)
Jensen, Michelle D. (California)
Johnson, Kristin Berger (California)
JR, Joseph Patrick (California)
Kaminski, Gerald Francis (California)
Kaplan, Robert N. (California)
Kaufman-Cohen, Eric (California)
Keefe, Kerry Jane (California)
Keegan, Ruth Fuess (California)
Kennebrew, Delora (California)
Kenney, Patricia Jean (California)
Kern, Charles Douglas (California)
Kinner, Russell B (California)
Klovers, Christelle (California)
Kovacev, Robert J (California)
Krueger, Matthew Dean (California)
Kwaterski, Laura Schulteis (California)
Lagarde, Andre Jude (California)
Lammens, Philip R. (California)
Langworthy, Nancy Fay (California)
Larkin, William F. (California)
Laroche, Matthew Joseph (California)
Larsen, Christian R (California)
Larson, Kari Madrene (California)
Lawrence, Kathleen O'Malley (California)
Leiderman, Joel David (California)
Lennington, Daniel P (California)
Lesperance, Karen Folster (California)
Levesque, Christian (California)
Levingston, Luttrell (California)
Lindquist, Susan J. (California)
Littleton, Judson Owen (California)
Long, Kenneth Gordon (California)
Lowe, Virginia Cronan (California)
Majeed, Sameena Shina (California)
Mantell, Laura D. (California)
Marinelli, Matthew M (California)
Maurer, Michael Stuart (California)
McClanahan, Cathryn Dawn (California)
McCord, Stacey Elise (California)
McCormack, Timothy P. (California)
McCulloch, Christine J (California)
McEvoy, Lauren Mary (California)
McFadden, Lane M. (California)
Miller, Charles W. (California)
Minzner, Max Justin (California)
Moccia, Nicholas M (California)
Mosteller, Daniel Paul (California)
Murphy, Michael D (California)
Nammar, Michael David (California)
Nathanson, John Alexander (California)
Nelson, Anne Elizabeth (California)
Nesler, Robert D. (California)
Nicholson, Richard S. (California)
Nyiendo, Licha M. (California)
O'Brien, Thomas Peter (California)
Office, United States (California)
O'Rourke, Steven R (California)
Ortega, Roberto D (California)
Ostiller, Cathy J (California)
Parker, Nathaniel B (California)
Paxton, Lauren Mary (California)
Pease, William H. (California)
Pence, Richard M. (California)
Perez, Alfred Juarez (California)
Perros, Nicholas C. (California)
Phillips, Heather (California)
Phillips, Frederick S (California)
Phillips, Cristine Irvin (California)
Piropato, Marissa A (California)
Podolak, Stephanie (California)
Poliakoff, Steven J (California)
Pomeroy, Richard L. (California)
Price, Thomas Russell (California)
Purcell, Joseph J (California)
Radice, John Daniel (California)
Radke, Brendan Eugene (California)
Roberts, Darwin P (California)
Robinson, Stuart Justin (California)
Roosa, Kenneth S. (California)
Rosenbaum, Steven H (California)
Russell, Bruce T. (California)
Sampson, Colin C. (California)
Sandberg, Justin Michael (California)
Santelle, James L (California)
Schachner, Elliot M. (California)
Schnieders, Kathleen Kelly (California)
Schwartz, Richard Adam (California)
Schweiner, Dianne (California)
Sgarlata, AnneMarie (California)
Shipley, Michael John (California)
SHKOLNIK, HUNTER J. (California)
Shook, Heather L. (California)
Silver, Ronald K. (California)
Simmons, Timothy W. (California)
Smith, Sharon Denise (California)
Sorrell, Christen (California)
Specter, Donald H. (California)
Spina, Thomas Spina (California)
Steinacker, Andrea K (California)
Stoll, Kenneth F. (California)
Taylor-Phillips, LaQuita J (California)
Tong, Lawrence L. (California)
TRAVERS, JEFFREY A. (California)
Tribuiani, Rinku Talwar (California)
Underhill, R Michael (California)
Valerino, Gary J. (California)
Wagner, Lynnett M. (California)
Weintraub, J. Max (California)
Westphal, Leslie J. (California)
Wiethe, Donetta Donaldson (California)
Wilcove, Michael N (California)
Willing-FLU, Patricia A. (California)
Wilson, Edward Bryan (California)
Wiseman, David B. (California)
Woodward, Sara D. (California)
Alter, Valerie Elizabeth (California)
Angus, Michelle Leigh (California)
Antonen, Charles J. (California)
Becker, Christopher James (California)
Brice, David Eugene (California)
Brinkman, Emily L. (California)
D'Agostino, Martine Noel (California)
Delgado-Rucci, David (California)
Des Jardins, Michelle A (California)
East, Rochelle C. (California)
Fritz, Cynthia Clarke (California)
Grigg, Matthew M. (California)
Hemple, Danielle Rachel (California)
Hudgins, Nancy Eaton (California)
Jardins, Michelle A. (California)
Jorgenson, Michael Wayne (California)
Kirschenbauer, Marisa Yee (California)
Kwong, William Chi-Shing (California)
Lewis, Kyle Anthony (California)
McClain, Damon Grant (California)
McLean, Donald M. (California)
Mello, Paul Brian (California)
Mossler, Julianne (California)
O'Bannon, Danielle Felice (California)
O'Brien, Jillian Renee (California)
Onyeagbako, Maureen C. (California)
Picciano, Constance Lee (California)
Rench, Christopher John (California)
Russell, Jay Craig (California)
Schiedermayer, Ryan David (California)
Sullivan, Erin B. (California)
Taglienti, David F (California)
Tangonan, Jon Stephen (California)
Williams, Kenneth Robert (California)
Austin, Roy L. (District of Columbia)
Bragg, R. Lawrence (California)
Cohen, Jonathan M (California)
Coon, Laura (District of Columbia)
Fox, Benjamin Jonathan (California)
Haney, Craig William (California)
Lopez, Richard Anthony (California)
Markman, Michael M (California)
Myrthil, Marlysha (District of Columbia)
Pavone, Benjamin Laurence (California)
Samuels, Jocelyn (District of Columbia)
Smith, Jonathan Mark (District of Columbia)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5821263/pc-mitchell-v-felker/
Last updated April 20, 2025, 8:49 a.m.
State / Territory: California
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Post-PLRA Jail and Prison Private Settlement Agreements
California's Prisoners' Rights Bar article
Post-WalMart decisions on class certification
Key Dates
Filing Date: May 21, 2008
Closing Date: 2016
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Four African-American prisoners under the custody of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, State
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Content of Injunction:
Provide antidiscrimination training
Implement complaint/dispute resolution process
Goals (e.g., for hiring, admissions)
Order Duration: 2015 - 2016
Issues
General/Misc.:
Discrimination Basis:
Affected Race(s):
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Over/Unlawful Detention (facilities)
Policing: