Filed Date: July 15, 1977
Closed Date: 1987
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On July 15, 1977, inmates of the Clark County Jail in Las Vegas, Nevada, filed a class action lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. §1983 against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Commission in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. The plaintiffs, represented by the federal public defender, alleged that their constitutional rights had been violated by confinement in conditions that were oppressive, barbaric, degrading, and dangerous to their lives, health, and safety.
On August 11, 1977, the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada (Judge Roger D. Foley) certified two classes of plaintiffs: a class of pretrial detainees and a class of convicted inmates. On February 21, 1978, the district court granted the United States permission to intervene as a party plaintiff in the case. On October 23, 1978, the district court (Judge Foley) issued a consent decree in the case. We have no copy of this consent decree, but we know that it provided for changes in classification procedures.
On February 29, 1980, the plaintiffs asked the district court to order the defendants to lower the population levels at the jail. On August 22, 1980, the district court (Judge Foley) issued an injunction setting the population cap for the jail at 178 inmates. The district court ordered the city to lower the jail population to that level within six months and ordered all Nevada state judges to observe this order. West v. Lamb, 497 F.Supp 989 (D.Nev. 1980).
On June 27, 1987, the district court (Judge Foley) dissolved the consent decree and dismissed the case.
Summary Authors
Kristen Sagar (10/13/2006)
Foley, Roger D. (Nevada)
Adams, Brent T. (Nevada)
Boston, John (New York)
Brown, B. Mahlon III (Nevada)
Cory, Kenneth C. (Nevada)
Foley, Roger D. (Nevada)
Last updated July 10, 2023, 3 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Nevada
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 15, 1977
Closing Date: 1987
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
pretrial detainees and convicted inmates of jails in Clark County, Nevada
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: Unknown
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. Jail System (Las Vegas , Clark), City
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Due Process: Substantive Due Process
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration: 1978 - 1987
Issues
General:
Assault/abuse by residents/inmates/students
Food service / nutrition / hydration
Sanitation / living conditions
Sexual abuse by residents/inmates
Crowding:
Discrimination-basis:
Medical/Mental Health:
Type of Facility: