Filed Date: Sept. 3, 2021
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
This is a case about conditions of confinement in the Lake County Jail in Montana. The plaintiff, an incarcerated individual, filed this suit on September 3, 2021, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana against Lake County, the Lake County Sheriff, and ten individual law enforcement officers. The plaintiff alleged that he was denied medical care and subjected to unsanitary and unsafe conditions in the jail in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The plaintiff further asserted a Fourteenth Amendment due process claim because he was allegedly deprived of reasonable access to a law library and thus access to courts. Finally, the plaintiff advanced a First Amendment free exercise theory because he and others were denied access to Native American religious ceremonies. Initially a single plaintiff action, the court appointed counsel and consolidated this case with other similar cases into a class action on behalf of all other individuals in the same jail during the same time period. The plaintiffs sought injunctive and declaratory relief as well as compensatory damages and attorneys' fees. Judge Donald Malloy presided over the case.
In an amended complaint filed on October 31, 2022, the named plaintiff also included his own individual allegations. The plaintiff alleged that he was treated unfairly because he refused to accept a plea offer from the district attorney. The plaintiff claimed that his Fourteenth Amendment due process rights were violated because he was given a longer sentence after choosing to go to trial.
The parties entered settlement negotiations, and on August 24, 2023 the parties filed a joint motion to approve a settlement agreement. On November 21, 2023 the court approved the settlement agreement, and on March 12, 2024 the case was dismissed in accordance with the settlement agreement. The settlement required the Lake County Jail to amend its policies and procedures adapted from Lexipol policies and procedures, and to allow incarcerated individuals regular access to a Native American religious leader. The settlement also required Lake County Jail to construct an outdoor recreation area by November 2024, and additional housing units for inmates by November 2026. Finally, the defendant agreed to pay $189,400.24 in attorneys' fees and costs.
This case is closed, with the terms of the settlement to be met by November 2026.
Summary Authors
Claire Butler (12/30/2022)
Rabeya Mallick (5/2/2024)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60363480/parties/blackcrow-v-lake-county-montana/
Molloy, Donald W. (Montana)
Collins, Jason (Montana)
Heiling, Marisa Lee (Montana)
Lukes, Robert C. (Montana)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/60363480/blackcrow-v-lake-county-montana/
Last updated May 2, 2024, 10:31 p.m.
State / Territory: Montana
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Sept. 3, 2021
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
The plaintiffs are a class of all inmates incarcerated at the Lake County Jail in 2021 and 2022.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Pending
Defendants
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Due Process: Procedural Due Process
Due Process: Substantive Due Process
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Amount Defendant Pays: $189,400.24
Order Duration: 2023 - 2026
Issues
General/Misc.:
Sanitation / living conditions
Discrimination Basis:
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Medical/Mental Health Care: