Case: Boyden v. McCarthy/Rowland

2:86-01989 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Filed Date: March 27, 1986

Closed Date: Oct. 2, 1989

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Case Summary

This lawsuit was filed pro se by prisoners on March 27, 1986, in the Northern District of California. The plaintiffs sued the California Department of Corrections and the California Institute for Men under 42 U.S.C. 1983. The plaintiffs alleged that unconstitutional conditions of confinement at the California Institute for Men (Chino) violated their Eighth Amendment and Fifth Amendment due process rights. Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged issues regarding sanitation, classification, legal…

This lawsuit was filed pro se by prisoners on March 27, 1986, in the Northern District of California. The plaintiffs sued the California Department of Corrections and the California Institute for Men under 42 U.S.C. 1983. The plaintiffs alleged that unconstitutional conditions of confinement at the California Institute for Men (Chino) violated their Eighth Amendment and Fifth Amendment due process rights. Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged issues regarding sanitation, classification, legal access, fire safety, and other conditions. In particular, the plaintiffs alleged violations caused by the prison's housing of 212 inmates in a gymnasium not designed to house inmates. The plaintiffs asked for injunctive, declaratory, and monetary relief.

The prisoners moved for appointment of counsel but was denied twice. On August 14, 1986, the docket indicates a notice of association of counsel for the plaintiffs. Then on September 29, 1986, the court granted the plaintiffs' motion to file an amended complaint. In 1987, the parties engaged in discovery and settlement negotiations, but a settlement could not be reached at the time. Instead, the plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint on July 13, 1987.

The parties engaged in additional discovery in preparation for a trial set for October 4, 1988. However, on September 20, 1988, the trial was postponed to allow more time for renewed settlement negotiations. On September 26, the parties notified the court that they had reached a tentative settlement agreement. The agreement addressed many aspects the inmates' conditions of confinement including: food, recreation opportunities, law library access, showers, laundry, medical care, procedures regarding placement when an inmate is transferred to the prison from a county jail, and asbestos removal from the facilities. The defendants also agreed to pay the plaintiffs $44,000 in attorney's fees. On October 6, 1988, the court granted the plaintiffs' motion for $22,000 in attorney's fees--the first half of the agreed amount of attorney's fees. Once the settlement was finalized, the case was dismissed on October 2, 1989.

The settlement agreement provided for compliance monitoring; according to the 1993 issue of the ACLU National Prison Project's Journal, this ended in 1993.

Summary Authors

Margo Schlanger (7/10/2013)

Jessica Kincaid (4/21/2016)

People


Attorney for Plaintiff

Hoffman, Paul L. (California)

Attorney for Defendant

Frederick, Carol S. (California)

Hagar, John H. Jr. (California)

Jurado, Rebecca (California)

Van de Kamp, John K. (California)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

2:86-01989

Docket

Boyden v. McCarthy

July 25, 1990

July 25, 1990

Docket
1

2:86-01989

Complaint for Damages

Boyden v. McCarthy

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

March 27, 1986

March 27, 1986

Complaint
55

2:86-01989

Second Amended Complaint

Boyden v. McCarthy

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

July 13, 1987

July 13, 1987

Complaint
73

2:86-01989

Memorandum of Understanding

Boyden v. McCarthy

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

Sept. 28, 1988

Sept. 28, 1988

Settlement Agreement

Docket

Last updated March 27, 2024, 3:24 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link

75 . D ec l a r o f J ohn H a g a r . p lt f s

Oct. 3, 1981

Oct. 3, 1981

67 . S ti p r e R u l e 9 O r d ; i ss u e s t o b e r e v i e w e d by

Aug. 22, 1988

Aug. 22, 1988

t h e c r t . P lt f s 68 . S t a t u s c on f e r r e t r i a l p r e p a r a ti on p r ob l e m s . C r t O R D t h t C r t & c n s l c on f e r . A s t o it e m s po s e d t o t h e c r t , on it e m s 1 - 6 , d ec l a r s o f p r i s on e r s t o b e s ub m itt e d by 9 / 13 / 88 , w / d e f t a b l e t o d e po s e d ec l a r a n t s by 9 / 30 / 88 . I t e m 7 , d e f t t o s ub m it d ec l a r s s ub j ec t t o c r o ss e x a m o f D e p t . o f C o rr ec ti on s p e r s onn e l a t t r i a l . I t e m 8 , popu l a ti on s t a ti s ti c s t o b e g i v e n up t o t h e d a t e o f t r i a l; d i s c i p li n a r y r e p t s up t o 9 / 1 / 88 w / o p r e j t o f u r t h e r a pp li c . W a t c h r o s t e r s t o b e g i v e n a s o f 9 / 23 / 88 . T h e P T C i s c on t ' d fr m 9 / 2 / 88 t o

Aug. 25, 1988

Aug. 25, 1988

9 / 23 / 88 , 3 P M . T r i a l i s t o r e m a i n s e t 10 / 4 / 88 . M O . ( n / r e p t r) 69 .

Aug. 25, 1988

Aug. 25, 1988

S ti p r e popu l a ti on p r o j ec ti on & c on s t r u c ti on p l a n s . P lt f s 70 . S ti p & O R D t h t t h e P T C d a t e o f 9 / 23 / 88 , b e v aca t e d b eca u s e c n s l a r e w o r k i ng d ili e g e n tl y t o w a r d s e ttl e m e n t & e x p ec t t h t t h e y ca n a v e r t a t r i a l . F u r t h e r s ti pu l a t e d a s t a t u s c on f e r b e s c h e du l e d f o r 9 / 26 / 88 , 3 : 30 P M .

Sept. 20, 1988

Sept. 20, 1988

71 . S t a t u s C on f e r r e s e ttl e m t n : C r t o r d c n s l & c r t c on f e r . C n s l a dv i s e c r t o f t e n t a ti v e s e ttl e m e n t s ub j ec t t o f i n a l a pp r ov a l . C n s l t o c on t ac t c l e r k f o r c on f e r ca ll on 9 / 29 / 88 i n t h i s r e g a r d . M O . ( n / r e p t r)

Sept. 26, 1988

Sept. 26, 1988

72 . S ti p r e f ili ng o f do c , t h e do c i s f l d w / t h e U nd e r s t a nd i ng t h t it i s no t f i nd P lt f s

Sept. 26, 1988

Sept. 26, 1988

73 . M e m o o f und e r s t a nd i ng . D e f t s L ODG E D p r op O r

Sept. 29, 1988

Sept. 29, 1988

d . 74 . E x p a r t e a pp li c f o r a tt y f ee s . P lt f s L ODG E D p r op O r d .

Oct. 3, 1988

Oct. 3, 1988

76 . O R D t h e P T C & t r i a l d a t e s a r e v aca t e d , s ub j ec t t o r e s e tti ng i f t h e s u it i s r eac ti v a t e d by a c l a i m e d f a il u r e t o c o m p l y w / t h e M e m o o f U nd e r s t a d i ng ; t h e ac t n i s s t a y e d un til 7 / 30 / 89 , un l e ss s oon e r r eac ti v a t e d f o r good ca u s e t h e t r i a l d a t e o f 10 / 4 / 88 i s v aca t e d s ub j ec t t o r e s e tti ng , i f n ece ss a r y . F o ll o w i ng t h e d i s m i ss a l o f t h i s ac t n w / p r e j on o r a f t e r 7 / 30 / 89 , t h e d i s m i ss a l w / p r e j s h a ll no t b e c on s t r u e d t o p r e v e n t n e w liti g a ti on on c on s tit u ti on a l c l a i m s a ll e g e d t o b e i n e x i s t e n ce f o ll o w i ng t h e d a t e o f d i s m i ss a l . T h e p a r ti e s a r e t o f i a s t a t u s r e p t on o r b e f 8 / 10 / 89 . ( E N T 10 / 5 / 88 ) M l d c py s & no t e s t o a ll p t y s . ~-

Oct. 3, 1988

Oct. 3, 1988

77 . O R D p lt f ' s a pp li c f o r a tt y f ee s i n t h e a m t o f $22 , 000 i s e r e by g r a n t e d .

Oct. 6, 1988

Oct. 6, 1988

78 . A ff i d & r e q f o r i ss u a n ce o f W / E i n f a vo r p lt f s & a gn s t d f t s . I SS D W / E .

Dec. 12, 1988

Dec. 12, 1988

79 .

Jan. 18, 1989

Jan. 18, 1989

W / E , r e t u r n e d no t e x ec u t e d ( R ea s on " C o m p lt i s b e i ng a m e nd e d ) 80 . A ff i d & - r e q f o r i ss u a n ce o f A li a s W / E i n f a vo r o f p lt f s & a gn s t d e f t s . I SS D W/~

Jan. 19, 1989

Jan. 19, 1989

81 . • . J n t s t a t u s r e p t & r e qu e s t f o r s t a t u s c on f e r .

Aug. 7, 1989

Aug. 7, 1989

87 .. C r t O R D s e tti ng s t a t u s c on f e r i n t h i s m a tt e r i s h e r e by s e t f o r 10 - 2 - 89 , 8:30~

Aug. 11, 1989

Aug. 11, 1989

M O . ( n / r e p t r) 83 . O R D t h i s ac t n 1 s d i s m i ss e d w / p r e j . P lt f s ' a pp li c f o r a tt y f ee s i n t h e a m t o f $22 , 000 i s h e r e by g r n t d . ( E N T 10 / 4 / 89 ) M l d c py s t o a ll p t y s w / no t c s .

Oct. 2, 1989

Oct. 2, 1989

84 . A ff i d & r e qu s t f o r i ss u a n ce o f 2nd A li a s o f W / E . I s s d W / E . 85 . A li a s w / F ..

Nov. 3, 1989

Nov. 3, 1989

S T A T I S T I C A L C A RD S

C A RD D A T E M A I L E D

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J S - 5 - - - - - - - J S - 6 - - - - - - -

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P R O C EE D I N G S

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Case Details

State / Territory: California

Case Type(s):

Prison Conditions

Special Collection(s):

California Jail Population Caps

Multi-LexSum (in sample)

Key Dates

Filing Date: March 27, 1986

Closing Date: Oct. 2, 1989

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Prisoners at the California Institute for Men, at Chino.

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Attorney Organizations:

ACLU of Southern California

ACLU National Prison Project

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: Yes

Class Action Sought: Yes

Class Action Outcome: Denied

Defendants

California (Chino), State

Defendant Type(s):

Corrections

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Constitutional Clause(s):

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Complaint (any)

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Attorneys fees

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Private Settlement Agreement

Amount Defendant Pays: 44,000

Order Duration: 1988 - 1993

Content of Injunction:

Monitoring

Issues

General:

Classification / placement

Conditions of confinement

Sanitation / living conditions

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Crowding / caseload

Pre-PLRA Population Cap

Affected Sex or Gender:

Male

Type of Facility:

Government-run