Filed Date: June 21, 1991
Closed Date: 2012
Clearinghouse coding complete
On June 21, 1991, inmates, represented by the ACLU National Prison Project, filed this class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. The plaintiffs, represented by the ACLU National Prison Project, sued the Idaho State Correctional Institution and the Idaho Maximum Security Institution under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. They alleged retaliation for exercise of their rights to court access and an inadequate law library.
The district court (Judge Larry M. Boyle) held that the fact questions precluded summary judgment and that notice to prisoners of the action was not required. Gomez v. Vernon, 962 F. Supp. 1296 (D. Idaho 1997). The court, after a nineteen-day bench trial, found in favor of the inmates on March 22, 1999. Subsequently, on July 16, 1999, the defendants submitted a proposed remedial plan pursuant to the court's order of June 17, 1999. The plaintiffs filed their objections to this plan on July 27, 1999.
The court, however, declined to adopt either plan. In its amended judgment of August 17, 1999, the court granted a declaratory judgment that the inmates were subjected to instances of unlawful retaliation but denied class-wide prospective injunctive relief. The court granted individual injunctive relief to six specified inmates, to prevent the defendants from transferring or moving those inmates in retaliation for exercising their constitutional rights. After a post-trial hearing, the court awarded $4,500 in sanctions (for attorneys fees, costs, and expenses) against the defendants for violating the defendants' attorney-client privilege in authorizing and encouraging prison employees to obtain confidential documents from the defendants.
The defendants appealed the judgment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Docket No. 99-35930) on September 16, 1999, challenging (1) jurisdiction of the magistrate judge, (2) the appropriateness of the injunctive relief, and (3) the court's ability to impose sanctions under 28 USC §1927. On July 10, 2001, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (Judge M. Margaret McKeown) affirmed the district court's ruling, holding that: (1) officials had a policy of retaliating against inmates who exercised their rights to court access, (2) the district court's order granting relief was appropriately tailored, and (3) imposition of sanctions was warranted. Gomez v. Vernon, 255 F.3d 1118 (9th Cir. 2001).
The parties litigated over attorneys' fees, costs, and expenses for several years. On August 7, 2008, $82,301.84 were awarded but reserved the issues of fees for one of the attorneys and fees for the litigation of the attorneys' fees for later. On March 9, 2009, the court awarded an additional $19,849.82 in attorneys' fees. Overall a total of $102,151.66 in attorney's fees were awarded.
Summary Authors
David Terry (4/25/2006)
David Smellie (3/30/2017)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4546772/parties/gomez-v-vernon/
Boyle, Larry M. (Idaho)
Balaban, Eric G. (District of Columbia)
Belodoff, Howard A. (Idaho)
Altig, Stephanie A. (Idaho)
Blackburn, Rex (Idaho)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/4546772/gomez-v-vernon/
Last updated March 15, 2025, 10:05 a.m.
State / Territory: Idaho
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: June 21, 1991
Closing Date: 2012
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Inmates at the the Idaho State Correctional Institution and the Idaho Maximum Security Institution
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: Unknown
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Idaho State Correctional Institution, State
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Content of Injunction:
Amount Defendant Pays: 102,151.66
Order Duration: 1999 - None
Issues
General/Misc.:
Access to lawyers or judicial system
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions: