Filed Date: Feb. 8, 2013
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
COVID-19 Summary: The plaintiffs, a class of prisoners housed at Stateville Correctional Center, asked the court to temporarily appoint an expert to oversee the Illinois Department of Correction's (IDOC) response to the COVID-19 pandemic at Stateville. The court denied the motion on April 13, 2020.
This case was originally filed in 2013. The original plaintiff, Lester Dobbey, was an inmate in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections in the Stateville Correctional Center. On February 8, 2013, the original plaintiff filed a pro se complaint in the Northern District of Illinois (in Chicago) against employees at Stateville Correctional Center. He brought suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 alleging Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment Violations. Specifically, the original plaintiff complained of unsanitary birds and vermin in inmates' living units and common areas, unbearable florescent lighting preventing inmates from getting proper sleep, unsanitary living conditions, inadequate ventilation, contaminated water supply, and unsafe housing in the "Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Edward-Building" in which the plaintiff was housed. The original plaintiff sought injunctive and declaratory relief, along with compensatory damages, punitive damages, and damages for physical and mental suffering. The case was assigned to Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr.
On February 20, 2013, the original plaintiff filed a motion for attorney assistance and a motion to certify a class of the approximately 1,700 inmates housed at Stateville Correctional Center. The court granted the plaintiff's request for counsel and appointed law firm Brinks Gilson & Lione to his case. (The firm no longer exists as its own entity; it merged with the international law firm Crowell & Moring in July 2021). The court denied the plaintiff's motion for class certification without prejudice. The defendants filed their answer on May 28, 2013 and denied any violation of the plaintiff's constitutional rights.
On October 17, 2013, while represented by counsel, the original plaintiff filed an amended complaint which made the same substantive arguments, but also explained that the plaintiff had exhausted his administrative remedies. On January 7, 2014, the original plaintiff filed a second amended complaint adding additional defendants who were at Stateville Correctional Center.
On January 23, 2014, the court entered an amended order granting class certification after the parties filed a joint status report recommending that a class be certified. The certified class consisted of all individuals incarcerated at the Stateville Correctional Center at any time since January 1, 2011, and all individuals who would be housed at the Stateville Correctional Center at any point in the future following January 23, 2014. The court appointed Harold Johnson of Brinks Gilson & Lione as the attorney for the class.
On March 6, 2014, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss portions of the plaintiffs' complaint for failure to allege constitutional violations. In April 2014, Loevy & Loevy was substituted as counsel for the plaintiffs. On September 8, 2014, the court struck the motion to dismiss but gave the defendants permission to refile. In July 2015, settlement negotiations began. On September 5, 2018, the court appointed an expert to assist with these negotiations.
On September 25, 2018, the plaintiffs filed a motion to terminate Loevy & Loevy as class counsel and a motion for appointment of new class counsel. The plaintiff never filed a brief in support and withdrew his motion on December 4, 2018.
On April 2, 2020, the plaintiffs filed a motion for an emergency, temporary appointment of a Special Master to oversee IDOC's response to the COVID-19 pandemic at Stateville Correctional Center. The plaintiffs sought an individual or individuals with expertise in correctional facility management as well as infectious disease and/or public health to evaluate IDOC's response with regard to:
(1) segregating Class Members who are exhibiting symptoms of infection from healthy Class Members;
(2) reducing the spread of the virus through all necessary health and sanitation recommendations:
(3) instituting social distancing for living, daily activities like eating and showering;
(4) providing PPE to Class Members to reduce the spread of the virus; and
(5) ensuring all possible means are used to segregate any Class Members whose age or prior medical conditions put them at increased risk of developing severe medical complications if they contracted COVID-19.
On April 3, 2020, the court held a status conference and requested that the plaintiffs supplement their motion with a concrete proposal. In response, the plaintiffs modified their emergency motion to request the appointment of an expert instead of a special master. The plaintiffs sought the temporary appointment of an expert to: (1) access information from the Defendants regarding the conditions at Stateville, and speak with relevant IDOC employees about the Defendants’ COVID-19 response at Stateville; and (2) provide recommendations to the court and parties regarding the Defendants’ COVID-19 response at Stateville to ensure that all class members’ health and safety were protected during this crisis period.
On April 13, 2020, District Judge Dow denied without prejudice the plaintiff's motion to appoint an expert. The court concluded that imposing additional obligations on the already overburdened medical personnel and correctional staff would have been counterproductive, especially given that none of the individuals identified as potential experts had particularized knowledge about the conditions at Stateville since the first COVID-19 case was identified.
On September 11, 2020, the original plaintiff amended an earlier motion to declass the class action certification. The court denied the motion on October 7, 2020, noting that the class action remained viable.
On December 1, 2020, the original plaintiff moved to voluntarily withdraw and dismiss his individual claims provided in his second amended complaint. The court granted the motion the next day. The injunctive claims brought on behalf of the class remain pending.
The parties have engaged in settlement conferences since December, 2020. The case remains ongoing.
Summary Authors
Elena Malik (6/2/2020)
Mary Novakovic (10/10/2020)
Nicholas Gillan (2/19/2021)
John Duffield (7/12/2021)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5596082/parties/dobbey-v-weilding/
Adams, Dwight C. (Illinois)
Abt, E Jay (Illinois)
Acosta, Matthew C (Illinois)
Ademi, Shpetim (Illinois)
Ademi, Guri (Illinois)
Dow, Robert Michael Jr. (Illinois)
Pallmeyer, Rebecca R. (Illinois)
Annello, Kimberly Marie (Illinois)
Castelli, Thomas H. (Tennessee)
Donnell, Heather Lewis (Illinois)
Hanna, David Michael (California)
Helfrich, Gretchen Elizabeth (Illinois)
Hupert, Jeffrey David (Illinois)
Kanovitz, Michael I. (Illinois)
Lichten, Stuart Lloyd (Illinois)
LoPalo, Christopher R. (Illinois)
McGlothlin, Lauren B. (Illinois)
Morris, Patrick Daniel (Illinois)
Panebianco, Anthony Thomas (Illinois)
Parsons, Luke Austin (Illinois)
Pordy, Hope Allison (Illinois)
Ahlering, Thomas E. (Illinois)
Ainsworth, Jennifer Parker (Illinois)
Albrecht, Sharon Renae (Illinois)
Alikhan, Saira Janine (Illinois)
Aronowitz, Edmund S (Illinois)
Arsenault, Richard J (Illinois)
Auerbach, Melissa J. (Illinois)
Baish, Anthony Scott (Illinois)
Barbakoff, Gregg M. (Illinois)
Barrett, Richard Runft (Illinois)
Bartow, Daryl Stuart (Illinois)
Bates, Joseph Henry (Illinois)
Beard, Brooks Michael (Illinois)
Beckman, Suzanne Havens (Illinois)
Bessinger, Heather M (Illinois)
Bhangare, Manisha S. (Illinois)
Bibb, John Randolph (Illinois)
Billhorn, John William (Illinois)
Bittner, Michael Andrew (Illinois)
Blau, Steven Bennet (Illinois)
Blount, Rebecca Cameron (Illinois)
Boodell, Thomas Joseph (Illinois)
Bornstein, Scott J. (Illinois)
Bouckenooghe, Lisa R (Illinois)
Brauerman, Stephen B. (Illinois)
Breedlove, Scott Wayne (Illinois)
Bronte, Patricia Ann (Illinois)
Brown, Jeanne Nadine (Illinois)
Buchanan, Brie L.b. (Illinois)
Bulgarelli, Mark Anthony (Illinois)
Bumgardner, Brent Nelson (Illinois)
Burke, Alexander Holmes (Illinois)
Burke, Daniel Christopher (Illinois)
Burnside, Christopher S (Illinois)
Byrne, Katharine Crane (Illinois)
Caddell, Michael A. (Illinois)
Caisman, Lauren Jennifer (Illinois)
Caixeiro, Manny Joseph (Illinois)
Caldwell, Bradley Wayne (Illinois)
Calloway, Shirley Ruth (Illinois)
Campbell, John Bruce (Illinois)
Campbell, Andrew B. (Illinois)
Carbone, Christian D. (Illinois)
Carlston, Richard G (Illinois)
Carrigan, Catherine Suzanne (Illinois)
Casamento, Gregory Thomas (Illinois)
Casieri, Christopher Stephen (Illinois)
Cassetta, Richard P. (Illinois)
Catalano, John Michael (Illinois)
Cecil, Thomas Christopher (Illinois)
Chapman, Cynthia B. (Illinois)
(Chicago), US Bankruptcy (Illinois)
Chizewer, David Joel (Illinois)
Christiansen, Erik A. (Illinois)
Chronis, Paul Evans (Illinois)
Ciardullo, Jean-paul (Illinois)
Ciccarelli, Massimo (Illinois)
Clayman, John Daniel (Illinois)
Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy (Illinois)
Clutter, Patrick Colbert (Illinois)
Coffin, Christopher L. (Illinois)
Coggins, Christopher M. (Illinois)
Cohen, Scott Michael (Illinois)
Cohen, Eric Charles (Illinois)
Cole, Donald Alexander (Illinois)
Collado, Victoria R. (Illinois)
Collins, Christopher (Illinois)
Cook, Jared Kimball (Illinois)
Cormier, Christopher (Illinois)
Corrections, Illinois Department (Illinois)
Correspondence, Notices to (Illinois)
Cotchett, Joseph W. (Illinois)
Cummings, Jeffrey Irvine (Illinois)
Cunningham, Merritt Elizabeth (Illinois)
Curwin, Elizabeth Claire (Illinois)
Cushing, Thomas William (Illinois)
Czapski, Michelle Thurber (Illinois)
Dahlin, Bryna Joyce (Illinois)
Dahlstrom, Patrick Vincent (Illinois)
Dampier, M. Stephen (Illinois)
Davenport, Carrie E. (Illinois)
Davidson, James Lee (Illinois)
Davidson, Stuart Andrew (Illinois)
Davis, Joseph Alfred (Illinois)
Davis, Kristopher R. (Illinois)
Delano, Barbara Carroll (Illinois)
Deming, Mark Thomas (Illinois)
Denkmann, Danielle Alexis (Illinois)
Dickerson, Brian Edward (Illinois)
Dirba, Juliet Mitchell (Illinois)
Doan, Jennifer Haltom (Illinois)
Dockterman, Michael R. (Illinois)
Doran, James Patrick (Illinois)
Dorsey, Christopher K. (Illinois)
Dougherty, George Robert (Illinois)
Douglass, Thomas E. (Illinois)
Duczynski, John Michael (Illinois)
Edwards, John Timothy (Illinois)
Engel, Jason Alexander (Illinois)
Engelmann, Holly Elin (Illinois)
Erdman, Rachel Lillian (Illinois)
Ernstberger, Kenny Bryan (Illinois)
Etcheverry, Raymond J. (Illinois)
Fabick, Elizabeth E. (Illinois)
Farrell, Nicole Griffin (Illinois)
Fegan, Elizabeth A. (Illinois)
Ferris, Jonathan W. (Illinois)
Findlay, Michael D. (Illinois)
Finkelstein, Burton H. (Illinois)
Finney, Christopher R. (Illinois)
Fogerty, Stephen P. (Illinois)
Fowkes, Scott William (Illinois)
Fowler, Johanna Searle (Illinois)
Freed, Michael Jerry (Illinois)
Friedman, Hal Daniel (Illinois)
Friedman, Arthur Weil (Illinois)
Froemel, Jonathan Paul (Illinois)
Frost, Claudia Wilson (Illinois)
Frye, William Davis (Illinois)
Fuller, Michael Scott (Illinois)
Gaffney, Brian James (Illinois)
Garcia, David Sturgeon (Illinois)
Gardner, Allen Franklin (Illinois)
Gaydon, Jennifer Gower (Illinois)
Gearing, Brian Paul (Illinois)
Geller, Paul Jeffrey (Illinois)
General, United States (Illinois)
Gennari, Paul Andrew (Illinois)
Genson, Edward Marvin (Illinois)
Georges, Mara Stacy (Illinois)
Gibson, Heather Elizabeth (Illinois)
Gilbert, Jeffrey Todd (Illinois)
Gilreath, Dana Michele (Illinois)
Glassman, Eydie Rachel (Illinois)
Goldgar, Bankruptcy Judge (Illinois)
Goodhart, Bruce Jay (Illinois)
Goplerud, John Barton (Illinois)
Gottschlich, Thomas (Illinois)
Graves, Christine R. (Illinois)
Gray, Matthew Scott (Illinois)
Green, Jonathan Clark (Illinois)
Greene, Francis Richard (Illinois)
Grochocinski, Timothy E. (Illinois)
Gross, Stuart George (Illinois)
Grunfeld, Kenneth J. (Illinois)
Guaragna, John Michael (Illinois)
Gustafson, Daniel E (Illinois)
Haddock, Alison Marie (Illinois)
Haimovici, Randall D (Illinois)
Hallaj, Summer Muazaz (Illinois)
Halperin, Karl Lewis (Illinois)
Hansen, Jeffrey Michael (Illinois)
Harrington, Jason Robert (Illinois)
Harshman, R Christopher (Illinois)
Hauselman, Martin F. (Illinois)
Hayes, Steven Michael (Illinois)
Hayes, Wendell Derek (Illinois)
Heather, Justin Lee (Illinois)
Heck, Raymond Christopher (Illinois)
Heneghan, Patrick Joseph (Illinois)
Henretty, Lyle Kevin (Illinois)
Herndon, Randolph K. (Illinois)
Heygood, Michael E. (Illinois)
Hill, Reginald Juvann (Illinois)
Hilliard, Robert C. (Illinois)
Hirsch, Michelle Jeanette (Illinois)
Hise, David Nathaniel (Illinois)
Hohn, Christopher M. (Illinois)
Holland, Gregory G. (Illinois)
Honingford, Megan Marie (Illinois)
Hopkins, Dennis Cecil (Illinois)
Hulshizer, Robin M. (Illinois)
Huyck, William Thomas (Illinois)
Imprevento, Michael F. (Illinois)
Ireland, John Craig (Illinois)
JACKSON, GARY WALKER (Illinois)
Jakubowski, Matthew M (Illinois)
Jameson, Louis Norwood (Illinois)
Janecek, Frank James (Illinois)
Johnson, Erik Henning (Illinois)
Johnson, Jeffrey Lance (Illinois)
Johnston, Lee Frederick (Illinois)
Jones, Walter Jones (Illinois)
Kamber, Matthias Andreas (Illinois)
Kaufman, Susan Rebecca (Illinois)
Keeling, Kevin Alan (Illinois)
Kiger, Christopher Ray (Illinois)
King, Alan Sterling (Illinois)
King, Laurence David (Illinois)
Kleinman, Robert B. (Illinois)
Knapp, Moyenda Mutharika (Illinois)
Kovacs, Caitlin Alejandrina (Illinois)
Kozar, Amanda Leigh (Illinois)
Koziol, Peter Andrew (Illinois)
Kreitenberg, Avi Melech (Illinois)
Latturner, James O. (Illinois)
Layng, Patrick Sean (Illinois)
Levine, Howard Mark (Illinois)
Levine, Laurence Harvey (Illinois)
Levy, Richard Bruce (Illinois)
Lewis, Michael Paul (Illinois)
Lindemann, Kristin K. (Illinois)
Lindsey, Christie Brow (Illinois)
London, William Henry (Illinois)
Lovelace, Dewitt M. (Illinois)
Lovellette, Kevin R. (Illinois)
Lowery, Michelle S. (Illinois)
Lukasiewicz, Jessica Lynne (Illinois)
Lupinacci, Joseph Peter (Illinois)
Lutzke, Jennifer Marie (Illinois)
Lyerla, Bradford P. (Illinois)
Maher, Michael John (Illinois)
Malia, Sarah Garner (Illinois)
Martin, John Conroy (Illinois)
May, Theodore Joseph (Illinois)
McBride, Melanie Grace (Illinois)
McCollum, Michael B (Illinois)
Mcconville, Francis P. (Illinois)
McKool, Mike McKool (Illinois)
Mear, Richard Wayne (Illinois)
Merrill, Cynthia Ann (Illinois)
Mester, Mark Steven (Illinois)
Meyer, Christopher Kenneth (Illinois)
Miller, Cassandra P. (Illinois)
Miller, Matthew Crane (Illinois)
Miltenberger, Timothy D. (Illinois)
Mitchell, Kimberly M. (Illinois)
Mitchell, Gregory T. (Illinois)
Mitchell, Timothy P. (Illinois)
Molster, Charles Bennett (Illinois)
Moreland, Matthew B. (Illinois)
Mottek, Jacqueline E (Illinois)
Murarova, Elinor Hart (Illinois)
Nelson, David Aaron (Illinois)
Nicholson, Melinda Ann (Illinois)
Niro, Raymond Pardo (Illinois)
O'Brien, Marc William (Illinois)
Only, Prisoner Correspondence (Illinois)
Oppenheim, David Max (Illinois)
Oswald, Craig Arthur (Illinois)
Pala, Sudhir Anantrai (Illinois)
Papadopoulos, Athanasios (Illinois)
Patterson, John Bledsoe (Illinois)
Pavich, Robert James (Illinois)
Peet, Alexander Wells (Illinois)
Pendley, Patrick Wayne (Illinois)
Peterson, Kathleen Flynn (Illinois)
Phillips, W. Brantley (Illinois)
Plasz, Andrew Nicholas (Illinois)
Pontikes, Rachael George (Illinois)
Pope, LeAnn Pedersen (Illinois)
Porter, Andrew Eliot (Illinois)
Rabinovitz, Joshua Z (Illinois)
Rastegar, Jonathan Hart (Illinois)
Reilly, Jonna McGinley (Illinois)
Richardson, Michael Ernest (Illinois)
Richardson, Elliot S. (Illinois)
Richetti, Joseph Jack (Illinois)
Robertson, Dean Charles (Illinois)
Robertson, Edward D. (Illinois)
Robinson, Aron David (Illinois)
Robinson, William J (Illinois)
Rockforte, Nicholas R. (Illinois)
Rodrigues, Ruben Jose (Illinois)
Rogers, Kevin Barry (Illinois)
Romanenko, Victoria (Illinois)
Rosenblum, Elisha S. (Illinois)
Rothstein, Ronald Y (Illinois)
Rourk, Christopher John (Illinois)
Russell, Stephen M. (Illinois)
Salam, Ismael Tariq (Illinois)
Sammataro, Carmelo B (Illinois)
Sanchez, Christopher B (Illinois)
Sanderson, Scott A. (Illinois)
Saunders, Michael Y. (Illinois)
Sawyer, Donald Lewis (Illinois)
Scarborough, Theodore R. (Illinois)
Schaffer, Charles E. (Illinois)
Schaffer, Michelle I. (Illinois)
Scharff, Christopher Michael (Illinois)
Scheller, Jessica Megan (Illinois)
Schenck, Christopher (Illinois)
Schlichter, Jerome J (Illinois)
Schlueter, Tobias Edward (Illinois)
Schulman, Jeffrey A. (Illinois)
Schuurman, Willem G. (Illinois)
Schwartz, Andrew Charles (Illinois)
Scolnick, Judith S. (Illinois)
Serv, General Counsel, (Illinois)
Shapiro, Robert Eliot (Illinois)
Shead, James Daniel (Illinois)
Sheean, Christopher T. (Illinois)
Shelquist, Robert Kinney (Illinois)
Shonson, Elizabeth A. (Illinois)
Sidbury, Benjamin F. (Illinois)
Siebman, Clyde Moody (Illinois)
Siegel, Steven Mark (Illinois)
Silverman, Joshua B. (Illinois)
Sinkfield, Richard H (Illinois)
Slaughter, Stacey P (Illinois)
Smith, James Michael (Illinois)
Smith, Christopher C (Illinois)
Smollar, Leigh Handelman (Illinois)
Sonnenschein, Craig Britson (Illinois)
Southerland, John Isaac (Illinois)
Sprengel, Jennifer Winter (Illinois)
STAFFORD, MARK ANDREW (Illinois)
Stainthorp, John Ladell (Illinois)
Staley, Nicholas Scott (Illinois)
Stephens, Paul Bryan (Illinois)
Stevens, David Erik (Illinois)
Stewart, Ellen Gusikoff (Illinois)
Stewart, Courtney Thornton (Illinois)
Stewart, Gretchen Wehrenberg (Illinois)
Stewart, Edward Craig (Illinois)
Stinson, Andrew William (Illinois)
Stockwell, Mitchell G (Illinois)
Straka, Brianne McNicholas (Illinois)
Stretz, Frank James (Illinois)
Sues, Allison Patricia (Illinois)
Sutrina, Mikela Therese (Illinois)
Swedlow, Stephen A. (Illinois)
Tallitsch, Daniel Alan (Illinois)
Tamburelli, Adam M. (Illinois)
Tarpey, Leo Michael (Illinois)
Third, Earl Neville (Illinois)
Thompson, Roderick M (Illinois)
Tiradentes, Vanessa Ribeiro (Illinois)
Totaro, Martin Vincent (Illinois)
Travelstead, Timothy Carl (Illinois)
Trustee, United States (Illinois)
Tuck, Thomas Christopher (Illinois)
Vanderporten, Steven Lawrence (Illinois)
Veenstra, Matthew R. (Illinois)
WAICHMAN, HERBERT L. (Illinois)
Wakefield, Samuel Brent (Illinois)
Walker, Joseph Wayne (Illinois)
Walter, Christopher E (Illinois)
Warner, Kirk Gibson (Illinois)
Warner, Curtis Charles (Illinois)
Warshawsky, Kimberly A. (Illinois)
Wedoff, Eugene Robert (Illinois)
Weickhardt, George G. (Illinois)
Weiss, Jamie Elisabeth (Illinois)
Widman, Stuart Michael (Illinois)
Wiegand, Thomas Joseph (Illinois)
Williams, Darrin L. (Illinois)
Williams, Steven N. (Illinois)
Williamson, Nick E. (Illinois)
Wirken, Christopher Burke (Illinois)
Wurth, Stephen Michael (Illinois)
Yanovsky, Michael D. (Illinois)
Yarusso, Amanda Sunshine (Illinois)
Yokich, Stephen Anthony (Illinois)
Yoo, S. Christopher (Illinois)
Young, Stacey Ilene (Illinois)
Yungwirth, Matthew S. (Illinois)
Zecchin, Anthony E. (Illinois)
Zimmer, Charles Ferrier (Illinois)
Zimmerman, Thomas A. (Illinois)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5596082/dobbey-v-weilding/
Last updated Feb. 17, 2024, 3:02 a.m.
State / Territory: Illinois
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Feb. 8, 2013
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
All individuals incarcerated at the Stateville Correctional Center at any time since January 1, 2011, and all individuals that would be housed at the Stateville Correctional Center after January 23, 2014, (the date class certification was granted).
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: Yes
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Stateville Correctional Center, State
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Ex parte Young (federal or state officials)
Constitutional Clause(s):
Due Process: Substantive Due Process
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General:
Food service / nutrition / hydration
Sanitation / living conditions
Affected Sex or Gender:
Medical/Mental Health:
COVID-19:
Type of Facility: