Judge: LA Jail Floor Sleeping 'Cruel'

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Sep 24, 6:58 AM EDT
Judge: LA Jail Floor Sleeping 'Cruel'

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A federal judge has ruled that forcing county jail inmates to sleep on the floor to relieve overcrowding is unconstitutional.

U.S District Judge Dean D. Pregerson said in a ruling released Friday that jail officials violated inmates' right to protection from cruel and unusual punishment, and were guilty of "deliberate indifference" for failing to provide them with bunks.

"This is quite an extraordinary ruling," said attorney Stephen Yagman, who represented prisoners involved in a class-action lawsuit. "I've never seen anything like it."

Attorney Paul B. Beach, who represented the county in the lawsuit, did not immediately respond to a telephone message left seeking comment early Monday by The Associated Press. He declined comment to the Los Angeles Times on Sunday.




Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/J/JAIL_OVERCROWDING?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-09-24-06-58-46

[flashl]

1. Obviously this atty havent read the 100s of other rulings about unfit conditions

"This is quite an extraordinary ruling"

[mountainvue]

6. Like the days on end when a "pipe breaks"

and CDC facilities have no water.

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. Half of DU approves of prison rape and torture

So this judge will have few friends here.

(They say it like this: "I'm not in favor of rape, but I won't shed a tear when it happens." The real ethical giants of the Democratic Underground! When called on it, they refer you to an online test for authoritarian personality to prove that their rape revenge fantasies are all very above-board. It's demeaning and sickening, but it's a common theme on these boards. If you call people on it, you end up being presented as a friend of child molesters and bleeding heart PC liberal. Because you think we should aim to prevent rape and other extra-judicial punishments in our society. Because you believe in the Constitution. That would make you a bleeding heart pansy child molester supporter. One of these nuts went so far as to suggest I was myself a child molester, since only a child molester would want to defend the rights of other child molesters. Not on Free Republic. Here, on DU! So don't be surprised if some posters WANT people in county jail sleeping in urine. Any pain they can vicariously inflict on "those who break OUR laws" is justified in their eyes.)

[Judi Lynn]

3. I see those guys as mock DU'ers. It's their only form of sport, unfortunately! It's probably

exciting fantasizing one can successfully pass for someone somewhat more intelligent!

[grahamhgreen]

4. There are better ways to solve our problems than by violence, brutality, and callousness.

[TheMadMonk]

8. You said it.

And that is pretty much why I think America is ultimately doomed unless it changes its way in a comprehensive fashion.

Some 25-30% of Americans are essentially lost causes. They will vote to cut their own throats rather than "agree" with the enemy.

And you've pretty much hit the nail on the head where at least half of the remainder are concerned.

It is not enough to hate the act for these people. They have to hate the person who commits the act, regardless of how pointless or counterproductive that hate is.

Some two thirds of Americans are not properly FOR anything. They are only against/hate that with which they do not agree and they behave/speak accordingly.

You are right. Child molester's should be treated decently. And you'd think that even if people can't get their head around the idea that such might actually deserve fair treatment simply as human beings, they should be able to manage the idea that future victims deserve it. An offender who knows he is going to receive fair and equitable treatment is far, far less likely to do something stupid and irreversible in a moment of panic.

[hang a left]

5. You sleeping on the floor is cruel...

you out try one of the mattresses ;-)

Seriously though they will have to cut short sentences of people charged with misdemeanors. And what ever happened to Prop 36??

[THUNDER HANDS]

7. in Russian prison, floor sleeps on YOU!

sorry, for some reason I'm channeling Yakov Smirnov right now.