Case: Mims v. County of Fresno

10CECG00528 | California state trial court

Filed Date: 2010

Closed Date: Dec. 5, 2012

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

In January or February 2010, Fresno Sheriff Margaret Mims laid off staff and shut down three floors of the county jail, substantially reducing capacity, because her budget wouldn't allow her to staff both the jail and patrol. Because of the jail population cap in Cruz v. Fresno, (listed below as a related case), the result was a substantial number of pretrial prisoner releases. The Fresno Board of Supervisors refused to give her any additional money and ordered her office to restore the jail st…

In January or February 2010, Fresno Sheriff Margaret Mims laid off staff and shut down three floors of the county jail, substantially reducing capacity, because her budget wouldn't allow her to staff both the jail and patrol. Because of the jail population cap in Cruz v. Fresno, (listed below as a related case), the result was a substantial number of pretrial prisoner releases. The Fresno Board of Supervisors refused to give her any additional money and ordered her office to restore the jail staff; she brought this lawsuit in state court, claiming that as an elected official, only she had authority to decide the appropriateness of layoffs. In July 2010, Sheriff Mims won a preliminary injunction enabling her to carry out the layoffs, but the lawsuit continued.

On August 1, 2012, the court issued a tentative statement of decision, finding in favor of the County Board on the issues concerning whether the County Board may limit the number of Sheriff’s Department employees by position class and whether the County Board may take action below object level through the Sheriff’s budget.

On December 5, 2012, Fresno Superior Court Judge Mark Snauffer upheld the budget practices of the Fresno County Board, holding that the Board was within its powers to eliminate positions by classification and that the Board had the power to prescribe the level of funding for specific expenditures within the Sheriff’s Department, provided that the Board did not attempt to interfere with the Sheriff’s “deployment decisions” or investigative functions.

The case is now closed.

Summary Authors

Margo Schlanger (7/3/2012)

Averyn Lee (6/8/2019)

Related Cases

Cruz v. County of Fresno, Eastern District of California (1993)

People


Judge(s)

Franson, Donald R. (California)

Snauffer, Mark W. (California)

Judge(s)

Franson, Donald R. (California)

Snauffer, Mark W. (California)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

10CECG00528

[Superior Court] Docket

May 18, 2012

May 18, 2012

Docket

Docket

Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 12:51 p.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: California

Case Type(s):

Jail Conditions

Special Collection(s):

California Jail Population Caps

Key Dates

Filing Date: 2010

Closing Date: Dec. 5, 2012

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Fresno County Sheriff.

Plaintiff Type(s):

City/County Plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: No

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

Fresno County Board of Supervisors (Fresno), County

Defendant Type(s):

Jurisdiction-wide

Case Details

Causes of Action:

State law

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Defendant

Nature of Relief:

Preliminary injunction / Temp. restraining order

Source of Relief:

Litigation

Content of Injunction:

Preliminary relief granted

Issues

General:

Conditions of confinement

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Crowding / caseload

Pre-PLRA Population Cap

Affected Sex or Gender:

Female

Male

Type of Facility:

Government-run