Case: Jones v. Brooks

084429 | California state trial court

Filed Date: June 13, 1984

Case Ongoing

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

On June 13, 1984, three prisoners at the Butte County Jail filed a lawsuit in the Superior Court of California for the County of Butte against the County Board of Supervisors, challenging the constitutionality of their conditions of confinement. The plaintiffs, represented by the Prisoner Rights Union and private counsel, alleged, among other things, that prisoners were not being provided with meaningful access to the courts.

The parties reached a settlement and the Court issued a consent decree. While the full content of the decree is unknown to us, one of its provisions required that the jail maintain a law library that is staffed by legal research assistants. The register of actions indicates that the consent decree was modified at various points, starting in 1989, and extended at various points, starting in 1994. The decree is still in force as of the time of this writing.

Summary Authors

Christopher Schad (8/13/2012)

People


Judge(s)

Benson, Stephen E. (California)

Hermansen, Gerald (California)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Parker, Sally (California)

Persons, Paul Turner (California)

Attorney for Defendant

Nye, Bruce (California)

Judge(s)

Benson, Stephen E. (California)

Hermansen, Gerald (California)

show all people

Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

084429

Register of Actions

Jones v. Butte County Board of Supervisors

July 11, 2012

July 11, 2012

Docket

Agreement Between the County of Butte and Chico Research Foundation

Jones v. Butte County Board of Supervisors

No Court

June 12, 2012

June 12, 2012

Internal memorandum

Docket

Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:33 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: June 13, 1984

Case Ongoing: Yes

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

prisoners at the Butte County Jail

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: Unknown

Class Action Outcome: Unknown

Defendants

County of Butte (Butte), County

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

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 1984 - 0

Issues

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Law library access

Type of Facility:

Government-run