Case: Poston v. Fox

1:80-01459 | U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey

Filed Date: May 20, 1980

Closed Date: Jan. 12, 1984

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Case Summary

Prisoners at the Cape May County Jail in New Jersey filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the county in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The plaintiffs alleged that the conditions at the jail violated the constitutionally mandated minimum standards in the areas of physical conditions of the jail, classification, health care, discipline, grievance procedures, food and diet, recreation, educational programs, visitation, clothing provided, and preferential treatmen…

Prisoners at the Cape May County Jail in New Jersey filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the county in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The plaintiffs alleged that the conditions at the jail violated the constitutionally mandated minimum standards in the areas of physical conditions of the jail, classification, health care, discipline, grievance procedures, food and diet, recreation, educational programs, visitation, clothing provided, and preferential treatment of inmates.

On January 20, 1983, the parties entered into a consent decree wherein the defendants agreed to change some of their policies in order to fully comply with the Manual of Standards for New Jersey Adult County Correctional Facilities. The plaintiffs asked the court to award them attorneys' fees, and on January 12, 1984, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (Judge Stanley S. Brotman) held that the consent decree was sufficiently favorable to the plaintiffs to allow them an award of 40% of their reasonable attorneys' fees. Poston v. Fox, 577 F.Supp. 915 (D.N.J. 1984).

Summary Authors

Kristen Sagar (6/7/2007)

People


Judge(s)

Brotman, Stanley Seymour (New Jersey)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Beakley, Robert P. (New Jersey)

Attorney for Defendant

Addas, Frank P. (New Jersey)

Kimmelman, Irwin I. (New Jersey)

Maloney, Joseph T. (New Jersey)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

1:80-01459

1:80-01939

1:81-01082

Reported Opinion

Jan. 12, 1984

Jan. 12, 1984

Order/Opinion

577 F.Supp. 577

Docket

Last updated Jan. 27, 2024, 3:31 a.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: New Jersey

Case Type(s):

Jail Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: May 20, 1980

Closing Date: Jan. 12, 1984

Case Ongoing: No reason to think so

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

County jail inmates challenging their conditions of confinement

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: No

Filed Pro Se: Unknown

Class Action Sought: Unknown

Class Action Outcome: Unknown

Defendants

Cape May County Jail (Cape May), County

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Constitutional Clause(s):

Due Process

Due Process: Substantive Due Process

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Available Documents:

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Attorneys fees

Declaratory Judgment

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 1983 - None

Issues

General:

Bathing and hygiene

Classification / placement

Education

Food service / nutrition / hydration

Recreation / Exercise

Sanitation / living conditions

Totality of conditions

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Visiting

Crowding / caseload

Type of Facility:

Government-run