Filed Date: Oct. 26, 1971
Closed Date: 1979
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In 1971, four inmates of the Dallas County Jail filed a class action suit under section 1983 against jail officials alleging that they were being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment. In 1972, after a trial on the merits, the district court for the Northern District of Texas (Judge Sarah Tilghman Hughes) enjoined defendants from violating Texas state law, censoring inmates' mail, allowing overcrowded conditions, using inmates as corridor bosses, and destroying reading materials and instructed defendants to provide an outdoor area for exercise, provide sufficient security, implement policies and procedures regarding inmate conduct, change visitation policies, and create a classification system. Taylor v. Sterrett, 344 F. Supp. 411 (N.D. Tex. 1972). Defendants appealed and in 1974 the Fifth Circuit affirmed most of the district court's holdings but vacated and remanded the trial court's order regarding visitation and inmates as corridor bosses. Taylor v. Sterrett, 499 F.2d 367 (5th Cir. 1974). Subsequently, the district court ordered defendants to provide the court with written progress reports; defendants appealed, and the Fifth Circuit dismissed the appeal in a per curium opinion. Taylor v. Sterrett, 527 F.2d 856 (5th Cir. 1976).
Over the next several years, the district court vigilantly monitored jail conditions and progress. In 1979, the Fifth Circuit ordered the district court to stop exercising jurisdiction and to dismiss the case, finding that the jail was in compliance with previous court orders. Taylor v. Sterrett, 600 F.2d 1135 (5th Cir. 1979). In 1981, litigation continued over attorney's fees. Taylor v. Sterrett, 640 F.2d 663 (5th Cir. 1981). The docket for this case is not available on PACER, and therefore our information ends with the last reported decision in 1981.
Summary Authors
Lauren Cutson (5/26/2005)
Ainsworth, Robert Andrew Jr. (Louisiana)
Brown, Paul Neeley (Texas)
Bass, Stanley A. (New York)
Berger, Joel (New York)
Byrd, Robert L. (Texas)
Ainsworth, Robert Andrew Jr. (Louisiana)
Brown, Paul Neeley (Texas)
Coleman, James Plemon (Louisiana)
Gee, Thomas Gibbs (Louisiana)
Gewin, Walter Pettus (Alabama)
Hughes, Lynn Nettleton (Texas)
Roney, Paul Hitch (Florida)
Wisdom, John Minor (Louisiana)
Last updated March 24, 2024, 3:08 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Texas
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Oct. 26, 1971
Closing Date: 1979
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
inmates of the Dallas County Jail
Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown
Filed Pro Se: Unknown
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Dallas County Jail (Dallas), County
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Order Duration: 1972 - 1979
Issues
General:
Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Type of Facility: