Case: Facility Review Panel v. Holden

No. 17240 | West Virginia state appellate court

Filed Date: 1987

Closed Date: April 9, 1987

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

The Facility Review Panel, on behalf of inmates in the Doddridge County Jail, brought a mandamus action in the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia against the sheriff and members of the County Commission of Doddridge County, to compel the closure of the jail until conditions there improved to minimal constitutional and statutory standards. On April 9, 1987, the court, in a per curium opinion, used a totality of the conditions test to find that conditions at the jail constituted cruel and…

The Facility Review Panel, on behalf of inmates in the Doddridge County Jail, brought a mandamus action in the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia against the sheriff and members of the County Commission of Doddridge County, to compel the closure of the jail until conditions there improved to minimal constitutional and statutory standards. On April 9, 1987, the court, in a per curium opinion, used a totality of the conditions test to find that conditions at the jail constituted cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution and similar provisions of the West Virginia State Constitution. Facility Review Panel v. Holden, 356 S.E.2d 457 (W. Va. 1987). Safety and security, medical care, and sanitation were just a few of the areas that the court highlighted as needing improvement.

The court issued a moulded writ of mandamus giving defendants sixty days to submit a plan of improvement and timeline. The court then assigned Judge Jerry W. Cook, the appellate judge in charge of the Circuit Court of Doddridge County, to hear any disputes that might arise from a failure to implement the plan.

We do not have the docket in this case, and therefore have no further information.

Summary Authors

Ben Kelly (2/27/2006)

People


Attorney for Plaintiff

Downey, Mary (West Virginia)

Attorney for Defendant

Sammons, Lucian R. JR. (West Virginia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

No. 17240

Reported Opinion

April 9, 1987

April 9, 1987

Order/Opinion

356 S.E.2d 356

Docket

Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 3:26 p.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: West Virginia

Case Type(s):

Jail Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: 1987

Closing Date: April 9, 1987

Case Ongoing: No reason to think so

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Facility review panel on behalf of inmates at county jail seeking closure of jail until conditions met minimal constitutional and statutory standards

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

County Sheriff (Doddridge), County

Case Details

Constitutional Clause(s):

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Available Documents:

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Litigation

Form of Settlement:

Confession of Judgment

Order Duration: 1987 - 1987

Issues

General:

Sanitation / living conditions

Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)

Totality of conditions

Medical/Mental Health:

Medical care, unspecified

Type of Facility:

Government-run