Case: U.S. v. New York

9:93-cv-04807 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Filed Date: Oct. 25, 1993

Closed Date: 2005

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

On October 25, 1993, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997, against the State of New York, in response to conditions at the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Suffolk County, New York. The government brought the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The lawsuit was prompted by the Department's investigation of the Center, beginning in 1987, which revealed living conditions inc…

On October 25, 1993, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997, against the State of New York, in response to conditions at the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Suffolk County, New York. The government brought the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

The lawsuit was prompted by the Department's investigation of the Center, beginning in 1987, which revealed living conditions inconsistent with patients' constitutional rights. Specifically, Department visits in 1991 and 1992 confirmed that conditions of confinement involved a general failure to protect residents from harm; inadequate assessment and development of treatment plans and programs; and inappropriate medical care and staffing. The Department issued a letter to the Governor's office on June 9, 1992, describing its findings and asking the State to implement correctional measures.

The government's complaint sought to enjoin the defendants from violating the patients' constitutional rights by such practices as described in the June 9, 1992 letter, including the failure to administer medication properly; to provide residents with individualized psychiatric care and to keep them free from unnecessary chemical restraint; and to employ an adequate number of sufficiently trained staff.

On October 31, 1993, the parties entered a Stipulation, which the court (Judge Arthur D. Splatt) approved the same day. The Stipulation stated that the defendants would employ an adequate number of trained staff, that they would develop and implement treatment plans for patients, and that they would protect patients from others' aggression and from falls. It also called for the defendants to administer medication only when and as directed ñ and to refrain from using chemical restraints ñ and to provide adequate routine, specialized, and emergency medical care for all patients. Finally, the Stipulation required the State to issue status reports on the improvement of conditions until they became satisfactory. The court closed the case on the same day.

According to the PACER docket, on June 28, 1996, the court (Judge Spatt) entered a Supplemental Stipulation and Order to ensure that the defendants were complying with the Stipulation and to protect the patients' constitutional rights. The court continued to issue periodically Supplemental Stipulations and Orders on July 29, 1999 and February 25, 2003. These orders directed the defendants to provide adequate staff for patients; to redesign treatment planning to focus on individual needs; to improve the quality of medical care; and to ensure that the patients receive services in the most integrated setting possible.

On March 21, 2005, the parties entered a Joint Motion to Dismiss. The court (Judge Splatt) approved the motion the next day and closed the case.

Summary Authors

Laura Uberti (6/29/2006)

People


Judge(s)
Attorney for Plaintiff

Carter, Zachary W. (New York)

Dunne, John R. (District of Columbia)

Frohboese, Robinsue (District of Columbia)

Hughes, Verlin (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Defendant

Fleischer, Arnold D. (New York)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

9:93-cv-04807

Docket

Oct. 27, 2005

Oct. 27, 2005

Docket

9:93-cv-04807

Findings Letter re: CRIPA Investigation of Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, Long Island, NY

No Court

June 9, 1992

June 9, 1992

Findings Letter/Report
1

9:93-cv-04807

Complaint

Oct. 25, 1993

Oct. 25, 1993

Complaint
2

9:93-cv-04807

Stipulation

Oct. 31, 1993

Oct. 31, 1993

Pleading / Motion / Brief
14

9:93-cv-04807

Order

March 22, 2005

March 22, 2005

Order/Opinion

Docket

Last updated Feb. 15, 2024, 3:17 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT filed and summons(es) issued for State of New York, Mario M. Cuomo, New York State Offic, Richard C. Surles, Peggy O'Neil (Crotty, Mary) (Entered: 10/29/1993)

Oct. 25, 1993

Oct. 25, 1993

CASE REFERRED to Magistrate Michael L. Orenstein (Crotty, Mary) (Entered: 10/29/1993)

Oct. 25, 1993

Oct. 25, 1993

2

STIPULATION/ORDER, dismissing ( signed by Judge Arthur D. Spatt ) (McMahon, Carol) (Entered: 11/01/1993)

Oct. 31, 1993

Oct. 31, 1993

Case closed (McMahon, Carol) (Entered: 11/01/1993)

Oct. 31, 1993

Oct. 31, 1993

3

SUPPLEMENTAL STIPULATION AND ORDER dated 6/28/96, to ensure the protection of the constitutional rights of patients at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, and to avoid adversarial litigation (see order for further details) ( signed by Judge Arthur D. Spatt ) (Rooney, Tim) (Entered: 07/01/1996)

June 28, 1996

June 28, 1996

4

STIPULATION dated 9/3/96, extending defendants' time to comply with paragraph 5 of the Supplemental Stipulation and order dated 6/28/96, up to and including 9/30/96 ( signed by Judge Arthur D. Spatt ) (Rooney, Tim) (Entered: 09/04/1996)

Sept. 3, 1996

Sept. 3, 1996

6

LETTER dated 7/28/99 from William Jaffe to Judge Spatt RE: Parties request that the enclosed stipulation be so ordered. (Toritto, James) (Entered: 08/03/1999)

July 29, 1999

July 29, 1999

7

SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL STIPULATION and ORDER, amending [3-1] order to ensure the protection of the constitutional rights of patients at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, and to avoid adversarial litigation (see order for further details) ( signed by Judge Arthur D. Spatt, on 7/29/99) c/m (Toritto, James) (Entered: 08/03/1999)

July 29, 1999

July 29, 1999

8

NOTICE of attorney appearance for Peggy O'Neil, Richard C. Surles, New York State Office, State of New York, Mario M. Cuomo by William B. Jaffee (Fagan, Linda) (Entered: 02/07/2003)

Jan. 31, 2003

Jan. 31, 2003

9

LETTER dated 2/7/03 from Sena Kim-Reuter, Law Clerk to USDJ Spatt to William B. Jaffe Re: The enclosed papers, Third Supplemental Stipulation, are being returned to you without docketing or filing as they violate Judge Spatt's Individual Rules. The papers do not bear the full caption and docket number of the case. You may re-file upon compliance with the Court's individual rules. (Coleman, Laurie) (Entered: 02/21/2003)

Feb. 7, 2003

Feb. 7, 2003

10

NOTICE OF AMENDED CAPTION; Purs. to Fed. R. Civ. P. 25(d)(1) the parties to this action, the United States of America and the State of New York et al., agree and stipulate that the following public officers are substituted for their formerly named counterparts to this action: George E. Pataki is substituted for Mario M. Cuomo as Governor, James L. Stone is substituted for Richard C. Surles as Commissiner of the New York State Office of Mental Health, and, Alan Weinstock is substituted as Executive Director of the Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. (Fagan, Linda) (Entered: 02/26/2003)

Feb. 19, 2003

Feb. 19, 2003

12

THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL STIPULATION and ORDER; That Pltff, the United States of America, and Defts, the State of New Yrok, et al., in order further to ensure the protection of the consitutuional rights of patients at Pilgrim Phychiatric Center ("PCC"), and to avoid advesarial litigation, hereby further agree and stipulate, purs. to Fed. R. Civ. P. 41 (a) (2), as follows: I. PROVISION OF CARE AND TREATMENT - Defts shall provide an adequate number of professional and direct care staff to provide care and treatment for all Pilgrim patients, as further set forth herein; II. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF TREATMENT PLANS - Defts shall redesign treatment planning to patients realistic opportunities to improve their mental condition, as further set forth herein; III. MEDICATION PRACTICES - Defts shall ensure that a purposeful and systematic medication portion of the treatment plan is included as part of the patient's overall treatment plan, as clinically appropriate; and as further set forth herin; IV. ROUTINE, SPECIALIZED, AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE - In order to maintain and improve the quality of the medical care provided to PPC patients at the core general hospital used by the facility for outside medical care, Defts shall take reasonble steps to continue to have one or mor members of the PCC medical staff with privileges at the core general hospital for the purpose of coordinating or providing general medical care to PPC patients at the said hospital; and as further set forth herein; V. REHABILITATION - Defts shall ensure that patients receive services in the most integrated setting their clinical condition permits; and as further set forth herein; VI. CONTINUING FORCE AND EFFECT OF JULY 29, 1999 STIPULATION, JUNE 28, 1996 STIPULATION, AND OCTOBER 31, 1993 STIPULATION - All provisions of the October 31, 1993 Stipulation, the First Supplemental Stipulation and Order, and the Second Supplemental Stipualtion and Order that do not otherwise conflict with the terms of this Third Supplemental Stipulation and Order shall remain in full force and effect; VIII. ADDITIONAL QUARTERLY REPORTS - Beginning with the calendar-quarter reporting period during which this Third Supplemental Stipulation is enterd, Defts shall provide the United States with additional information, as further set forth herein, as part of their Quarterly Status Reports required by Section IV of the October 31, 1993 stipulation, Paragraph 26 of the Second Supplemental Stipulation and Order . ( signed by Judge Arthur D. Spatt, on 2/25/03) c/m (Fagan, Linda) (Entered: 02/26/2003)

Feb. 25, 2003

Feb. 25, 2003

11

ANSWER to Complaint (Fagan, Linda) (Entered: 02/26/2003)

Feb. 26, 2003

Feb. 26, 2003

13

First MOTION to Dismiss (joint motion for dismissal of case) by all defendants. (Attachments: # 1 Text of Proposed Order)(Jaffe, William) (Entered: 03/21/2005)

March 21, 2005

March 21, 2005

14

ORDER upon consideration of the 13 First MOTION to Dismiss (joint motion for dismissal of case) filed by The State of New York,, New York State Office of Mental Health,, George E. Pataki,, James L. Stone,, Alan M. Weinstock,this court dismisses the 1993 stipulation and the supplemental stipulations entered in this case. This case is hereby dismissed and jurisdiction of this Court is terminated. . Signed by Judge Arthur D. Spatt on 3/22/05. cm(Mierzejewski, Elizabeth) (Entered: 03/30/2005)

March 22, 2005

March 22, 2005

Case Details

State / Territory: New York

Case Type(s):

Mental Health (Facility)

Special Collection(s):

Multi-LexSum (in sample)

Key Dates

Filing Date: Oct. 25, 1993

Closing Date: 2005

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

United States Department of Justice

Plaintiff Type(s):

U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: No

Class Action Outcome: Not sought

Defendants

New York Office of Mental Health, State

Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, State

Case Details

Causes of Action:

Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq.

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Complaint (any)

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Settlement

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Issues

General:

Individualized planning

Restraints : chemical

Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)

Medical/Mental Health:

Medical care, general