Case: Garrity & U.S. v. Gallen

1:78-cv-00116 | U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire

Filed Date: April 12, 1978

Closed Date: 1991

Clearinghouse coding complete

Case Summary

On April 12, 1978, six residents with intellectual disabilities of Laconia State School and Training Center ("Laconia") of New Hampshire filed a civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, challenging the conditions at Laconia. Plaintiffs' complaint alleged that the institution's inadequate staffing, services and programs violated the residents' rights under the Developmentally Disabled Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, ("DD …

On April 12, 1978, six residents with intellectual disabilities of Laconia State School and Training Center ("Laconia") of New Hampshire filed a civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, challenging the conditions at Laconia. Plaintiffs' complaint alleged that the institution's inadequate staffing, services and programs violated the residents' rights under the Developmentally Disabled Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, ("DD Act"), 42 U.S.C. §§ 6000 et seq.; under section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794; under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act ("EAHCA"), 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq.; under the federal Constitution; under the Civil Rights Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1983; and under two New Hampshire statutes, N.H.Rev.Stat.Ann. ch. 171-A and N.H.Rev.Stat.Ann. ch. 186-C. Plaintiffs sought declaratory and injunctive relief.

The New Hampshire Association for Retarded Citizens and the United States Department of Justice intervened as amicus curiae.

On February 22, 1980, the District Court certified the case as a class action . Garrity v. Gallen, 522 F.Supp. 171, 176 (D.N.H.1981).

Before trial, the defendants made an offer of judgment, proposing the entry of a consent decree which would include extensive injunctive relief to plaintiffs, including placement of all residents for whom Laconia was not the least restrictive environment into community settings. Plaintiffs rejected the offer.

The case went to trial, and following a 40-day trial the District Court (Chief Judge Shane Devine) found in favor of plaintiffs on several claims. The Court held that defendants had discriminated against the plaintiffs in violation of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by failing to provide individual service plans (ISP) and by denying many services, such as academic and recreational programs to the residents with more severe intellectual disabilities. The Court determined that Laconia was an "educational waste land." The Court found that Laconia violated the EAHCA and state law, while other claims, including the claim under the DD Act, were dismissed. Garrity v. Gallen, 522 F.Supp. 171 (D.N.H.1981). Following trial, the court directed the parties to work out a joint plan to implement the ordered relief. As the parties could not agree to a joint plan, they filed competing proposals. The District Court issued an implementation order on November 16, 1981, which combined the separate plans of the parties.

Following entry of the order of implementation, plaintiffs moved for an award of attorneys' fees pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1988. Defendants' also moved for attorneys' fees from the date that their offer of judgment was rejected.

On January 25, 1982, nine school districts of the State of New Hampshire and the New Hampshire School Administrators Association sought to intervene in the case to challenge certain provisions of the District Court's order. Intervention was denied by the District Court and affirmed on appeal. Garrity v. Gallen, 697 F.2d 452 (1st Cir.1983). Plaintiffs then moved for an assessment of fees and costs against the purposed intervenors.

On August 25, 1983, the District Court (Chief Judge Shane Devine) awarded plaintiffs' attorneys' fees against the state defendants, but denied the request for fees against the purposed intervenors. The Court also denied the defendants' request for fees based on the rejection of its offer of judgment. The total amount of fees and costs awarded to plaintiffs was $220,140.58. Both parties appealed. The First Circuit Court of Appeals (Chief Judge Levin H. Campbell) affirmed in part and vacated in part and remanded. The Appeals Court upheld most of the fee award but ordered that it be recalculated by the subtraction of the portion of the fees relating solely to services performed on claims under EAHCA and state law. Garrity v. Sununu, 752 F.2d 727(1st Cir. 1984).

Our information regarding subsequent case proceedings is limited to the PACER docket, which is incomplete. According to the docket, implementation continued until 1995, with the parties filing periodic status reports with the Court. We have no further information on the matter.

Summary Authors

Dan Dalton (4/17/2007)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/9292827/parties/garrity-v-governor-nh/


Judge(s)

Campbell, Levin Hicks (Massachusetts)

Davis, Oscar Hirsh (District of Columbia)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Cohen, Richard A. (New Hampshire)

Attorney for Defendant

Clarke, Anne (New Hampshire)

Expert/Monitor/Master/Other

Bellotti, Francis X. (Massachusetts)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

1:78-cv-00116

Docket (PACER)

Garrity v. Governor of NH

Oct. 20, 1999

Oct. 20, 1999

Docket

1:78-cv-00116

Memorandum Opinion

Garrity v. Gallen

Aug. 17, 1981

Aug. 17, 1981

Order/Opinion

522 F.Supp. 522

82-01325

Opinion

Garrity v. Gallen

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Feb. 2, 1983

Feb. 2, 1983

Order/Opinion

697 F.2d 697

83-01946

83-01947

Opinion

Garrity v. Sununu

U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Dec. 28, 1984

Dec. 28, 1984

Order/Opinion

752 F.2d 752

82-01325

Correspondence

Garrity v. Merrill

April 25, 1995

April 25, 1995

Correspondence

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/9292827/garrity-v-governor-nh/

Last updated March 26, 2024, 3:07 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
1

COMPLAINT (Entered: 08/13/1991)

April 12, 1978

April 12, 1978

PACER
554

JUDGMENT ( signed by Clerk James R. Starr ) (cmd) (Entered: 09/17/1991)

Aug. 25, 1983

Aug. 25, 1983

PACER
640

ORDER, proceedings on contempt deferred, motion for preliminary injunction denied, each party to bear its own fees and costs ( signed by Chief Judge Shane Devine ) (cmd) (Entered: 09/17/1991)

Jan. 17, 1990

Jan. 17, 1990

PACER

Case closed (cmd)

Sept. 17, 1991

Sept. 17, 1991

PACER
641

RECEIPT by Attorney General for: exhibits (cmd) (Entered: 02/09/1993)

Feb. 9, 1993

Feb. 9, 1993

PACER
643

ORDER: Sealed documents #582A, attachment to #613, #597, exhibit C returned to submitting parties ( signed by Senior Judge Shane Devine ) (cmd) (Entered: 03/15/1993)

Feb. 9, 1993

Feb. 9, 1993

PACER
642

RECEIPT by plaintiffs for: exhibits (cm) (Entered: 02/17/1993)

Feb. 11, 1993

Feb. 11, 1993

PACER
644

Joint STATUS REPORT by the parties. New status report deadline set for 7/1/94 (cm) (Entered: 05/11/1994)

May 9, 1994

May 9, 1994

PACER
645

STATUS REPORT by all parties; New status report deadline set for 9/1/94 (cm) (Entered: 07/01/1994)

June 30, 1994

June 30, 1994

PACER
646

STATUS REPORT by Sandra Garrity, Governor NH; parties continue to seek a permanent placement for Pat St. Cyr, parties will report back on 10/3/94. (cm) (Entered: 09/07/1994)

Sept. 6, 1994

Sept. 6, 1994

PACER
647

JOINT STATUS REPORT by all parties that the guardians agree that the issued raised in the 5/94 letter have been resolved. (cm) (Entered: 10/27/1995)

Oct. 26, 1995

Oct. 26, 1995

PACER
648

MOTION by Sandra Garrity for Abigail Turner to Withdraw as Attorney (cm) (Entered: 10/27/1995)

Oct. 26, 1995

Oct. 26, 1995

PACER

ENDORSED ORDER granting [648-1] motion for Abigail Turner to Withdraw as Attorney (signed by Senior Judge Shane Devine) (cm)

Nov. 9, 1995

Nov. 9, 1995

PACER
649

MOTION by Sandra Garrity to Substitute Attorney; Elliott Berry for Alexander Feldvebel with no memo. Objection to Motion Deadline 4/1/96 (cm) (Entered: 03/12/1996)

March 11, 1996

March 11, 1996

PACER

RULE 77 ORDER granting [649-1] motion to Substitute Attorney; Elliott Berry for Alexander Feldvebel (cm)

April 12, 1996

April 12, 1996

PACER

FILE located at National Archives and Records Administration Waltham, MA. Accession No: 021-930033, Location No: C409110, Box No: 1, Index, Pleadings, Motions I - IV; Location No: C409111, Box No: 2, Orders, Correspondence, Memos I - III; Location No: C409112, Box No: 3, Proposed Plans of Implementation, Affidavits, Notice of Depositions, Notice of Inspections, Request for Production, Depositions; Location No: C409113, Box No: 4, Interrogatories I - IV; Location No: C409114, Box No: 5, Attachments to Interrogatories, Status Reports 1st - 4th; Location No: C409115, Box No: 6, Status Reports 5th - 16th and Final Report; Location No: C409116, Box No: 7, Court Transcripts; Location No: C409117, Box No: 8, Court Transcripts; Location No: C409118, Box No: 9, Miscellaneous Reports, etc. (cm) Modified on 12/02/1999

Oct. 20, 1999

Oct. 20, 1999

PACER

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Paper File Disposition Information: The paper case file for this case is no longer in the court's possession and is either permanently retained at the National Archives or has been destroyed. If you would like to determine whether this case file still exists for public review, you must contact the National Archives directly. For National Archive contact information, please consult the court's website.(ADI)

March 9, 2012

March 9, 2012

PACER

Case Details

State / Territory: New Hampshire

Case Type(s):

Intellectual Disability (Facility)

Key Dates

Filing Date: April 12, 1978

Closing Date: 1991

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Developmentally disabled persons who are presently residing at LSS or who in the future may be institutionalized or reinstitutionalized at LSS.

Attorney Organizations:

Legal Services/Legal Aid

U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: Yes

Class Action Outcome: Granted

Defendants

Laconia State School and Training Center, State

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Indv. w/ Disab. Educ. Act (IDEA), Educ. of All Handcpd. Children Act , 20 U.S.C. § 1400

Constitutional Clause(s):

Due Process

Equal Protection

Available Documents:

Trial Court Docket

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Litigation

Order Duration: 1981 - 1991

Issues

General:

Deinstitutionalization/decarceration

Juveniles

Rehabilitation

Disability and Disability Rights:

Integrated setting

Least restrictive environment

Intellectual/developmental disability, unspecified

Type of Facility:

Government-run