Filed Date: June 16, 1980
Closed Date: July 9, 1985
Clearinghouse coding complete
In the spring of 1980, several protesters were arrested following racially motivated riots in Wrightsville, Georgia and filed suit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia against various city and county officials. Plaintiffs alleged unconstitutional arrests and unconstitutional jail conditions in violation of a prior consent decree. The earlier consent decree resulted from a class action by jail detainees and enjoined the sheriff of Johnson County, without a showing of good cause, from failing to provide detainees with medical treatment, blankets, clothes, food, and access to attorneys. Three of protesters' actions were consolidated in the present case, before trial.
At the trial, the jury found for defendants on all issues. District court Judge Dudley Bowen denied plaintiffs' motion for judgment to overturn the jury's verdict. Plaintiff's appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. On April 16, 1985, the appellate court (Judge Godbold) affirmed the district court's ruling on the issue of jail conditions, holding that defendants had shown good cause to violate the consent decree due to exigent circumstances surrounding the riots. The court reversed in part and remanded in part with respect to other issues. Wilson v. Attaway, 757 F.2d 1227 (11th Cir. 1985).
Plaintiffs petitioned for a rehearing en banc. On July 9, 1985, the Eleventh Circuit denied plaintiffs' petition. Wilson v. Attaway, 764 F.2d 1411 (11th Cir. 1985).
The docket for this case is unavailable, so our information ends with the last reported decision in 1985.
Summary Authors
Lauren Cutson (5/23/2005)
Richard Jolly (10/26/2014)
Godbold, John Cooper (Louisiana)
Carroll, John (Alabama)
Goldberg, Ralph S. (Georgia)
Mincey, Floyd (Alabama)
Larsen, W. W. (Georgia)
Godbold, John Cooper (Louisiana)
Last updated March 26, 2024, 3:05 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Georgia
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: June 16, 1980
Closing Date: July 9, 1985
Case Ongoing: No reason to think so
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
People who were allegedly unconstitutionally arrested and exposed to unconstitutional conditions in county jail
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown
Filed Pro Se: Unknown
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Johnson County Jail (Johnson), County
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Unreasonable search and seizure
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Mixed
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General:
Access to lawyers or judicial system
Food service / nutrition / hydration
Sanitation / living conditions
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Type of Facility: