Case: Mitchell v. Cuomo

9:84-cv-01421 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Filed Date: April 6, 1984

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Case Summary

In 1984, inmates at the Long Island Correctional Facility (LICF) in New York filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the New York State Department of Corrections in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The defendants planned to close the LICF and transfer the inmates to other facilities in the state, all of which were overcrowded. The plaintiffs alleged that their constitutional rights would be violated if they were transferred, and they asked the court to enjo…

In 1984, inmates at the Long Island Correctional Facility (LICF) in New York filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the New York State Department of Corrections in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The defendants planned to close the LICF and transfer the inmates to other facilities in the state, all of which were overcrowded. The plaintiffs alleged that their constitutional rights would be violated if they were transferred, and they asked the court to enjoin the defendants from closing the facility.

In January 1984, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York (Judge Frank Altimari) granted a preliminary injunction to the plaintiffs, preventing the defendants from closing the facility before the trial was complete. The defendants appealed.

On November 26, 1984, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (Judge George Pratt and Judge Joseph Lumbard for the majority, with Judge Henry Friendly dissenting) affirmed, holding that the district court had not abused its discretion in granting the preliminary injunction. Mitchell v. Cuomo, 748 F.2d 804 (2nd Cir. 1984). We have no further information on the proceedings in this case.

Summary Authors

Kristen Sagar (8/15/2007)

People


Judge(s)

Friendly, Henry Jacob (New York)

Lumbard, Joseph Edward (New York)

Attorney for Plaintiff

Friedman, Leon (New York)

Attorney for Defendant

Abrams, Robert W. (New York)

Butler, Barbara B. (New York)

Judge(s)

Friendly, Henry Jacob (New York)

Lumbard, Joseph Edward (New York)

Pratt, George Cheney (New York)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

84-07813

Reported Opinion

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Nov. 26, 1984

Nov. 26, 1984

Order/Opinion

748 F.2d 748

Docket

Last updated Feb. 15, 2024, 3:12 a.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: New York

Case Type(s):

Prison Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: April 6, 1984

Case Ongoing: No reason to think so

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

State prison inmates claiming that the plan to close the prison facility and transfer them to overcrowded facilities would violate their eight and fourteenth amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown

Filed Pro Se: Unknown

Class Action Sought: Unknown

Class Action Outcome: Unknown

Defendants

New York State Department of Corrections, State

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

Constitutional Clause(s):

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Available Documents:

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Preliminary injunction / Temp. restraining order

Source of Relief:

Litigation

Order Duration: 1984 - None

Content of Injunction:

Preliminary relief granted

Issues

General:

Classification / placement

Type of Facility:

Government-run