On August 28, 2007, Stephen Pevar, an ACLU attorney, filed a class action lawsuit pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983 in the U.S. District Court District of Wyoming, challenging the interrogation practices at the Wyoming State Penitentiary. Pevar alleged that state prison investigators interrogated inmates about the substance of confidential attorney-client communications. Specifically, Pevar, who presented inmates in a separate class action lawsuit Skinner v. Lambert [PC-WY-3], alleged that prison officials had interrogated one of Pevar's clients in the Skinner suit about the contents of attorney-client correspondence and communications. Pevar sought declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as class certification.

The case settled quickly. On October 4, 2007, the District Court [Honorable Clarence A. Brimmer] approved the settlement and determined that notification to the putative class was not necessary. As part of the settlement, the Department of Corrections issued a written policy that generally prohibited its employees from questioning prisoners regarding communications with their counsel. A copy of the policy was attached to the Court's October 4, 2007 Order, which is part of the document collection for this case. See PC-WY-4-0003.

Dan Dalton - 10/05/2007


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