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Case Name
Doe v. City of New York
JC-NY-0063
Docket / Court
1:15-cv-03849 ( S.D.N.Y. )
State/Territory
New York
Case Type(s)
Jail Conditions
Attorney Organization
Legal Services/Legal Aid
Case Summary
On May 19, 2015, former inmates at the all-female jail on Rikers Island filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs sued New York City under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The plaintiffs, represented by Legal Aid and private attorneys, asked the ...
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On May 19, 2015, former inmates at the all-female jail on Rikers Island filed this lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs sued New York City under 42 U.S.C. § 1983. The plaintiffs, represented by Legal Aid and private attorneys, asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief as well as compensatory and punitive damages. The plaintiffs claimed that the City of New York violated their rights of due process and free speech under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. Specifically, the plaintiffs claimed that at the Rose M. Singer Center, the all-female jail on Rikers Island, the City of New York permitted corrections officers to sexually assault inmates and that inmates were allowed to be retaliated against when they reported the sexual assault to higher authorities.
On January 5, 2016, District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein released a summary order denying plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. He found that the class was not sufficiently ascertainable as proposed and that the plaintiffs lacked typicality and commonality in their claims. Judge Hellerstein was also concerned that granting class certification would make it more difficult for currently unknown victims to file a damages suit in the future. However, he ruled that the claims of the individual plaintiffs survived for both monetary and equitable relief.
On March 17, 2016, the plaintiffs appealed the district court’s order denying plaintiffs’ motion for class certification to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. After engaging in discovery, the parties reached a settlement agreement and stipulated to a dismissal of the case, which was approved by Judge Hellerstein on May 26, 2017. Due to the stipulation of dismissal, the appeal to the Second Circuit was withdrawn. The case is now closed.
Kat Brausch - 02/18/2016
Lisa Limb - 03/22/2019
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Issues and Causes of Action
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Issues
Affected Gender
Female
Constitutional Clause
Due Process
Freedom of speech/association
Defendant-type
Corrections
General
Assault/abuse by staff
Sex w/ staff; sexual harassment by staff
Plaintiff Type
Private Plaintiff
Type of Facility
Government-run
Causes of Action
42 U.S.C. § 1983
Case Details
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Defendant(s)
City of New York
Plaintiff Description
Detainees at Rose M. Singer Center, the all-female jail on Rikers Island, New York.
Indexed Lawyer Organizations
Legal Services/Legal Aid
Class action status sought
Yes
Class action status granted
No
Filed Pro Se
No
Prevailing Party
None Yet / None
Public Int. Lawyer
Yes
Nature of Relief
None yet
Source of Relief
Settlement
Form of Settlement
Private Settlement Agreement
Voluntary Dismissal
Filed
05/19/2015
Case Closing Year
2017
Case Ongoing
No
Additional Resources
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Documents
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Court
Docket(s)
S.D.N.Y.
07/05/2017
1:15-cv-3849
JC-NY-0063-9000.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
General Documents
S.D.N.Y.
05/19/2015
Complaint [ECF# 1]
JC-NY-0063-0001.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
S.D.N.Y.
01/05/2016
Summary Order Denying Motion for Class Certification [ECF# 62]
JC-NY-0063-0002.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
S.D.N.Y.
05/26/2017
Stipulation and Order of Dismissal [ECF# 397]
JC-NY-0063-0003.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
People
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Judges
Hellerstein, Alvin K.
(S.D.N.Y.)
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JC-NY-0063-0002 | JC-NY-0063-0003 | JC-NY-0063-9000
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Anderson, Josh Edward
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
Bodden, Marlen Suyapa
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
Bromley, James L
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-0003 | JC-NY-0063-9000
Gibney, William D.
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-0001 | JC-NY-0063-9000
Hamilton, Barbara Patricia
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
Lowenthal, Mitchell
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-0001 | JC-NY-0063-9000
Mindlin, Danielle Posen
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
Defendant's Lawyers
Brocker, Peter William
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
Budhu, Ryan
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
Castro, Liam Luis
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
Coburn, Barry
(District of Columbia)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
DiSenso, Anthony M.
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
Jackson, Joey
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
Joyce, Kimberly
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
Larkin, Arthur G. III
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-0003 | JC-NY-0063-9000
Ortiz, Julie Ann
(New York)
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JC-NY-0063-9000
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