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Case Name
U.S. v. New Mexico
ID-NM-0002
Docket / Court
89-1165M ( D.N.M. )
State/Territory
New Mexico
Case Type(s)
Intellectual Disability (Facility)
Case Summary
On January 21, 1987, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), notified the State of New Mexico, of its intent to investigate, pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997, allegations of unconstitutional conditions at the Los ...
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On January 21, 1987, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), notified the State of New Mexico, of its intent to investigate, pursuant to the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997, allegations of unconstitutional conditions at the Los Lunas Hospital and Training School, Los Lunas, New Mexico. Following its investigation, the DOJ issued its findings letter on September 12, 1988. The findings letter detailed the unconstitutional conditions revealed by the investigation, which included Los Lunas' failure (1) to provide minimally adequate training programs sufficient to ensure that residents were free from undue bodily and chemical restraints, (2) to provide minimally adequate medical staff and medical care and (3) to provide minimally adequate resident supervision to protect residents from unreasonable risks to their health and safety.
On October 27 . 1989, the DOJ filed a lawsuit pursuant to CRIPA in United States District Court for the District of New Mexico regarding the conditions at the Los Lunas Hospital and Training School, Los Lunas, New Mexico. The case was settled shortly thereafter. A formal Settlement Agreement was signed and entered as a formal order of the District Court on February 1, 1988. The Agreement called for implementation of various reforms at Los Lunas. The implementation period followed with the parties filing quarterly compliance reports thereafter until 1997.
On September 22, 1997, the District Court (Judge James A. Parker) granted the parties' joint motion to terminate consent decree and dismiss case.
Dan Dalton - 04/17/2007
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Issues and Causes of Action
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Issues
General
Neglect by staff
Restraints : chemical
Restraints : physical
Staff (number, training, qualifications, wages)
Totality of conditions
Medical/Mental Health
Medical care, general
Mental Disability
Intellectual/developmental disability, unspecified
Plaintiff Type
U.S. Dept of Justice plaintiff
Type of Facility
Government-run
Causes of Action
Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), 42 U.S.C. § 1997 et seq.
Case Details
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Defendant(s)
Los Lunas Hospital and Training School
Plaintiff Description
United States Department of Justice
Class action status sought
No
Class action status granted
No
Filed Pro Se
No
Prevailing Party
Plaintiff
Public Int. Lawyer
Yes
Nature of Relief
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief
Settlement
Form of Settlement
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Order Duration
1989 - 1997
Filed
10/27/1989
Case Closing Year
1997
Case Ongoing
No
Additional Resources
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See this case
at CourtListener.com
(May provide additional documents and, for active cases, real-time alerts)
An Analysis of CRIPA Findings Letters Issued to Jails for Constitutional Violations by the Department of Justice
Date: Apr. 15, 2016
By: Jeff Mellow, Bryce E. Peterson & Mijin Kim (John Jay College of Criminal Justice Faculty)
Citation: Am. J. Crim. Just. (April 2016)
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Documents
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Court
Docket(s)
D.N.M.
09/22/1997
89-1165M
ID-NM-0002-9000.pdf
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Detail
Source: PACER [Public Access to Court Electronic Records]
General Documents
D.N.M.
01/13/1987
Memorandum re: Recomendation to investigate Los Lunas Hospital and Training School, Los Lunas, New Mexico pursuant to CRIPA 42 U.S.C Section 1997-1997j
ID-NM-0002-0001.pdf
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Detail
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section
D.N.M.
01/21/1987
Notice letter re: Intention to Investigate Los Lunas Hospital and Training School, Los Lunas, New Mexico
ID-NM-0002-0002.pdf
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Detail
not recorded
09/12/1988
Findings letter re: Investigation of Los Lunas Hospital and Training School, 42 U.S.C. Section 1997b(a)(1)
ID-NM-0002-0003.pdf
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Detail
D.N.M.
10/27/1989
Complaint
ID-NM-0002-0004.pdf
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Detail
D.N.M.
02/02/1990
Settlement Agreement
ID-NM-0002-0005.pdf
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Detail
People
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Judges
Parker, James Aubrey
(D.N.M.)
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ID-NM-0002-9000
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Deerinwater, Verlin Hughes
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0004
Dennis, Edward S.G. Jr.
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0004
Katz, Cynthia L.
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0004
Lutz, William L.
(New Mexico)
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ID-NM-0002-0004 | ID-NM-0002-0005
Nelson, Mellie H.
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0004 | ID-NM-0002-0005
Peabody, Arthur E. Jr.
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0004 | ID-NM-0002-0005
Reynolds, William Bradford
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0001 | ID-NM-0002-0002 | ID-NM-0002-0003
Schwartz, Jeremy I.
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0004 | ID-NM-0002-0005
Turner, James P.
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0004 | ID-NM-0002-0005
Defendant's Lawyers
Cerf, Christopher
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0005
Coppin, Chris
(New Mexico)
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ID-NM-0002-0005
Coskey, Susan
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0005
Klein, Joel I.
(District of Columbia)
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ID-NM-0002-0005
Stratton, Hal
(New Mexico)
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ID-NM-0002-0005
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