Case: Anderson v. Redman

1:76-cv-00364 | U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware

Filed Date: Oct. 29, 1976

Closed Date: 1979

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Case Summary

In 1976, inmates at the Delaware Correctional Center, represented by counsel from the community Legal Aid Society, filed a section 1983 class action suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware against prison officials. The original complaint, docket 76-202, was superseded by an identical complaint filed later that year with the docket 76-364. (The multiple filings were a result of the uncertainty regarding the status of the three-judge court act, 28 USC section 2281. After t…

In 1976, inmates at the Delaware Correctional Center, represented by counsel from the community Legal Aid Society, filed a section 1983 class action suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware against prison officials. The original complaint, docket 76-202, was superseded by an identical complaint filed later that year with the docket 76-364. (The multiple filings were a result of the uncertainty regarding the status of the three-judge court act, 28 USC section 2281. After the act was repealed by Congress all parties agreed to the filing of the new complaint.) Plaintiffs alleged unconstitutional overcrowding as well as violation of various state laws regarding housing of inmates, and sought injunctive relief. After a seven day trial, Judge Murray Schwartz granted plaintiffs' motion for immediate relief from overcrowding in the receiving section of the facility, holding conditions there to be in violation of the Eighth Amendment. But his opinion dated February 16, 1977, Judge Schwartz declined to rule more permanently on the federal constitutional issue and instead found that the general overcrowding of the facility was in violation of state statutory laws. The court ordered the defendants to remedy the problem by reducing inmate population, and set out eight pages of what it termed ""suggestions"" rather than ""mandatory requirements."" Anderson v. Redman, 428 F. Supp. 1105, 1128 (D. Del. 1977). Plaintiffs sought and were awarded attorneys' fees. 474 F. Supp. 511, 524 (D. Del. 1979).

In June 1979, the Delaware legislature passed a law specifically written to undercut the state law premise of the 1977 order. Defendants sought to vacate the earlier order while plaintiffs wanted the new state law declared unconstitutional under the Delaware state constitution. Judge Schwartz abstained from entertaining the state constitutional challenge and stayed his 1977 order until the constitutionality of the state law could be determined in the Delaware state courts. Anderson v. Redman, 480 F. Supp. 830, 833 (D. Del. 1979). There is no further information on the outcome of this case.

In 1984, The U.S. Supreme Court held that federal courts lack jurisdiction to enjoin compliance with state statutes. Pennhurst State School v. Halderman, 465 U.S. 89 (1984).

Summary Authors

John Maksymonko (7/26/2005)

People

For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5075317/parties/fatir-v-redman/


Judge(s)
Attorney for Plaintiff

Myers, Gary A. (Delaware)

Attorney for Defendant

Barron, Norman A. (Delaware)

Halberstadt, Bertram S. (Delaware)

Parkins, John A. Jr. (Delaware)

Polk, John J. (Delaware)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

1:76-cv-00364

Opinon

Feb. 16, 1977

Feb. 16, 1977

Order/Opinion

1:76-cv-00364

Opinion

June 18, 1979

June 18, 1979

Order/Opinion

1:76-cv-00364

Opinion

Nov. 28, 1979

Nov. 28, 1979

Order/Opinion

Docket

See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5075317/fatir-v-redman/

Last updated Jan. 22, 2024, 3:03 a.m.

ECF Number Description Date Link Date / Link
165

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER DENYING 152 MOTION to Enforce Judgment filed by Amir Fatir, ***Civil Case Terminated. Signed by Judge Gregory M. Sleet on 2/3/2015. (asw)

Feb. 3, 2015

Feb. 3, 2015

RECAP

Case Details

State / Territory: Delaware

Case Type(s):

Prison Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: Oct. 29, 1976

Closing Date: 1979

Case Ongoing: No

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

Convicted state inmates and pretrial detainees held at the Delaware Correctional Center challenging the overcrowded living conditions

Plaintiff Type(s):

Private Plaintiff

Public Interest Lawyer: Yes

Filed Pro Se: No

Class Action Sought: Yes

Class Action Outcome: Unknown

Defendants

Delaware, State

Case Details

Causes of Action:

42 U.S.C. § 1983

State law

Constitutional Clause(s):

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Available Documents:

Any published opinion

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Litigation

Order Duration: 1977 - None

Issues

General:

Conditions of confinement

Sanitation / living conditions

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Crowding / caseload

Type of Facility:

Government-run