Filed Date: April 26, 1979
Clearinghouse coding complete
In 1979, three prison visitors filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against correctional officers at Iowa State Men's Reformatory and Iowa State Penitentiary in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. The plaintiffs, represented by private counsel, asked the court for declaratory and injunctive relief, alleging violations of their Fourth Amendment rights to be free from strip searches during their visits to the institution.
On February 26, 1981, the District Court (Judge Harold D. Vietor) found for the defendants, holding that "neither the strip search policies nor their application of the plaintiffs in this case violated plaintiff's Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable searches." Hunter v. Auger, No. 79-192-2 (S.D. Iowa Feb. 26, 1981). The plaintiffs appealed.
On March 11, 1982, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals (Judge Jesse S. Henley) reversed and remanded. Hunter v. Auger, 672 F.2d 668 (8th Cir. 1982). Judge Henley held that an anonymous and uncorroborated tip was insufficient to constitute reasonable suspicion to justify strip searches.
The docket for this case in unavailable on PACER and therefore our information ends with the Eighth Circuit's 1982 decision.
Summary Authors
Rebekah Henn Sullivan (8/10/2005)
Arnold, Richard Sheppard (Arkansas)
Harris, Oren (Arkansas)
Allen, Gordon E. (Iowa)
Black, John G. (Iowa)
Brenneise, Craig S. (Iowa)
Arnold, Richard Sheppard (Arkansas)
Harris, Oren (Arkansas)
Henley, Jesse Smith (Missouri)
Last updated March 30, 2024, 3:17 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Iowa
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: April 26, 1979
Case Ongoing: No reason to think so
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Prison visitors seeking damages and declaratory and injunctive relief for violation of their Fourth Amendment rights to be free from strip searches during visits to the institution
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Iowa State Men's Reformatory, State
Iowa State Penitentiary, State
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Unreasonable search and seizure
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Order Duration: 1982 - None
Issues
General:
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Type of Facility: