Filed Date: Dec. 21, 1981
Closed Date: Nov. 24, 1992
Clearinghouse coding complete
In 1981, patients at a treatment center for sexually dangerous persons filed a lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the Massachusetts Department of Corrections in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The plaintiffs asked the court to make the defendants comply with policies and procedures that had been adopted by the treatment center following settlement of earlier litigation.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Judge Joseph L. Tauro) ordered the defendants to comply with revised policies and procedures, and both parties appealed the court's decision. On December 31, 1986, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit issued a per curiam opinion vacating the district court's order and remanding the case back to the district court because the order had been entered without evidentiary hearing or articulated findings of fact or conclusions of law. Pearson v. Fair, 808 F.2d 163 (1st Cir. 1986).
On remand, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Judge A. David Mazzone) entered a judgment for the defendants, but awarded the plaintiffs a fraction of their requested attorneys' fees. Both parties appealed the decision. On June 3, 1991, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (Judge Ronald R. Lagueux) affirmed the lower court's decision on the merits but vacated the lower court's decision to award attorneys' fees, remanding to allow the district court to clarify how it arrived at the fee award. Pearson v. Fair, 935 F.2d 401 (1st Cir. 1991).
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Judge Mazzone) again granted a limited award of attorneys' fees. On November 24, 1992, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (Judge Juan R. Torruella) ruled that inmates would be awarded 15% of the requested attorneys' fees. Pearson v. Fair, 980 F.2d 37 (1st Cir. 1992). We have no further information on the proceedings of this case.
Summary Authors
Kristen Sagar (3/13/2006)
King v. Greenblatt, District of Massachusetts (1972)
Breyer, Stephen Gerald (District of Columbia)
Caffrey, Andrew Augustine (Massachusetts)
Campbell, Levin Hicks (Massachusetts)
Geiger, David R. (Massachusetts)
Bellotti, Francis X. (Massachusetts)
Breyer, Stephen Gerald (District of Columbia)
Caffrey, Andrew Augustine (Massachusetts)
Campbell, Levin Hicks (Massachusetts)
Lagueux, Ronald Rene (Rhode Island)
Selya, Bruce Marshall (Rhode Island)
Torruella, Juan R. (Puerto Rico)
Zobel, Rya Weickert (Massachusetts)
Last updated Feb. 15, 2024, 3:17 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: Massachusetts
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Dec. 21, 1981
Closing Date: Nov. 24, 1992
Case Ongoing: No reason to think so
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Patients at treatment center for sexually dangerous persons
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown
Filed Pro Se: Unknown
Class Action Sought: Unknown
Class Action Outcome: Unknown
Defendants
Massachusetts Department of Corrections (Bridgewater, Plymouth), State
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Mixed
Nature of Relief:
Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement
Source of Relief:
Order Duration: 1991 - None
Issues
Medical/Mental Health:
Type of Facility: