University of Michigan Law School
Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse
HOME
ABOUT
FOR TEACHERS
SEARCH
QUESTIONS
RECENT ADDITIONS
feedback/
suggestions
log in/
register
Case Profile
new search
page permalink
Case Name
Pyles v. Kamka
PC-MD-0011
Docket / Court
79-1864 ( D. Md. )
State/Territory
Maryland
Case Type(s)
Disability Rights-Pub. Accom.
Prison Conditions
Case Summary
On October 4, 1979, deaf Maryland prisoners filed a civil rights class action suit, under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against officials of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Plaintiffs, who were represented by the ...
read more >
On October 4, 1979, deaf Maryland prisoners filed a civil rights class action suit, under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland against officials of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Plaintiffs, who were represented by the National Association of the Deaf Legal Defense Fund, sought declaratory and injunctive relief, alleging that the defendants failed to provide sign language interpreters to prisoners.
On February 27, 1980, the District Court (Judge Frank A. Kaufman) approved a consent decree under which defendants agreed to provide sign language interpreters to deaf prisoners under a variety of circumstances. The decree established certain hiring criteria for establishing that the sign language interpreter was qualified. The defendants were also ordered to pay the plaintiffs $3,000 plus fees. Finally, the decree constituted a full settlement of the lawsuit and the plaintiff waived any past, present or future claim related to this action.
Eoghan Keenan - 05/25/2005
Priyah Kaul - 11/25/2014
compress summary
- click to show/hide ALL -
Issues and Causes of Action
click to show/hide detail
Issues
Content of Injunction
Discrimination Prohibition
Follow recruitment, hiring, or promotion protocols
Hire
Other requirements regarding hiring, promotion, retention
Reporting
Defendant-type
Corrections
Jurisdiction-wide
Disability
Hearing impairment
Discrimination-basis
Disability (inc. reasonable accommodations)
General
Disparate Impact
Language access/needs
Plaintiff Type
Private Plaintiff
Type of Facility
Government-run
Causes of Action
42 U.S.C. § 1983
Case Details
click to show/hide detail
Defendant(s)
Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services
Plaintiff Description
Deaf inmates of Maryland prisons
Class action status sought
Yes
Class action status granted
Yes
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
1980 - n/a
Filed
10/04/1979
Case Closing Year
1980
Case Ongoing
No reason to think so
Documents
click to show/hide detail
Court
Docket(s)
No docket sheet currently in the collection
General Documents
D. Md.
02/27/1980
Consent Decree
(491 F.Supp. 204)
PC-MD-0011-0001.pdf
|
WESTLAW
|
LEXIS
|
Detail
Source: Google Scholar
People
click to show/hide detail
show all people docs
Judges
Kaufman, Frank Albert
(D. Md.)
show/hide docs
PC-MD-0011-0001
Plaintiff's Lawyers
Charmatz, Marc P.
(Maryland)
show/hide docs
PC-MD-0011-0001
DuBow, Seymour
(District of Columbia)
show/hide docs
PC-MD-0011-0001
Niman, Kenneth F.
(Maryland)
show/hide docs
PC-MD-0011-0001
Defendant's Lawyers
Caplis, Stephen B.
(Maryland)
show/hide docs
PC-MD-0011-0001
Sachs, Stephen H.
(Maryland)
show/hide docs
PC-MD-0011-0001
- click to show/hide ALL -
new search
page permalink
- top of page -
Contact
Report an Error
Privacy Policy