Hamilton v. Love

358 F. Supp. 338, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13878
CourtDistrict Court, E.D. Arkansas
DecidedApril 25, 1973
DocketLR-70-C-201
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 358 F. Supp. 338 (Hamilton v. Love) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, E.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hamilton v. Love, 358 F. Supp. 338, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13878 (E.D. Ark. 1973).

Opinion

EISELE, District Judge.

The complaint in this action was filed on September 30, 1970, and the Court has maintained jurisdiction over the matter from that date forward. Plaintiffs sought a declaratory judgment and preliminary and permanent relief on the grounds that the conditions of their incarceration in the Pulaski County Jail constituted violations of their rights to equal protection of the law, procedural and substantive due process and amounted to cruel and unusual punishment. The specific allegations were numerous and have been a source of concern during the» entire pendency of this suit.

At a February 24, 1971 hearing the parties submitted a stipulation to the Court wherein defendants admitted that the general conditions existent at the jail did not meet minimum federal constitutional requirements. The stipulation went further in detailing actions to be taken by defendants to bring the physical facility and its operation up to minimum constitutional standards. At that time it was contemplated that a new jail facility, which was then in the initial planning stage, would be complet *340 ed by December of 1973. Plans have gone forward but there have been delays. It now appears that occupancy of that facility will, at the earliest, take place in July of 1974.

The Court entered an “interim order” on February 24, 1971, directing defendants to implement the agreement evidenced by the stipulation of the same date. Following “status reports” from both parties, two additional hearings and an on-site inspection, the Court filed a comprehensive memorandum opinion on June 2, 197 1 ^ An Interim Decree directing specific action by defendants followed. the opinion on June 22, 1971. The last two paragraphs of that decree read:

“Defendants will advise the Court, on or before July 30, 1971, of the progress they have made in implementing the Stipulation, heretofore filed in this action by said defendants, especially noting the progress made in those areas covered by said Stipulation but not specifically referred to in this decree.
“All issues in this proceeding not disposed of by this interim decree are reserved. The Court will retain jurisdiction until the operation of the Pulaski County Jail meets the requirements of the Constitution of the United States. The Court expects and assumes that the operation of this facility will be in full compliance on or before September 1,1971.”

On February 14, 1972, plaintiffs filed a “Motion for Show Cause Order” asking fhe Court to order defendants to show cause why they should not be held in contempt for having “flagrantly defied the orders of this court [in continuing] ... to operate the Pulaski County Jail in an unconstitutional manner.” A civil contempt hearing was held on August 31, 1972; the Court’s Memorandum and Order followed on October 3, 1972. The text of that Memorandum and Order is quoted in full below:

“On February 14, 1972, plaintiffs filed a motion ‘to show cause why (defendants) should not be held in contempt’ for failure to comply with the orders of this Court. Informal conferences were held July 26, 1972, and September 13, 1972, and a formal hearing on the motion was held August 31,1972.
“Although various violations of the Court’s prior orders were proved by plaintiffs, the Court, not without serious misgivings, will not at this time adjudge any of defendants to be in contempt. The Court set out in its June 2, 1971 Memorandum Opinion the minimum constitutional standards under which the Pulaski County Jail could continue to detain persons accused, but not convicted, of crimes. Although the defendants could not be ordered to maintain such standards, the Court did determine that, if the facility is to be operated at all for such purposes, it must meet those minimum standards.
“To remind defendants of the gravity of the issues the Court refers them to its June 2,1971 opinion:
‘With only insignificant exceptions, the Pulaski County jail is an institution used for the purpose of detaining persons who are awaiting trial. The inmates are either being detained because they cannot afford the fee for the bail bond set for them — the usual case — or because they have been accused of a capital or “non-bondable” offense. In all cases, such detainees are presumed innocent, in the eyes of the law, of the crime which they have been charged. Their actual guilt or innocence remains for future determination .
‘. . . It is clear that the conditions for pre-trial detention must not only be equal to, but superior to, those permitted for prisoners *341 serving sentences for the crimes they have committed against society.
‘The only legitimate state purpose served by holding in jail those who are unable to make bond is to make certain that those detained are present when their cases are finally called for trial.’
“At the informal conference held on September 13, 1972, counsel for the defendants, John Forster, indicated that certain actions would be taken immediately by defendants to bring the facility into compliance in those areas where problems still exist. The Court’s decision not to hold defendants in contempt is primarily a result of those representations, which the Court takes to have been made in good faith. Mr. Forster is directed to report within two months on the progress made in those areas discussed at that conference.
“Attorneys for plaintiffs have, since the first hearings in this lengthy proceeding, earnestly requested that the Court make an award of a reasonable attorney’s fee in favor of plaintiffs and the class they represent. No action upon that request was taken because of what the Court viewed as an extremely affirmative good faith attitude on the part of defendants during the initial phases of the case. Since that time, however, it appears that defendants have become lax in the discharge of their duty to operate the county jail in accordance with minimum constitutional requirements, and, indeed, possibly indifferent to the manifold serious problems at hand. As a result, the attorneys for plain- , tiffs have been subjected to a barrage of complaints emanating from the jail and have spent much additional time investigating such matters and presenting them to this Court. The Court is therefore now awarding the sum of $1,000.00 as a partial attorney’s fee for plaintiffs. This is far below what could fairly be called a ‘reasonable fee’ for the services rendered. The Court is reserving its decision on an award of a more realistic fee pending future developments.-
“The Court wishes to make it clear that it will be less hesitant in the future to adjudge defendants to be in contempt, particularly where the indi-»/ vidual responsibility of a designated defendant is made apparent from the evidence. The role of each of the defendants has been more clearly defined as a result of the recent meetings and hearing. The Court will require strict compliance with existing and future orders.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
358 F. Supp. 338, 1973 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13878, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hamilton-v-love-ared-1973.