Mudd v. Busse

68 F.R.D. 522, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16610
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Indiana
DecidedAugust 12, 1975
DocketCiv. No. F 75-12
StatusPublished
Cited by42 cases

This text of 68 F.R.D. 522 (Mudd v. Busse) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Indiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mudd v. Busse, 68 F.R.D. 522, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16610 (N.D. Ind. 1975).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OF DECISION AND ORDER

ESCHBACH, Chief Judge.

This cause is now before the court on the following motions:

1. Plaintiffs’ motion for determination of plaintiff and defendant classes filed February 20, 1975.

2. Defendants Campbell and Allen’s motion to dismiss the complaint filed March 18, 1975.

3. Defendant Busse’s motion to dismiss and to strike filed March 19, 1975.

By order of this court, entered May 7, 1975, discovery was limited to the class action issues, pending judicial determination of the propriety of the maintenance of this cause on a class action basis. By that same order, the court set this cause for hearing on the pending motions. The parties were invited and directed to present evidence and oral argument on the class action issues, and oral argument on the motions to dismiss and to strike. That hearing was held at 9:30 a. m., on June 10, 1975, in the United States District Court at Fort Wayne, Indiana. At that hearing, counsel for all parties were in attendance and were given full opportunity to present evidence and oral argument pursuant to the May 7,1975 order.

For reasons set forth below, the plaintiffs’ motion for determination of defendant and plaintiff classes will be granted in part and denied in part. This cause will not be certified to proceed on a class action basis as to the defendant class. This cause will be conditionally certified to proceed on a class action basis in regard to a plaintiff class as redefined herein. In light of the court’s ruling on the class action issue, it will not be necessary to pass on the motion to dismiss of the defendant Allen. The motion to dismiss the defendant Campbell will be granted. The motion of the defendant Busse to dismiss and to strike will be granted in part and denied in part.

The named plaintiffs in this cause are pre-trial detainees. They are incarcerated prior to trial pursuant to order setting bail in their cases of the defendant Busse, Judge of the Circuit Court of Allen County, Indiana. Plaintiffs seek to maintain this cause as a class action on behalf of a class of plaintiffs defined as “all persons in Indiana who have been, who are, or who will be charged with a criminal offense and incarcerated prior to their conviction solely on the basis of their inability to pledge resources or pay [525]*525bond sufficient to secure their release.” Plaintiffs further seek to maintain this action as a class action against a defendant class, represented by the named defendant Busse, defined as “all judicial officers in the State of Indiana who have, who are or who will deny release to individuals charged with a criminal offense prior to conviction solely on the basis of their inability to post bond.” Also joined as named defendants are the defendant Campbell, in his capacity as the Executive Secretary of the Judicial Conference of Indiana, and the defendant Allen, in his capacity as the Insurance Commissioner of Indiana.

The complaint alleges that in Allen County, Indiana, a person charged with commission of a criminal offense may be released on his own recognizance, prior to trial, after being processed by the Bail Services program of the Allen Superior Court. It is alleged that pursuant to the Bail Services program, all individuals charged with misdemeanor and preliminary felony offenses (with a few exceptions such as murder) are interviewed by the Bail Services staff shortly after arrest. Bail Services then arrives at a recommendation to the Superior Court Judge involved concerning release of the accused on his own recognizance. The Bail Services staff develops their recommendations after investigation and inquiry into such factors, concerning the individual person, as (1) permanency in the area, (2) family ties, (3) employment, (4) characters, (5) prior criminal record, and (6) previous performance while released on bail. Once released on his own recognizance, pursuant to the recommendation of the Bail Services staff, the accused is required to report to Bail Services at least once per week, and further inquiry into his personal circumstances is made.

The complaint in this case alleges, however, that if criminal charges are filed in Allen Circuit Court, a court with some overlapping jurisdiction with the Superior Court, the accused is not given opportunity to participate in the Bail Services program. It is alleged that the defendant Busse does not participate in the Bail Services “own recognizance” program. The named plaintiffs in this cause are persons accused of crimes and incarcerated prior to trial pursuant to order of Judge Busse setting bail. It is further alleged as to both plaintiffs that when they appeared in circuit court and requested a reduction in the amount of bail set in their respective eases, they were informed that if bail was reduced and it was met, then a public defender would not be appointed for them. Accordingly, it is alleged, both named plaintiffs have been financially unable to pledge resources sufficient to meet the bail as set and have consequently been incarcerated in the Allen County Jail prior to their respective trial dates.

The complaint asserts causes of action arising under 42 U.S.C.A. § 1983, and directly under the Fourth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. In particular, the complaint alleges violations of the constitutional guarantees of due process of law and equal protection of the laws of all pre-trial detainees in the State of Indiana who are incarcerated prior to trial solely because of an inability to meet the amount of bail set in their individual cases.

In their briefs submitted on the pending motions, and in oral argument to the court, plaintiffs have made it clear that they are not challenging the constitutionality of the state laws providing for the setting of bail, Ind.Code § 35-1-18-1, the methods by which it may be posted, Ind.Code § 35-4-5-33, and the setting of bail schedules by judicial officers on the first day of each term of court, Ind.Code § 35-1-17-5. Plaintiffs acknowledge that judicial action setting bail in a manner consistent with constitutional guarantees is possible within the governing state law framework. Additionally, it was made clear at oral argument, plaintiffs are not launching [526]*526an attack on the practices involved which is premised on the contention that it would never be constitutionally permissible to hold a pre-trial detainee in lieu of his meeting bail set in an amount which he is financially unable to meet. Plaintiffs recognize an important state interest which is served by the system of pre-trial detention and bail — ensuring that persons accused of crimes appear for trial. See, Stack v. Boyle, 342 U.S. 1, 72 S.Ct. 1, 96 L.Ed. 3 (1951).

Instead, the legal basis of the complaint rests on the fact that there is involved in pre-rrial detention a rather obvious deprivation of a fundamental right —that personal liberty guaranteed to all persons by the Fourteenth Amendment. Accordingly, plaintiffs contend the state must, in pursuing the legitimate state objective, use means which under the circumstances of the individual case are the least restrictive possible in terms of deprivation of that liberty. This is said to require release of an accused person on his own recognizance prior to trial where, under the specific circumstances of the individual case, there exists little risk of nonappearance at trial.

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Bluebook (online)
68 F.R.D. 522, 1975 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16610, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mudd-v-busse-innd-1975.