Appeals court revives lawsuit over dirty TN inmate

Lawyer Blogs

A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit that claims that an inmate at a privately run jail was denied mental health treatment and did not shower or leave his segregated cell for nine months.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals said last week that the lawsuit against Corrections Corporation of American should not have been dismissed by a lower court in 2009. The divided court opinion said there was a genuine question about how much physical injury inmate Frank Horton suffered while incarcerated.

CCA spokesman Steve Owen said company lawyers are assessing the opinion and still deciding what the next step will be.

Mary Braswell filed a federal lawsuit in 2008 against CCA accusing the private prison operator of treating her grandson inhumanely at the Nashville jail and violating his constitutional rights.

She claimed that Horton was mentally ill and deteriorated severely while he locked up for a non-violent probation violation from December 2005 to April 2008.

Court records say that Horton has a history of mental illness, and he was segregated from the general population in the jail because of behavioral problems. CCA guards had to use force at times to get Horton to take a shower and to keep him from fighting with other inmates, the records say.

Related listings

  • Utah Supreme Court re-hears polygamy trust cases

    Utah Supreme Court re-hears polygamy trust cases

    Lawyer Blogs 04/13/2011

    The Utah Supreme Court on Tuesday wrestled with the issue of who has the final say over state law as part of a long-running battle for control of a communal land trust tied to Warren Jeffs' polygamous church.The question comes on the heels of a Febru...

  • Judge renews visits for former Aryan Nation lawyer

    Judge renews visits for former Aryan Nation lawyer

    Lawyer Blogs 04/13/2011

    A federal judge has amended an order granting visitation rights between a former Aryan Nations lawyer and the wife he's accused of trying to have killed.U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill approved the highly monitored visits between 65-year-old Edga...

  • NY man amends Facebook ownership lawsuit

    NY man amends Facebook ownership lawsuit

    Lawyer Blogs 04/12/2011

    New York man who claims ownership in Facebook is now seeking 50 percent of the site's value from founder Mark Zuckerberg.Paul Ceglia of Allegany County originally sought 84 percent in a federal court complaint against Zuckerberg last year. He cited a...

New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC

Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.

Business News

New York & New Jersey Family Law Matters We represent our clients in all types of proceedings that include termination of parental rights. >> read