$4.1 million settlement reached for pregnant inmates who said they were shackled 
Published: May 24, 2012
Tags: civil rights, Illinois, inmate, pregnancy
Cook County, Ill. officials have agreed to to pay more than $4 million to settle a lawsuit brought by pregnant women who said they were shackled at their hands and feet while they gave birth at the county jail.
ADA doesn’t protect medical marijuana users
Published: May 23, 2012
Tags: ADA, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, civil rights, disability discrimination, medical marijuana
Federal disability discrimination law does not protect medical marijuana users who claimed their civil rights were violated by local municipalities that interfered with the lawful distribution of the drug, the 9th Circuit has ruled in affirming judgment.
Illinois ban on recording police unenforceable
Published: May 10, 2012
Tags: civil rights, First Amendment
Illinois prosecutors cannot enforce a state ban on individuals making nonconsensual audio recordings of police officers performing their duties because the statute probably violates the First Amendment, the 7th Circuit has ruled in reversing a dismissal.
Police officers’ use of baton launcher excessive
Published: May 1, 2012
Tags: civil rights, Excessive Force, §1983
Police used excessive force when they fired a baton launcher four times in order to arrest a nonviolent drunk driver who was mistakenly suspected of being a car thief, the 7th Circuit has ruled in reversing a defense verdict.
Police may be sued for releasing mentally ill detainee
Published: May 1, 2012
Tags: civil rights, qualified immunity, §1983
Police officers who arrested a woman who exhibited symptoms of a mental health disorder in a safe location but released her into a dangerous neighborhood may be sued under §1983, the 7th Circuit has ruled.
Mayor’s employee can sue under First Amendment
Published: April 26, 2012
Tags: civil rights, First Amendment, public concern
A mayor who prohibited one of his employees from talking to a former employee about a lawsuit she might file against the city can be sued under the First Amendment, the 6th Circuit has ruled in affirming a denial of qualified immunity.
Civil rights suit barred by nondisclosure in bankruptcy
Published: April 24, 2012
Tags: Chapter 7, civil rights, Fourth Amendment, search and seizure
A homeowner could not sue police for conducting illegal searches of his properties because he failed to disclose the lawsuit in his Chapter 7 bankruptcy case, the 1st Circuit has ruled in affirming a dismissal.
Medical examiners must accommodate nursing mother
Published: April 17, 2012
Tags: civil rights, equal rights, National Board of Medical Examiners, nursing, reasonable accommodation
Medical examiners were required to provide a nursing mother with additional break time when she took her medical licensing test, Massachusetts’ highest court has ruled in affirming judgment.
Shopper can’t sue Target for race discrimination
Published: April 12, 2012
Tags: civil rights, intentional infliction of emotional distress, race discrimination, Section 1981
A shopper could not sue Target for violating his civil rights by allegedly denying him service because he’s Hispanic, the 11th Circuit has ruled in affirming a dismissal.
School officials aren’t liable for failing to stop bullying
Published: April 6, 2012
Tags: bullying, civil rights, §1983
School officials didn’t violate a middle school student’s civil rights by allegedly failing to protect her from bullying by her classmates, a U.S. District Court in Oklahoma has ruled in granting summary judgment.
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