Medically vulnerable individuals in federal criminal custody at Elkton filed a putative class action seeking release, transfer, and other relief due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The district court had found the individuals were likely to succeed on the merits of their Eighth Amendment deliberate indifference claims and entered a preliminary injunction ordering respondents to identify vulnerable class members and evaluate them for transfer or release. Here, the respondents appealed and sought a stay pending appeal, which the Sixth Circuit denied. However, the Sixth Circuit subsequently vacated the preliminary injunction on the merits, finding that the prison's mitigating efforts rendered the individuals unlikely to succeed on the merits of their Eighth Amendment claims.
Wilson v. Williams, No. 20-3447 (6th Cir. May 4, 2020)
DETAILS
Decision
Date
5/4/2020
Practice Area
Criminal (Federal Charges)
Relief Requested
Preliminary Injunction (PI), Release, Transfer
Type of Court
Federal Appellate Court
Location
Ohio
Type of Case
Class Action
Case Characteristics
Elderly, Pre-Existing Health Conditions
Compassionate Release Case
Yes
Case Tracking Number
4:20-cv-00794-JG
MORE CASE INFORMATION
Court Name
6th Cir.
Decision
Motion Denied
Place of Incarceration
Federal Prison
Name of Facility
FCI Elkton and its low-security satellite prison FSL Elkton
"A subclass of inmates who—through age and/or certain medical conditions—were particularly vulnerable to complications, including death, if they contracted COVID-19"
COVID-19 Positive or Symptomatic
Not discussed
COVID-19 in Jail Prison or Detention Center
Yes
Litigation Database
Crowdsourced legal documents from around the country related to COVID-19 and incarceration, organized, collected, and summarized for public defenders, litigators, and other advocates. Created and managed by Bronx Defenders, Columbia Law School’s Center for Institutional and Social Change, UCLA Law COVID-19 Behind Bars Data Project, and Zealous. Mostly federal court opinions, but now expanding to states and legal filings, declarations, and exhibits.
This resource is designed to help lawyers, advocates, researchers, journalists, and others interested in challenging, remedying, or drawing attention to the grave risk that Covid-19 poses to individuals who are detained.