For nearly a decade, the Boston Police Department sent female detainees to the Suffolk County Jail where they were strip searched as part of the admissions procedure. Male detainees were held in police station lockups, where they were not routinely strip searched. We won a judgment that the policy was unconstitutional. Suffolk County agreed to settle, then claimed it could not pay. We obtained a court order holding the county in contempt of court, and Suffolk County paid its share of the settlement plus interest and fines. Suffolk County changed its policy, and the City of Boston built a lockup for female detainees. Police training regarding strip searches was increased throughout the state. Mack v. Suffolk County, 191 F.R.D. 16 (D. Mass. 2000)
Description
Firm Name
State
Docket Number / Citation
Court
Claim(s) / Cause(s) of Action
Year Filed
Year Resolved
Stage of litigation that case resolved
Total Dollar Amount
10,000,000
Number of Plaintiffs
5400
Class Action
No
PLRA Applied
No
Plaintiff Sought Injunctive Relief
No
Wrongful Conviction
No
Excessive Force
No
Fatal Excessive Force
No