Victory for Civil Rights Clinic!

Last week, U.S.District Court Judge Garland Burrell asked the UC Davis School of Law Civil Rights Clinic to assist an inmate in a case involving deprivation of outdoor exercise at the California State Prison-Sacramento.

The inmate had been representing himself for the first three days of a jury trial. The judge apparently became concerned when at least one officer gave testimony that was in conflict with the uncontested facts in the defendants' pretrial statement. With short notice, two law students and Carter White, director of the Civil Rights Clinic, met with the client, conducted an investigation, and prepared witness questions. Law student Erin Haney conducted the examination of the former warden, and law student Nagmeh Shariatmadar questioned several other correctional officials. White also questioned one inmate and also gave the rebuttal closing argument.

The jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff on all liability questions, awarding nominal damages and $39,000 in punitive damages. Judge Burrell told the jury they had given life to the phrase "equal justice under law."