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Allegedly Beaten Federal Prisoner Settles For $75; Pays § 1983 Filing Fee
Brian Lane, a Bureau of Prisons prisoner, brought a pro se 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action in 1998 after allegedly being beaten by USP Terre Haute guard Fred Thomas, Jr. The suit settled for $75 in 2000.
Lane and his cell mate engaged in a fight in their cell. Thomas allegedly cuffed Lane and placed him face down on his bunk and, although Lane claims that he followed Thomas's orders explicitly, Thomas began punching him in the face while restrained. The beating resulted in various lacerations and scratches on his neck, back and thigh. Lane claimed that there was no reason to use such force. He brought the action after an administrative tort claim for civil rights violations was denied. He requested a declaratory judgment, compensatory damages of $20,000 and punitive damages of $20,000.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana authorized the settlement but ordered him to pay the § 1983 filing fee. See: Lane v. Thomas, USDC, S.D. Ind., Case No. TH98 246 C T/F (June 30, 2000).
Lane and his cell mate engaged in a fight in their cell. Thomas allegedly cuffed Lane and placed him face down on his bunk and, although Lane claims that he followed Thomas's orders explicitly, Thomas began punching him in the face while restrained. The beating resulted in various lacerations and scratches on his neck, back and thigh. Lane claimed that there was no reason to use such force. He brought the action after an administrative tort claim for civil rights violations was denied. He requested a declaratory judgment, compensatory damages of $20,000 and punitive damages of $20,000.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana authorized the settlement but ordered him to pay the § 1983 filing fee. See: Lane v. Thomas, USDC, S.D. Ind., Case No. TH98 246 C T/F (June 30, 2000).
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Related legal case
Lane v. Thomas
| Year | 2000 |
|---|---|
| Cite | USDC, S.D. Ind., Case No. TH98 246 C T/F (June 30, 2000) |
| Level | District Court |
| Conclusion | Settlement |
| Damages | $75.00 |
No other information is currently available.