Government
Dec. 31, 2010
Jail Lawsuit Active After 35 Years
Men's Central Jail, run by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, still has some of the same conditions that led to a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union 35 years ago.
Daily Journal Staff Writer
LOS ANGELES - In December of 1975, idealistic young lawyer Terry Smerling of the Greater Watts Justice Center filed a groundbreaking class action against Sheriff Peter Pitchess, contending conditions were so deplorable for jail inmates as to constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
The allegations: Inmates in Men's Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles were crammed into dimly lit, windowless dorm...
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