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| Panel approves class action in two strip-search lawsuits |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 04/19/2004 |
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A three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court of Appeals affirmed last Friday earlier court decisions to certify class actions in lawsuits over strip searches at the York and Knox County (Maine) jails. Two U.S. District Court judges last year approved class-action status for the suits, but those rulings were appealed to the First Circuit appeals court in Boston, Mass. The panel´s decision paves the way for thousands people who have been strip-searched in the jails since 1996 to participate in the lawsuit. Attorneys in the York County case say more than 5,000 people are eligible to join that lawsuit. More than 2,000 people are eligible in the other case. In the York County case, jail officials have said they make all prisoners, even those facing a misdemeanor charge, disrobe to uncover hidden weapons or other contraband to ensure the safety of inmates and jail staff. But the plaintiff´s attorneys maintain that such searches are clearly illegal. |
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