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| Inmate to pay officer $5,000 in civil suit |
| By The Press-Enterprise |
| Published: 09/27/2004 |
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A Riverside civil court judge ordered an inmate at the California Rehabilitation Center to pay $5,000 in damages to a prison officer he allegedly assaulted. The case is a major victory for the California Staff Assault Task Force, an organization aimed at eliminating inmate assaults on officers by suing them in civil court. However, critics of the task force say the practice is unfair because inmates are limited in their ability to defend themselves in small claims court. "What's unfair is that these guys are spitting on my officers, throwing feces at my officers, and stabbing my officers," said Lt. Charles Hughes, task force executive director and correctional officer at California State Prison in Los Angeles. The victory against inmate Renaigius Flores, who is accused of punching Sgt. Daniel Gonzalez in the face, is the second time the task force has helped an officer prevail in court since it was created last year. Nearly 10 correctional officers are assaulted every day throughout the state, but the civil cases are having an impact, Hughes said. They've triggered dozens of pending small claims cases, and 4,700 correctional officers throughout the state have joined the task force, he said. The inmate defendants can hire an attorney, send a representative to court or write a letter in their own defense, but they are dependent on the California Department of Corrections to transport them to court, Hughes said. If the department declines to transport them, the hearing can proceed without the inmate defendants. |
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