{"id":31617,"date":"2019-06-20T12:52:05","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T17:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=31617"},"modified":"2019-06-20T13:29:57","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T18:29:57","slug":"in-oklahoma-lawsuit-options-limited-when-prisoners-claim-constitutional-rights-violations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2019\/06\/20\/in-oklahoma-lawsuit-options-limited-when-prisoners-claim-constitutional-rights-violations\/","title":{"rendered":"In Oklahoma, lawsuit options limited when prisoners claim constitutional rights violations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/639655188&color=%23ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=false\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p><p>When a private citizen\u2019s civil rights are violated by the government, typically, they have the opportunity to sue, but under a recent Oklahoma Supreme Court decision, that might not be the case for inmates in Oklahoma jails and detention centers.<\/p><p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.oscn.net\/applications\/oscn\/deliverdocument.asp?citeid=483369\">Supreme Court ruling\u00a0<\/a>was a huge setback for people arguing jail policies, practices and misconduct led to their own suffering or the deaths of family members.<\/p><p>The justices said a recent amendment to state law eliminates citizens\u2019 ability to sue governments in charge of jails and prisons for violating their constitutional rights.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_31616\"  class=\"wp-caption module image aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-31616 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Bosh-Back-e1561049517225-1920x1506.jpg\" alt=\"X-ray of Daniel Bosh's back post surgery.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Bosh-Back-e1561049517225-1920x1506.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Bosh-Back-e1561049517225-672x527.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Bosh-Back-e1561049517225-768x603.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Bosh-Back-e1561049517225-150x118.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Bosh-Back-e1561049517225-300x235.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Bosh-Back-e1561049517225-620x486.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Bosh-Back-e1561049517225-1377x1080.jpg 1377w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Courtesy Spencer Bryan \/ Bryan & Terrill Law<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">X-ray of Daniel Bosh&#8217;s back post surgery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Daniel Bosh beaten by jailers<\/h3><p>The drama began with an unpaid fine, a brutal jailhouse beating, and a back surgery that spawned eight years of lawsuits against jail authorities.<\/p><p>In 2011, Daniel Bosh <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QvMxQdwSf94\">told Tulsa\u2019s KJRH News\u00a0<\/a>that jailers who attacked him at the Cherokee County Detention Center changed his life.<\/p><p>\u201cI can\u2019t play with my children,\u201d Bosh said. \u201cMy wife has to help me put my shoes on, my pants on.\u201d<\/p><p>Bosh was arrested for an outstanding unpaid fine. After being handcuffed, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tulsaworld.com\/video-evidence-in-beating-gone\/article_41312a4a-8b9c-5f3d-9013-b26853e6e77f.html\">video shows\u00a0<\/a>a jailer grab him from behind, slam his head into a desk and then deliberately fall backward to smash Bosh\u2019s head into the floor.<\/p><p>Several other jailers immediately piled on top of Bosh and carried him out of the camera\u2019s view. He suffered a spinal fracture, but the jail didn\u2019t send him to the hospital for two days.<\/p><p>\u201cI can\u2019t work,\u201d Bosh said. \u201cI can\u2019t go places. When I do it\u2019s only for a short period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Bosh files a pivotal lawsuit<\/h3><p>Shortly after he got out of the hospital, Bosh decided to sue the Cherokee County Governmental Building Authority, the entity responsible for the jail. His lawsuit led to a string of court actions.<\/p><p>Spencer Bryan was one of Bosh\u2019s attorneys. His team of attorneys filed excessive force claims under state and federal law, but their state law claim ran into a brick wall with the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act \u2013 a set of rules for suing Oklahoma governments.<\/p><p>\u201cIt pretty much shuts the door on any type of claims arising out of jail,\u201d Bryan said.<\/p><p>For years courts ruled in favor of governments because of the tort claims act. The act basically says local and state government can\u2019t be sued for an employee\u2019s actions inside their regular scope of work, and jail operations specifically were immune.<\/p><p>It made winning one of these cases all but impossible.<\/p><p>Bryan and his team made a gamble. They changed their case midstream and sued the jail authority for violating Bosh\u2019s state constitutional right against unreasonable seizure. This was a relatively new claim.<\/p><p>Their case was forwarded to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The justices <a href=\"http:\/\/www.oscn.net\/applications\/oscn\/deliverdocument.asp?citeid=468646\">ruled Bosh\u2019s attorneys were right<\/a>, shocking the state\u2019s legal community.<\/p><p>The Supreme Court was considering three questions. \u201cThe first question was, \u2018does this right even exist?\u2019\u201d Bryan said.<\/p><p>Do Oklahomans have a right to sue if they believe their state constitutional rights were violated? The Court decided they do.<\/p><p>The court also said employers could be sued for an employee\u2019s actions.<\/p><p>\u201cJailers who committed constitutional violations would create liability on behalf of the employer,\u201d Bryan explained.<\/p><p>Finally, the court said these claims could be applied to pending cases.<\/p><p>Bryan says the ruling\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/archive.newsok.com\/olive\/apa\/oklahoman\/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=DOK%2F2013%2F02%2F26&id=Ar05601&sk=227AE41F\">scared local governments<\/a>.<\/p><p>City and county leaders thought the decision could lead to a flood of expensive lawsuits. First, they <a href=\"http:\/\/archive.newsok.com\/olive\/apa\/oklahoman\/SharedView.Article.aspx?href=DOK%2F2013%2F03%2F09&id=Ar05803&sk=0F46C4E2\">asked the court to reverse its ruling<\/a>.<\/p><p>\u201cTo the Supreme Court\u2019s credit, they upheld the opinion,\u201d Bryan said.<\/p><p>Frustrated by the court, government leaders called Randy Grau.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_31623\"  class=\"wp-caption module image aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-31623\" src=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Randy-Grau2-1920x1487.jpg\" alt=\"Randy Grau stands in an office at his law firm.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Randy-Grau2-1920x1487.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Randy-Grau2-672x520.jpg 672w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Randy-Grau2-768x595.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Randy-Grau2-150x116.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Randy-Grau2-300x232.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Randy-Grau2-620x480.jpg 620w, https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/files\/2019\/06\/Randy-Grau2-1395x1080.jpg 1395w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-media-credit\">Quinton Chandler \/ StateImpact Oklahoma<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Randy Grau filed legislation that subjected constitutional claims to the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3>Legislators changed the law<\/h3><p>When the Bosh decision came down in 2013, Grau served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives for District 81 \u2013 Edmond and north Oklahoma City.<\/p><p>\u201cWell, you can understand that if you are in local government \u2013 in county government, state government \u2013 it appears that it\u2019s open season,\u201d Grau said. \u201cNot only on those governmental entities, which are the taxpayers \u2026 but also the employees of those various entities.\u201d<\/p><p>Grau says he and then senator David Holt, the current Oklahoma City Mayor, pushed a bill to change state law so even lawsuits claiming constitutional violations would have to go through the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act.<\/p><p>The act already made Oklahoma governments immune from lawsuits stemming from jail operations.<\/p><p>Grau believes the Legislature intended for constitutional rights claims to be covered too.<\/p><p>\u201cThe court did not find that way, because it wasn\u2019t clear, Grau argued. \u201cIt was ambiguous to them. So, the amendment just closed the gap.\u201d<\/p><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.oklegislature.gov\/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb2405&Session=1400\">House Bill 2405 passed overwhelmingly<\/a> and was signed by then Gov. Mary Fallin.<\/p>\n<h3>Consequences for lawsuits<\/h3><p>Spencer Bryan argues the Legislature exceeded its authority. He says lawmakers actually nullified constitutional rights that only Oklahoma voters should have power over. He disagrees with the 2018 Supreme Court decision.<\/p><p>\u201cThe Oklahoma Supreme Court has said, \u2018that is the intent of the Oklahoma Legislature,\u2019 Bryan said. \u201cThat you don\u2019t have any private right of action under the state constitution.\u201d<\/p><p>Now, Bryan worries about the implications for his clients who are still trying to make Oklahoma jails pay for alleged violations. They will likely have to sue under federal law, which Bryan says is exponentially harder because federal law doesn\u2019t hold governments responsible for employee misconduct.<\/p><p>Randy Grau says there has always been a struggle to balance the costs of government liability and citizens\u2019 right to hold governments accountable. He says if the pendulum swings too far in one direction, it\u2019s the Legislature\u2019s job to make a correction.<\/p>\n<h3>What happened to Daniel Bosh?<\/h3><p>Daniel Bosh didn\u2019t survive to see the long-lasting effects of his case. He died after a heart attack in 2014. His family <a href=\"https:\/\/www.readfrontier.org\/stories\/after-years-of-fighting-cherokee-county-officials-settle-jail-beating-suit\/\">settled their lawsuit\u00a0<\/a>with the Cherokee County jail operator.<\/p><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled the Legislature has authority to block lawsuits against governments operating jails and detention centers. The ruling follows legal actions spawned after an Oklahoma man was badly beaten in a county jail.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":31616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"page-noFeature.php","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18],"tags":[1097,1096,1099,1100,1095,142,1101,1098],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31617"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31617"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31617\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31640,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31617\/revisions\/31640"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31617"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31617"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31617"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}