A.J. v. Kierst
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
56 F.3d 849 (1995)
- Written by Deanna Curl, JD
Facts
A.J., a 16-year-old juvenile, and a group of juvenile detainees (class detainees) (plaintiffs) filed a class-action lawsuit challenging the conditions, policies, and practices of the Jackson County Juvenile Justice Center (JCJJC). Class detainees alleged that the JCJJC’s overcrowded conditions and use of floor mattresses for detainees violated their due-process rights. Throughout litigation, counsel for class detainees repeatedly sought access to detainees so that they could be interviewed about the conditions of the JCJJC. Citing a need for strict confidentiality in juvenile proceedings, the district court denied class counsels’ request for an order granting access to class detainees, and subsequently ordered that class counsel must exhaust alternative information resources and establish a compelling need before the court would grant access to class detainees. The district court ultimately granted summary judgment against class detainees on the claims of overcrowding and the use of floor mattresses. Class detainees subsequently appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Heaney, J.)
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