Fisher v. Koehler’s Empirical Analysis
1988
Citation profile
6 federal appellate · 2 district · 1 state decisions
Relationships
Applies 42 U.S.C. § 1983 (Civil Rights Act of 1871 / Section 1983 (Ku Klux Klan Act))
Relies on Estelle v. Gamble · United States v. W. T. Grant Co. · Whitley v. Albers · Rhodes v. Chapman · Hutto v. Finney
Most-quoted passages
The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 15 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.
“[systematic deficiencies in the operation of CIFM, most significantly, overcrowding, overreliance on open dormitory housing, lack of adequate classification, inadequate staffing and supervision, and inadequate systems for controlling, investigating and disciplining misuse of force, have led to a world where inmates suffer physical abuse, both by other inmates and by staff, in a chillingly routine and random fashion.”
2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority“[tjhere is no dispute that lack of classification at CIFM has been a significant cause of violence there. Classification reduces violence because violent inmates are less likely to commit violent acts against others like themselves, and because, once violent inmates are identified and grouped, it is possible to take appropriate control measures such as putting them in single cells and making changes in staffing and programming.”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority“There are long delays at every stage, including service of the complaint. In many instances, after cases are filed no action is taken until the officer agrees to plead guilty with a light penalty or voluntarily resigns. There are ... sometimes complete failures to act on investigative findings that force was misused. Sometimes departmental charges are never initiated because the officer is given a command discipline....”
1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
How this case has been treated — in progress
Whether each later court followed, distinguished, criticized, or overruled this decision. The treatment classification (task #35) runs highest-cited cases first and lights up here as it reaches this one.