Current:Home > BackTransgender prison inmate assaulted by cellmate in Arizona gets $10K judgment in civil rights suit-LoTradeCoin
Transgender prison inmate assaulted by cellmate in Arizona gets $10K judgment in civil rights suit
View Date:2025-01-11 10:30:29
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A transgender woman who was assaulted by a male inmate while housed in a men’s unit at an Arizona penitentiary has won a $10,000 judgment in a federal civil rights lawsuit.
Grace Pinson, 38, was listed as Jeremy Pinson in court documents and represented herself in a four-day bench trial in a Tucson federal court.
She was seeking nearly $300,000 in damages.
U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez closed the case on June 20 and awarded Pinson $10,000 “for her physical injuries, her pain and suffering and her emotional distress arising from her physical injuries.”
In court documents, Pinson said her cellmate attempted to rape her in July 2019 and then allegedly beat her with closed fists for several minutes.
Pinson was taken to a hospital for treatment of nasal bone fractures.
Marquez found that the prison staff didn’t know beforehand that Pinson’s cellmate was threatening her.
But the judge said the Tucson penitentiary was negligent in failing to ensure that Pinson’s cell had a functioning duress alarm to notify staff of emergencies.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons said in a statement Wednesday that the agency “does not comment on matters of litigation” for privacy, safety and security reasons.
“The FBOP takes seriously our duty to protect the individuals entrusted in our custody, as well as maintain the safety of correctional employees and the community,” the statement added. “We make every effort to ensure the physical safety and health of the individuals confined to our facilities through a controlled environment that is secure and humane.”
Pinson was accused of writing threatening letters to politicians and a federal judge in Oklahoma and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2007.
On her online blog, Pinson said she was transferred from a Minnesota prison to the high-security U.S. Penitentiary in Tucson after filing a lawsuit seeking “gender-affirming surgery.”
veryGood! (476)
Related
- Massive dust storm reduces visibility, causes vehicle pileup on central California highway
- WADA says 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive before Tokyo Olympics but it accepted contamination finding
- Who will win the Stanley Cup? Predictions for NHL playoffs bracket
- 'CSI: Vegas' revival canceled by CBS after three seasons. Which other shows are ending?
- Mike Tomlin's widely questioned QB switch to Russell Wilson has quieted Steelers' critics
- Sen. Bob Menendez's trial delayed. Here's when it will begin.
- Key players: Who’s who at Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial
- A rabbi serving 30 years to life in his wife’s contract killing has died, prison officials say
- Steelers shoot for the moon ball, but will offense hold up or wilt in brutal final stretch?
- Taylor Swift’s New PDA Video With Travis Kelce Puts Their Alchemy on Display
Ranking
- NFL overreactions: New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys going nowhere after Week 10
- Recently arrested Morgan Wallen says he’s “not proud” of behavior
- Theater Review: ‘Stereophonic’ is a brilliant ‘Behind the Music’ play on Broadway
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Higher Forces
- Amazon Black Friday 2024 sales event will start Nov. 21: See some of the deals
- South Africa man convicted in deaths of 2 Alaska Native women faces revocation of U.S. citizenship
- Lawsuits under New York’s new voting rights law reveal racial disenfranchisement even in blue states
- Kansas has a new anti-DEI law, but the governor has vetoed bills on abortion and even police dogs
Recommendation
-
A wayward sea turtle wound up in the Netherlands. A rescue brought it thousands of miles back home
-
Can you use hyaluronic acid with retinol? A dermatologist breaks it down.
-
Morning sickness? Prenatal check-ups? What to know about new rights for pregnant workers
-
Trump Media tells Nasdaq short sellers may be using potential market manipulation in DJT shares
-
Timothée Chalamet Details How He Transformed Into Bob Dylan for Movie
-
NHL games today: Everything to know about Sunday playoff schedule
-
Psst! Coach Outlet Has So Many Cute Bags on Sale Right Now, and They’re All Under $100
-
'The Jinx' Part 2: Release date, time, where to watch new episodes of Robert Durst docuseries