Hammond v. Gordon County.

• Position: Female inmates alleges male officers of violating their Eighth Amendment rights

U.S. District Court

PROTECTION

SAFETY

Hammond v. Gordon County, 316 F.Supp.2d 1262 (N.D.Ga. 2002). Female former county jail inmates sued county officials and officers, claiming they were subjected to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment. The district court granted summary judgment, in part, for the defendants. The court held that a claim was stated by allegations that a male officer required female inmates to strip and engage in lewd behavior in return for female hygiene items and toiletries, and that the officer was not entitled to qualified immunity. The court denied summary judgment to higher jail officials in connection with a claim that they violated the Eighth Amendment by showing deliberate indifference to officer-inflicted harm of inmates. The court also denied summary judgment and qualified immunity for a deputy jailer who was claimed to have intentionally inflicted emotional harm and assault and battery on female inmates. The court granted qualified immunity to an officer on a claim that he violated the rights of a female inmate by opening the door of her cell and allowing a male inmate to enter, finding that there were no precedents establishing that the conduct was illegal and the opening of the...