Williams v. Kaufman County.

• Position: Violation of prisoners rights - Brief Article

U.S. Appeals Court

STRIP SEARCH

UNLAWFUL DETENTION

Williams v. Kaufman County, 352 F.3d 994 (5th Cir. 2003). Detainees brought a [section] 1983 action against a sheriff and county, alleging violation of their civil rights during the execution of a search warrant at a night club. The district court entered judgment against the defendants and they appealed. The appeals court held that the strip searches of the detainees were unlawful, absent individualized suspicion or probable cause, and that the law on this matter was clearly established at the time of the searches. The court found that the prolonged detention of the detainees was unlawful, but that the law was not clearly established at the time of the detention and the district court had properly granted qualified immunity to the defendants on the unlawful detention claims. The court held that the detainees established the county's municipal liability for their strip search and detention, and that the district court did not err in imposing nominal...