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Deb Golden Profile picture
Deb Golden
@DebGoldenDC
Representing people in government custody and the journalists who tell their stories, nosy mentsch DC resident, lover of science, hater of bullshit
May 10, 2021 • 7 tweets • 1 min read
I have bad news to share, twitter friends.

I have breast cancer. Prognosis is good long term. But I've got two separate tumors & multiple spots that are "concerning" so next week I'm having a bilateral mastectomy. A few things I've learned so far--

Medical science is complicated.

The American medical system, even with good insurance, is a nightmare to navigate and I don't understand why anyone thinks it's a good system.
Jan 30, 2021 • 22 tweets • 4 min read
Here's my thread on religious diets and jail and the Q-shaman guy.

1. Understand that judges in criminal courts have no ability to order a jail to really do anything. The jail isn't before the court and the judge has no jurisdiction. Now, practically, DOCs aren't interested in antagonizing their local judges, so if the court brings something to their attention, the DOC might try to fix it. But the criminal case judge can't ORDER them to do anything.
Sep 22, 2020 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
You might know that all parole decisions (grants and revocations) for DC prisoners are made by the US Parole Commission, a part of the federal DOJ. The USPC isn't accountable to the people of DC. Commissioner are appointed by POTUS. And even though it's called the US Parole Commission, the bulk of its work is for DC prisoners.
Sep 22, 2020 • 35 tweets • 5 min read
Tonight, I will tweet my reading of Brown v. Flowers, a case decided by the Tenth Circuit last week, 9/14/20. This is a case about the rape of woman in a jail. It's also about qualified immunity. And I think it has a lesson I've been thinking about in light of RBG's death. Ms. Brittney Brown was held pre-trial in the Pontotoc County jail, in Oklahoma.

Roger Flowers was a guard there.
Sep 18, 2020 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
Hey, have I told you all about the time I was a witness in a criminal trial and the prosecutor, an AUSA in DC, told me that they weren't going to disclose exculpatory testimony? So, the backstory is long, but bottom line, my wife (them gf), her dad, and I saw a fight between a man & woman on the street.

I saw him come up and tackle her with no provocation. My wife saw her pick up a brick and threaten him before the tackle.
Aug 12, 2020 • 22 tweets • 5 min read
I'm going to tweet my way through Henry v. Hulett, a Seventh Cir. en banc opinion issued today about 4th Amendment rights of prisoners. In plain language, it's about a mass strip search of women that the prison did as part of a training exercise. Now, this happened in 2001. There was no emergency. Just training of some new guards. So, you know, something planned. Oh dear, and they called themselves "Orange Crush."
Jul 9, 2020 • 18 tweets • 6 min read
As I promised, here’s a thread about FOIA and how to sue if your request gets denied. This is not intended to be a comprehensive CLE or an introduction to how to use FOIA. There are a lot of other sources of each of those. I just hope that in this particular moment in time, when the government is doing so many horrible things, I can provide a little bit of help to the people who are fighting back and looking into what’s going on.
Jun 25, 2020 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
I'm going to go on a little rant. Some background, first. Many courts make forms for prisoners to file complaints on, to make it easier without a lawyer. This is a good thing.

But, sometimes the courts misstate the law and unintentionally stop ppl from exercising their rights. Here's an example of a form that is for suits other than civil rights or habeas -- basically any of the million other things anyone might file a lawsuit about. Image
Jun 21, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Remember the time an AUSA called to yell at me because I was talking to potential plaintiffs and witnesses in a civil case about women being raped at a DC jail. Wanted me to let them blow PLRA deadlines and statutes of limitations so as not to "step.on" the criminal case. They never brought the criminal case, btw.
Jun 12, 2020 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
I read this article, washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jun/…, but had to look up the case because I had to see for myself. The three pro se plaintiffs, who say they from DC but all list the same address in Nashville, describe themselves like this: Image
Jun 4, 2020 • 12 tweets • 4 min read
Let's take a little walk through a court decision that I read this week. It may give #inhousetwitter hives.
The defendant, Correctional Healthcare, now goes by the Orwellian name "Wellpath." It is one of the largest for-profit providers of medical care to prisoners & jails. Image A quick run down of the facts. When Mr. Moreno was 18, his family brought him to a county service for his mental health crisis. Police were called to help transport him. Rather than help him, they say there was an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor, so they took him to jail.
Jun 4, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Ok, my dmv bike friends, who is this guy? He's assaulting children. @Mayhemnsuz?
Jun 3, 2020 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
A thread on why I'm so concerned about Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officers being sent to do public policing in DC and other cities.

I've spent a career litigating prisoner rights. The contours of Constitutional rights are very different in prison than in the outside. These COs, many of whom do great work in difficult conditions, are trained to react with those contours. Here are some of the ways things are different.
May 6, 2020 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Lawyering in the time of coronavirus:

Hearing coming up. Multiple attorneys in different locations, possible witnesses on deck in even more locations. Court is doing it by Zoom.

I live 45 minutes from attorney who is lead. In order to coordinate communication with whole team, we are proposing that I go to his house, stand outside, text with rest of team, and hold large cue card sized notes up to the window.

Other ideas welcome.
Mar 31, 2020 • 7 tweets • 3 min read
I can't speak for anyone else, but I want the jail cleared of as many people as possible. I don't want people serving misdemeanor sentences becoming a C-19 hotspot. We are supposed to be flattening the curve for everyone. If we have a hotspot, some of those people will need ICU + beds and ventilators. We only have a limited amount in this city. Let's all limit the use of them as much as possible.
Feb 13, 2020 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Great decision refusing to grant QI out of the 10th Circuit!
Chapman v, Santini, drive.google.com/file/d/1KpSWxG…, about a man at the ADX federal supermax with diabetes.

Litigated by U of Denver Civil Rights clinic students. Argued by (then 3L) @OliviaKohrs . Also tagging in amazing clinic profs @nicbrianne @llrovner @jeffdanielles!

Mr. Chapman has severe type I diabetes. He needs 3-6 shots of insulin daily. Image
Feb 7, 2020 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
I just found out that a guy I've known for decades, who was a child when he was sentenced to die in prison, had his IRAA motion granted this morning. He is getting out of prison today!

His family asked me to be there when he walks out.😭 Here's the thing. He's 43 years old and he's got nothing. He doesn't own even a pair of underwear or socks that's not crappy prison issue.

His family is supportive, but it's not insignificant to start a life from scratch in middle age.
Dec 30, 2019 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
My experience this morning:

I was having a minor procedure (everything is fine), and I was chatting with the nurse anesthetist before it started. It was the usual DC "what do you do, "oh, I'm a lawyer," "what kind of law?" I took a deep breath. On one hand, I love being a prisoner rights lawyer, and will talk about it to anyone. OTOH, I was in a gown and about to be put under.

"I do prisoner rights," I said.

"Conditions are so awful," she said. "It's all become a money-making business."