WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court refused Monday to shield Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca from being sued for racial gang violence in the jails he supervises.
The justices, without comment, turned down an appeal from the county’s lawyers, who argued Baca cannot be held personally liable for the stabbing of an inmate because he had no personal involvement in the incident.
The court let stand a decision of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that Baca can be sued for “deliberate indifference” to inmates’ rights because he was on notice of jailhouse violence and failed to take action to stop it.
Dion Starr says he was stabbed 23 times by Latino gang members at the Central Men’s Jail in 2006. He says he was kicked in the face by a guard who refused to come to his aid. In his suit, Starr named Baca as well as the guards and deputies at the scene.
“Unless the supervisor is held accountable, nothing will change. This horrendous misconduct will continue,” Sonia Mercado, a lawyer for Starr, said.
Also Monday, the Supreme Court ordered a lower court to look at former Illinois Gov. George Ryan’s bid to overturn his corruption convictions, a decision that cracks open the possibility that the imprisoned Republican, 78, could win a new trial.
The court took issue with how a lower court decided to reject his appeal.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
