Judgment in Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit
Grace Pinson, 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. Pinson, 38, represented herself in a four-day bench trial held in Tucson federal court.
Details of the Assault
In court documents, Pinson, who was listed as Jeremy Pinson, detailed that her cellmate attempted to rape her in July 2019 and subsequently beat her with closed fists for several minutes. The assault resulted in Pinson being taken to a hospital for treatment of nasal bone fractures.
Court Ruling
U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez concluded the case on June 20, awarding Pinson $10,000 for her physical injuries, pain and suffering, and emotional distress arising from the assault. Although the judge found that the prison staff did not have prior knowledge of threats from Pinson’s cellmate, she ruled that the Tucson penitentiary was negligent in failing to ensure Pinson’s cell had a functioning duress alarm to notify staff of emergencies.
Pinson’s Legal Efforts and Background
Pinson, who was seeking nearly $300,000 in damages, expressed in court documents that she faced significant trauma due to the assault. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) released a statement on Wednesday, stating that the agency does not comment on matters of litigation for privacy, safety, and security reasons. The FBOP emphasized its commitment to protecting individuals in its custody and ensuring their safety and health within a secure and humane environment.
Previous Convictions and Transfer
Pinson was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison in 2007 after being accused of writing threatening letters to politicians and a federal judge in Oklahoma. She was transferred from a Minnesota prison to the high-security U.S. Penitentiary in Tucson after filing a lawsuit seeking gender-affirming surgery, as mentioned on her online blog.
