Today, the 3rd Circuit concluded that a claim of sexual abuse falls within the ambit of protections afforded to inmates under the 8th Amendment. The claim was that a guard had sexually abused an inmate during a pat down. The lower court dismissed the claim. The 3rd Circuit wrote: "Whether sexual abuse can constitute "cruel and unusual punishment" under the Eighth Amendment is a matter of first impression in our Court. We write today to state in plainest terms that it does. Our society requires prisoners to give up their liberty, but that surrender does not encompass the basic right to be free from severe unwanted sexual contact." http://www2.ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/162939p.pdf [cid:image009.png@01D3AEF0.7E565ED0] Charles W Thompson, Jr Executive Director / General Counsel at International Municipal Lawyers Association, Inc. A 51 Monroe St., Suite 404, Rockville, MD, 20850 [cid:image011.jpg@01D3AEF0.7E565ED0]<http://www.facebook.com/IMLA-259977855541/> [cid:image013.jpg@01D3AEF0.7E565ED0] <http://www.linkedin.com/company/international-municipal-lawyers-association-inc./> [cid:image014.jpg@01D3AEF0.7E565ED0] <http://twitter.com/imlalegal> [cid:image015.jpg@01D3AEF0.7E565ED0] <http://soundcloud.com/internationalmunicipallawyersassociation> P (202) 466-5424 ext. 7110 M (240)-876-6790 D (202) 742-1016 W www.imla.org<http://www.imla.org/> Plan Ahead! IMLA's 83rd Annual Conference<http://imla.org/events/conferences>, October 17-21 in Houston, TX!