Case: Corbett v. Branker
5:13-ct-03201 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina
Filed Date: July 26, 2010
Clearinghouse coding complete
Case Summary
On July 26, 2010, a North Carolina prisoner filed this § 1983 lawsuit in the Eastern District of North Carolina against officers and administrators at the state-run Central Prison. On February 14, 2012, the Court (Judge Terrence W. Boyle) denied the state's motion for summary judgment. Due to the pro se plaintiff's inability to procure discovery, and the complexity of the issues, the court appointed North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services (NCPLS) to represent the plaintiff. On May 1, 2013, NCPLS filed an amended complaint, adding seven similarly situated North Carolina prisoners. The prisoners asked the court for damages, and injunctive and declaratory relief, claiming that the officers took advantage of a blind spot--one free from video surveillance--in one of the prison's hallways to commit malicious and sadistic assaults on the prisoners.
For years, prisoners housed on Central Prison's Unit One repeatedly reported the abuses through letters and litigation. This lawsuit sought to end the problem, seeking an injunction mandating installation of video surveillance cameras in the blind spot, and policies regarding retention of video footage and procedures for the investigation of officers' use of force. Because of years of discovery disputes and the bifurcated posture of the case, Judge Boyle ordered the original case (No. 5:10-ct-03135) closed on August 26, 2013 and opened a new case Corbett v. Branker, No. 5:13-ct-03201, with a beginning date of May 1, 2013--the date of the filing of the amended complaint in the old case.
On November 19, 2013, Judge Boyle appointed a special master to assist the court and the parties and to file reports with the court regarding the prison's compliance with future court orders. On March 17, 2014, Judge Boyle denied the state's motion to dismiss and dismissed the prisoners' motion for preliminary injunction.
On March 27, 2014 the parties stipulated to several of the special master's findings. The court placed the prison on notice that if it did not comply and implement the initial recommendations, a preliminary injunction would issue. On May 7, 2014, Magistrate Judge Robert Jones granted the prisoners' motion for a protective order against the prison officials.
The court granted summary judgment to the defendant on September 11, 2015, and the plaintiff appealed the decision to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Corbett v. Branker, 628 Fed. Appx. 185 (4th Cir. 2016). The Fourth Circuit dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction on January 7, 2016. The case is presumably closed.
Summary Authors
Alex Wharton (1/2/2015)
Elizabeth Heise (11/3/2018)
People
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5619054/parties/corbett-v-branker/
Boyle, Terrence William (North Carolina)
Albiston, Elizabeth (North Carolina)
Finholt, Benjamin S. (North Carolina)
Goodson, Scott Bartley (North Carolina)
Harper, Lisa Y. (North Carolina)
Documents in the Clearinghouse
Docket
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/5619054/corbett-v-branker/
Last updated March 28, 2026, 5:43 a.m.
Case Details
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 26, 2010
Case Ongoing: No reason to think so
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Eight North Carolina prisoners
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: Yes
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
State
State of North Carolina
Defendant Type(s):
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Other Dockets:
Eastern District of North Carolina 5:13-ct-03201
Eastern District of North Carolina 5:10-ct-03135
Eastern District of North Carolina 5:10-ct-03235
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Defendant
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Content of Injunction:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:
Policing:
Case Summary of Corbett v. Branker, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, http://www.dev.clearinghouse.net/case/12756/ (last updated 11/3/2018).