Media Contact

Meghan Holden, ACLU of Connecticut, media@acluct.org

The federal court today moved the hearing date for oral arguments in McPherson v Lamont, a federal class action lawsuit seeking emergency action to protect people incarcerated by the State of Connecticut from COVID-19, to June 1, 2020.

The following is a statement from Dan Barrett, ACLU of Connecticut legal director and an attorney on the case:

“The court has encouraged the parties in this case to come to the table to negotiate, with the judge acting as arbiter. We have a responsibility to our clients – all incarcerated people in the state – to fight with everything we have for releases and other protections from COVID-19 for them. If negotiations prove the quickest way to move people out of harm’s way from COVID-19 in this life-or-death crisis, we will pursue them. If not, oral arguments in the case are scheduled for June 1."

Related Content

Court Case
Apr 21, 2020
Placeholder image

McPherson et al v Lamont et al

The ACLU of Connecticut filed a federal class action lawsuit on April 20, 2020 on behalf of all people incarcerated in Connecticut prisons and jails, seeking emergency action to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Connecticut Department of Correction (DOC) facilities.
Press Release
May 06, 2020
Placeholder image

Federal Court Allows Class Action Lawsuit Seeking to Protect Incarcerated People from COVID-19 to Proceed

In a ruling issued today, Judge Janet Bond Arterton denied a procedural motion filed by the State of Connecticut seeking to dismiss the lawsuit. With today’s action from the court, the lawsuit will be allowed to proceed based on the merits of the case.