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Abstract: 

King was incarcerated in the Los Angeles (L.A.) jail for almost eight years as a civil detainee awaiting adjudication under California’s SVPA. For over six of those years King was confined in administrative segregation (AdSeg) along with criminal detainees. He was required to wear the distinctive red uniform identifying him as a convicted sex offender. As a consequence, he was attacked by a fellow AdSeg inmate who slashed his face, neck and thigh while shouting, “Die, baby raper, die.” King sued, arguing his conditions of confinement violated substantive due process. King appealed a grant of summary judgment in favor of the county and the 9th Circuit reversed as to his claim for damages against Sheriff Baca. We analyze the decision, and the important legal issues involved, in this article.

Keywords: King v. County of Los Angeles, 885 F.3d 548 (9th Cir. 2018)

Affiliations:  1: Executive Editor.