Hogan Lovells Pro Bono Team Notches Landmark Prison Ruling

• Federal judge hands down big ruling for death row inmates

• “Hard fought” pro bono litigation keeps prison reforms in place

A landmark victory by Hogan Lovells pro bono lawyers marked the latest point in an ongoing legal battle over conditions on Virginia’s death row.

Working with Alexandria, Va., attorney Victor M. Glasberg, who initially filed the case, the win means the facility can’t revert to its formerly unlawful state.

Conditions there violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment, U.S. District Court Judge Leonie M. Brinkema held Feb. 21. Though they improved during the litigation, Brinkema, sitting in the Eastern District of Virginia, issued an injunction preventing them from backsliding. ...