JOE WILLIAMS, Claimant, v. STATE OF ILLINOIS, Respondent.

Case summary

Claimant, a prisoner in the Chicago House of Correction, sought $15,000 for injuries from an attack by a fellow inmate. The court dismissed the claim, holding that the House of Correction is not a subdivision of the State under the Department of Public Welfare, so the court lacked jurisdiction.

Claim type: Personal Injury Negligence

AI-generated summary from the opinion text — may contain errors. The opinion text and PDF above are the official record.

Headnotes

JURISDICTION-when court has no jurisdiction. The House of Correction

JURISDICTION-when court has no jurisdiction. The House of Correction in the city of Chicago is not a subdivision of the State under the control of the Department of Public Welfare, and the Court of Claims has no jurisdiction to consider a claim for personal injuries sustained by an inmate therein. AUGUSTUS L. WILLIAMS, for claimant. OSCAR E. CARLSTROM, Attorney General; CARL I. DIETZ, Assistant Attorney General, for respondent.

MR. CHIEF JUSTICE CLANCY delivered the opinion of the court:

It appears that claimant was on the 18th day of October, 1927, given a sentence of 30 days in the House of Correction in the City of Chicago, Illinois. The sentence was imposed by a Judge of the Municipal Court of that city. The claimant avers that while he was serving this sentence, he was injured by an attack by a fellow inmate and claims to be seriously injured and asked that he be remunerated by the State of Illinois in the sum of $15,000.00. [*457]

The defendant, the State of Illinois, appears and files a Plea to Jurisdiction and the court now being advised in the premises, is of the opinion that said House of Correction is not a sub-division of the State of Illinois under the control of the Department of Public Welfare and that this is not a claim that can be reviewed by this court. Therefore the plea of the defendant is sustained and claim dismissed.