Civil Rights

Abstract

FIRST PARAGRAPH(S)|During the survey period, the Eighth Circuit addressed a considerable number of cases which dealt with civil rights. Two of the more important cases, Dodson v. Polkand Adams v. United States,will be discussed in this article. Dodson involved the liability of public defenders under section 1983 and Adams is the recent Eighth Circuit decision on school desegregation.|The Eighth Circuit has taken a unique approach to the interaction of 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, which imposes civil liability on any person who, acting under color of state law, deprives another of his constitutional rights, privileges or immunities and the Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright which held that there was an absolute right to services of counsel at trial. Dodson v. Polk presented the Eighth Circuit with the question of whether a public defender may be held liable under section 1983 for acts resulting in the deprivation of a client's constitutional rights...