The group of inmates in a New York prison who filed a $500 million lawsuit for lack of access to dental floss must demonstrate that their case has a chance of succeeding before a judge will appoint them a lawyer, Press Connects reported.
Eleven inmates sued the Westchester County Department of Corrections in New York on September 10 for civil rights violations over the lack of floss.
The U.S. district judge who heard the case in Manhattan stated that unless the plaintiffs can demonstrate that their claims have substance and their case could succeed, they will not receive the assistance of a volunteer attorney, which he described as a "precious commodity."
Santiago Gomez, lead plaintiff in the suit, claims the prisoners' civil rights have been violated because the jail does not give inmates access to dental floss but is aware that failure to use floss can causes cavities.
Representatives of two other New York counties told the Journal News in another article that their counties do not permit inmates free access to dental floss because of potential security issues. They are allowed to use it under a nurse's supervision, however.
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