A federal judge in Sacramento ordered the state corrections department Friday not to destroy any documents used by the state’s chief prison psychologist to produce a secret report in which he alleged prison officials were misleading the court, and lawyers for inmates, over how much psychiatric treatment they are receiving.
U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller also ordered an Oct. 22 hearing to produce testimony from Dr. Michael Golding, who produced a 160-page report alleging wrongdoing by the state and then turned it over to the federally appointed receiver overseeing medical care in the state’s prisons.
Mueller’s order directs defendants in the case to “preserve all evidence relevant to Dr. Golding’s report and the issues raised by that report and prevent or cease any ongoing destruction of related documents or information.”