GUARD WINS LAWSUIT JUDGE: PRISONER AT FAULT IN INJURY.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A Lancaster state prison correctional officer whose ankle was broken in a scuffle with an inmate has been awarded more than $250,400 in a civil lawsuit.

Stan Kuhn, a correctional sergeant, won the default judgment in his lawsuit against inmate Luis Gonzales, though it's unlikely that Kuhn will collect the entire amount.

``Every dime Mr. Gonzales gets, we'll be there to take,'' said Kuhn's attorney R. Rex Parris.

Kuhn's suit was part of a series of lawsuits that have been filed on behalf of correctional officers who say they were assaulted and injured by inmates.

Parris said his firm has pending lawsuits filed on behalf of 30 correctional officers in California and Arizona.

In March, another Lancaster correctional officer who was repeatedly kicked in the head by two inmates was awarded more than $10 million in a civil judgment.

``We are anxious to see if it results in a reduction of violence in prisons. It will be a year or two before we have an impact, but we anticipate an impact,'' Parris said.

Kuhn filed his lawsuit against Gonzales in 2004 for a Dec. 6, 2003, incident. Gonzales, 41, was in prison for convictions for false impersonation and attempted burglary.

Kuhn, in an earlier interview with the Daily News, said he was helping other officers escort Gonzales to a prison office. Gonzales, who was intoxicated, repeatedly attempted to pull away from the escorting staff.

During the struggle, the inmate and another staff member fell on Kuhn's right ankle, breaking it in three places, Kuhn said.

Kuhn still works at the Lancaster prison.

The default judgment was entered against Gonzales on May 27 after Kuhn's attorneys presented evidence and the judge found in favor of Kuhn, Parris said.