Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01277/USCOURTS-caed-1_05-cv-01277-5/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 550
Nature of Suit: Prisoner - Civil Rights (U.S. defendant)
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Prisoner Civil Rights

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

MONROE JONES, )

)

Plaintiff, )

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vs. )

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M. BRIGGS, et al., )

)

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Defendants. )

____________________________________)

1:05-cv-01277-LJO-SMS-PC 

 

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR

ACCESS TO COURTS

(Doc. 19)

Plaintiff, Monroe Jones ("plaintiff") is a state prisoner proceeding pro se in this civil rights action

pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. On June 1, 2007, plaintiff filed a motion for access to the courts. Plaintiff

alleges that prison officials at Kern Valley State Prison denied him access to the prison law library

because he does not have a pending deadline in a court action. Plaintiff alleges that he needs to spend

time learning how to operate the computers at the law library, so he can properly litigate his case. 

Plaintiff alleges that the failure of prison officials to allow him to access the law library violated his

rights by denying him access to the courts. 

Although plaintiff alleges that he was denied access to the courts, plaintiff’s allegations do not

support such a claim. Inmates have a fundamental constitutional right of access to the courts. Lewis

v. Casey, 518 U.S. 343, 346 (1996). The right of access is merely the right to bring to court a grievance

the inmate wishes to present, and is limited to direct criminal appeals, habeas petitions, and civil rights

actions. Id. at 354. (emphasis added.) The State is not required to enable the inmate to discover

grievances or to litigate effectively once in court. Id. 

Case 1:05-cv-01277-LJO -SMS Document 20 Filed 03/27/08 Page 1 of 2
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Inmates do not have the right to a law library or legal assistance. Id. at 351. Law libraries and

legal assistance programs are only the means of ensuring access to the courts. Id. Because inmates do

not have “an abstract, freestanding right to a law library or legal assistance, an inmate cannot establish

relevant actual injury by establishing that his prison’s law library or legal assistance program is subpar

in some theoretical sense.” Id. Rather, an inmate claiming interference with or denial of access to the

courts must show that he suffered an actual injury. Id. 

Plaintiff has alleged no facts that demonstrate he has suffered an actual injury. The fact that

plaintiff is not able to litigate his action as effectively as he might like does not give rise to an access

claim. Therefore, plaintiff's motion for access to the courts shall be denied.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: March 26, 2008 /s/ Sandra M. Snyder 

icido3 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:05-cv-01277-LJO -SMS Document 20 Filed 03/27/08 Page 2 of 2