Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_04-cv-05105/USCOURTS-caed-1_04-cv-05105-7/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

JAMES STAMOS,

Plaintiff,

v.

RAMIREZ, et. al.,

Defendants.

 /

CV F 04 5105 AWI LJO P 

ORDER DENYING MOTION FOR COURT

ORDER TO USE PRO PER LAB (Doc. 48.) 

 James G. Stamos, Jr. (“Plaintiff”) is a state prisoner proceeding pro se and in forma

pauperis in this civil rights action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. 

On May 25, 2006, Plaintiff filed a pleading titled “Request Court Order to Use Pro Per

Lab As I am Pro Se Litigant Proceeding In This Case.” In this pleading, Plaintiff states that he is

requesting that the Court issue an Order requiring the institution where Plaintiff is confined to

allow him to use the Pro Se Lab (formerly, law library). Plaintiff states that he cannot produce a

copy of his Complaint because he sent it to the Court. 

While inmates have a fundamental constitutional right of access to the courts, Lewis v.

Casey, 518 U.S. 343, 346 (1996), this 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. Further, 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

Case 1:04-cv-05105-LJO-GSA Document 49 Filed 05/31/06 Page 1 of 2
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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. 

In light of the above, Plaintiff’s request that the Court issue an Order requiring the

institution to allow him law library access is DENIED. To the extent Plaintiff wishes to obtain

copies of his civil rights Complaint, the Clerk of Court can provide Plaintiff with a copy at 50

cents per page, not including postage. Plaintiff should contact the Clerk of Court should he wish

to obtain copies. 

Accordingly, the Court HEREBY ORDERS: 

1. The Motion for Court Order is DENIED. 

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: May 30, 2006 /s/ Lawrence J. O'Neill 

b9ed48 UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:04-cv-05105-LJO-GSA Document 49 Filed 05/31/06 Page 2 of 2