Document ID: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01900/USCOURTS-caed-1_13-cv-01900-2/pdf.json

Parties Involved:
James Briggs
Defendant
Aaron Ray Scott
Plaintiff

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UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

AARON RAY SCOTT,

Plaintiff,

v.

JAMES BRIGGS,

Defendant.

Case No. 1:13-cv-01900 DLB PC

ORDER DENYING PLAINTIFF’S 

MOTION FOR REVIEW OF INADEQUATE 

PRISON LAW LIBRARY

[ECF No. 14]

Plaintiff Aaron Ray Scott (“Plaintiff”) is a California state prisoner proceeding pro se in this 

civil action pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983. Plaintiff filed this action on November 22, 2013.

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On October 20, 2014, the Court dismissed Plaintiff’s complaint with leave to amend. On 

November 5, 2014, Plaintiff filed a request for an extension of time. The request was granted on 

November 6, 2014. On December 3, 2014, Plaintiff filed a second request for extension of time. By 

separate order, Plaintiff’s request has been granted. Also on December 3, 2014, Plaintiff filed the 

instant motion for review of the prison law library. Plaintiff complains that the law library at 

California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi is inadequate. He claims that the deficiencies of the 

law library have caused him difficulties in preparing his First Amended Complaint. He claims that 

many other prisoners are experiencing the same conditions. 

Inmates do not have the right to a law library or legal assistance. Lewis v. Casey, 518 U.S. 

 

1 On December 6, 2013, Plaintiff consented to the jurisdiction of the Magistrate Judge. 

Case 1:13-cv-01900-DLB Document 17 Filed 12/15/14 Page 1 of 2
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343, 351 (1996). 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. In addition, the 

issue of Plaintiff’s law library is not the subject of this complaint. If Plaintiff experiences difficulties 

in preparing his First Amended Complaint, he may ask for additional time.

ORDER

Accordingly, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that Plaintiff’s motion for review of the prison law 

library is DENIED.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

Dated: December 13, 2014 /s/ Dennis L. Beck 

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:13-cv-01900-DLB Document 17 Filed 12/15/14 Page 2 of 2