Opinion ID: 470377
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: First and Sixth Amendment Claims.

Text: 7 The Strandbergs claim Edward Strandberg was deprived of his sixth amendment right to counsel, to a jury trial, and to be informed of the nature of the accusations against him. They also argue the defendants violated the decedent's first amendment rights. The district court dismissed the decedent's first and sixth amendment claims, stating: 8 Considering the fact that the decedent hung himself after only thirty minutes in jail while the police were still in the process of booking him, the Court fails to see how such a short delay could rise to the level of a constitutional violation. The Court will not speculate as to whether the decedent would have been allowed to call an attorney or have one provided for him within a reasonable time had he lived. 9 The Strandbergs mistakenly argue the district court misapprehended their allegations regarding the first and sixth amendments as procedural due process violations rather than substantive due process violations. The first and sixth amendments do not contain substantive and procedural components. 10 They further claim the district court erroneously relied on Parratt v. Taylor, 451 U.S. 527, 101 S.Ct. 1908, 68 L.Ed.2d 420 (1981), in dismissing these claims. The district court never mentioned Parratt, nor did it rely on Parratt in reaching its decision. It simply found there were no cognizable constitutional claims presented with regard to the first and sixth amendments. 11 The right to counsel does not attach until at or after the initiation of adversary judicial criminal proceedings--whether by way of formal charge, preliminary hearing, indictment, information, or arraignment. Kirby v. Illinois, 406 U.S. 682, 689, 92 S.Ct. 1877, 1882, 32 L.Ed.2d 411 (1972); United States v. Karr, 742 F.2d 493, 495 (9th Cir.1984). In this case the decedent had not yet been charged. The police were still in the process of booking him. In the thirty minutes the decedent waited for formal charges, no critical stage of prosecution was implicated which constitutionally required counsel be present. Because he had no right to have counsel present, the decedent had no sixth amendment right to place a phone call to his attorney. Rodgers v. Lincoln Towing Service, Inc., 771 F.2d 194, 199 (7th Cir.1985) (citing State Bank of St. Charles v. Camic, 712 F.2d 1140, 1145 n. 2 (7th Cir.1983)). 12 With regard to the decedent's right to a jury trial, it was not clear at the time of his arrest that he would be charged with a crime giving him the right to a jury trial. Finally, regarding the claim that the decedent was not informed of the nature of his crime, the Strandbergs alleged no facts to support this claim, either in their complaint or in their brief. The Strandbergs do allege the booking sheet was not completed before the decedent was incarcerated. Nevertheless, they have made no showing that a thirty minute delay in making the formal charges is a constitutionally impermissible delay. The district court properly dismissed the sixth amendment claims. 13 Neither in their complaint nor in their briefs do the plaintiffs articulate their first amendment claim on behalf of the decedent. Presumably, the decedent's deprivation of his first amendment right to freedom of speech is based on the alleged police refusal to allow him to make a telephone call. Courts have recognized detainees' and prisoners' first amendment right to telephone access. See Johnson v. Galli, 596 F.Supp. 135, 138 (D.Nev.1984); Hutchings v. Corum, 501 F.Supp. 1276, 1296 (W.D.Mo.1980); Moore v. Janing, 427 F.Supp. 567, 576 (D.Neb.1976). This right is subject to rational limitations in the face of legitimate security interests of the penal institution. Hutchings, 501 F.Supp. at 1296 (citing Bell v. Wolfish, 441 U.S. 520, 99 S.Ct. 1861, 60 L.Ed.2d 447 (1979)). If the limitations on access are reasonable, there is no first amendment violation. Galli, 596 F.Supp. at 138. 14 The Strandbergs do not allege the defendants acted unreasonably, nor do they allege any facts from which it could be inferred that the defendants acted unreasonably in declining to allow Edward Strandberg access to the telephone in the first thirty minutes he was detained. See Rodgers, 771 F.2d at 199 (in sixth amendment context; no constitutional deprivation when detainee prevented from making telephone call for ten and one-half hours). While we do not comment as to the reasonableness of delays in allowing access to a telephone longer than those involved in the case before us, the district court properly dismissed the first amendment claim. 15