Opinion ID: 390358
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Privileged mail.

Text: 25 Privileged prisoner mail, that is mail to or from an inmate's attorney and identified as such, may not be opened for inspections for contraband except in the presence of the prisoner. Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. 539, 576-77, 94 S.Ct. 2963, 2984-85, 41 L.Ed.2d 935 (1974). Many of the exhibits introduced by plaintiffs as examples of legal mail simply do not appear to come within the parameters of the attorney-client mail privilege. See Wolff v. McDonnell, 418 U.S. at 576, 94 S.Ct. at 2984. For example, a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union addressed to President, Wallstreet Jaycees, and bearing no other markings, obviously does not fall within the scope of that privilege. Wolff requires that all such mail be specially marked as originating from an attorney, with that attorneys name and address. 4 However, one exhibit, a copy of a letter from the National Prison Project, bearing the name of an attorney and which was stamped Lawyer Client Mail Do Not Open Except In Presence of Prisoner and which was addressed to plaintiff Jensen appears to come well within the definition of attorney-client mail. This would tend to rebut defendants' claim that the mail opened was not clearly marked. Coupled with plaintiffs' assertions that the opening of such mail was done deliberately and on a continuing basis, and contrasted with the defendants' vague claim that in the case of clearly marked mail some mistakes were made, this indicates that some factual issues remain to be resolved on this point. Accordingly, summary judgment is vacated as to this issue and the case remanded to the district court for further proceedings. 26