Opinion ID: 721002
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Inadequate access to law library

Text: 8 Kenny contends his constitutional rights were violated because he was denied access to the law library on several occasions between November 21 and December 14, when he was preparing for trial on the burglary charge. The district judge properly treated these allegations as a claim of denial of the right to self-representation guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. See Taylor v. List, 880 F.2d 1040, 1047 (9th Cir.1989); Milton v. Morris, 767 F.2d 1443, 1445 (9th Cir.1985). 9 A defendant exercising his right to represent himself must be allowed a meaningful opportunity to prepare a defense, which requires access to law books, witnesses, or other tools to prepare a defense. Milton, 767 F.2d at 1446. The right of access is not unlimited, but must be balanced against the legitimate security needs or resource constraints of the prison. United States v. Sarno, 73 F.3d 1470, 1491 (9th Cir.1995). 10 Here, Kenny failed to offer evidence that he was denied a meaningful opportunity to prepare his defense. He alleged that restricted access to the library forced him to waive his right to a speedy trial, which in turn resulted in longer pretrial detention. The record indicates, however, that Kenny waived his right to a speedy trial five times, four of them prior to the period of alleged deprivation. Although his library access was suspended from December 1 to December 4, Kenny was allowed access on other dates. In addition, pursuant to a Municipal Court order, he received assistance from an investigator, who was ordered to provide Kenny with legal materials, and Kenny was given supplies for preparing pleadings and access to a telephone. Kenny filed motions for pretrial discovery, production of witnesses, and trial continuances, as well as a habeas petition on December 7, challenging the limitation of library access. The burglary charge was ultimately dismissed. Viewed in the light most favorable to Kenny, the evidence does not raise a triable issue on the claim that he was denied the right to self-representation. See id. 11