Judges Reinstate Inmate’s Suit
against Prison Library Supervisor
On August 16, a panel of three judges of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a portion of a lawsuit by an inmate of the Wabash Correctional Center in Indiana alleging that prison officials denied him access to the law library.
William K. Zimmerman brought the suit in 1997, claiming that his First Amendment rights were violated when Library Supervisor Margarita Tribble prevented him from using the library at all, allegedly in retaliation for a grievance he filed against her for limiting his access. A district court dismissed the lawsuit, but Zimmerman appealed his case.
According to the Freedom Forum online news for August 21, the panel ruled that his complaint stated enough facts to support a retaliation claim. However, they rejected his allegation that the prison slowed down delivery of his mail.
Posted August 28, 2000.
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