reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP (07/06/85)
There has been some discussion of this subject recently, and I thought
that an unlikely lawsuit mentioned in the LA Times might prove of
interest. The excerpts are from a UPI story out of Salt Lake City.
"Killer Sues Utah Prison for Letting Him Escape"
"A killer who made a daring daylight break from the Utah State Prison
with two other convicts is suing the prison for putting him in jeopardy by
letting him escape.
Murderer Walter J. Wood alleges that his constitutional rights were violated
when he "inadvertantly wandered into an escape-in-progress situation."
Wood, convicted murderer Wesley Allen Tuttle and kidnaper Darrell Eugene
Brady strolled from the prison in civilian clothes...Wood and Brady were
captured within hours...
Wood complained in the lawsuit filed this week that his forced escape
put him in several life-threatening situations.
"Because of extreme fear of being shot to death, I was forced to swim
several irrigation canals, attempt to swim a 'raging' Jordan River and
expose myself to innumerable bites by many insects. At one point, I heard
a volley of shotgun blasts, and this completed my anxiety", wrote Wood,
who was acting as his own lawyer.
The lawsuit seeks $2 million in damages and "just punishment" for all
"prison personnel involved in allowing inmates to escape." He also
complained that, although escape charges were dismissed, prison officials
continued to keep him in maximum security confinement.
..."
Talk about gall.
--
Peter Reiher
reiher@ucla-cs.arpa
soon to be reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
{...ihnp4,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!reiherpmd@cbscc.UUCP (Paul Dubuc) (07/10/85)
I don't know how much there is to this rumor, but I was told that prisons (maybe only federal ones) are required to maintain a law library for the prisoners. With the help of this facility many of them have gotten quite good at filing "nuisance lawsuits" (acting as their own lawyers). Not that many of them think they will get away with much, but incurring this kind of expense and hassle is their way of getting back at the judicial system. -- Paul Dubuc cbscc!pmd
mmar@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (Mitchell Marks) (07/11/85)
While many lawsuits filed from prison might be sheerly for nuisance
value, all the same the right to file suits pro se or in forma pauperis
is important. Apart from individual protections, it has sometimes
been the source of important doctrine -- e.g. Gideon v Wainwright started
as an in forma pauperis petition. So I suggest that requiring prisons
to maintain law libraries is pretty reasonable.
--
-- Mitch Marks @ UChicago
...ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!mmarcrandell@ut-sally.UUCP (Jim Crandell) (07/17/85)
> I don't know how much there is to this rumor, but I was told that > prisons (maybe only federal ones) are required to maintain a law > library for the prisoners. With the help of this facility many of > them have gotten quite good at filing "nuisance lawsuits" ... > incurring this kind of expense and hassle is > their way of getting back at the judicial system. Not to mention simply continuing their careers (i.e., ripping off the public) while nominally incarcerated. -- Jim Crandell, C. S. Dept., The University of Texas at Austin {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!crandell