Case: Tyler v. Satz

4:77-00918 | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri

Filed Date: Aug. 23, 1977

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Case Summary

In approximately 1977, inmates at the St. Louis City Jail filed a lawsuit against a local judge and others in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. We do not have a copy of the docket or the complaint, but based on a court order in our possession, the suit involved issues of inmates' access to law books and publications, phone privileges and mail censorship.Following a hearing before a magistrate, and the parties' agreement to proposed order by the magistrate, on January…

In approximately 1977, inmates at the St. Louis City Jail filed a lawsuit against a local judge and others in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. We do not have a copy of the docket or the complaint, but based on a court order in our possession, the suit involved issues of inmates' access to law books and publications, phone privileges and mail censorship.

Following a hearing before a magistrate, and the parties' agreement to proposed order by the magistrate, on January 31, 1978, the court (Judge James H. Meredith) issued an order addressing the law library, inmate access to publications, and phone and mail privileges. Specifically, it required the St. Louis City Jail to maintain a law library, complete with specific legal volumes, as well as stationery and typewriters for inmate use. It also required the jail to establish a policy allowing inmates to have or check out up to ten books at a time in their cells and that prisoners not be denied phone access due to inability to pay. It required that prisoners be allowed two phone calls a week to people of their choice in addition to a reasonable amount of legally-related calls. The order further established that mail could be censored only if it constituted a clear threat to prison security or good order, and that legal mail needed to be opened in the presence of the inmate.

The court's order is the only information we have about this case.

Summary Authors

Denise Lieberman (12/16/2006)

People


Judge(s)

Meredith, James Hargrove (Missouri)

Judge(s)

Meredith, James Hargrove (Missouri)

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Documents in the Clearinghouse

Document

4:77-00918

Order

Jan. 31, 1978

Jan. 31, 1978

Order/Opinion

Docket

Last updated Jan. 29, 2024, 3:02 a.m.

Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.

Case Details

State / Territory: Missouri

Case Type(s):

Jail Conditions

Key Dates

Filing Date: Aug. 23, 1977

Case Ongoing: No reason to think so

Plaintiffs

Plaintiff Description:

inmates at the St. Louis City Jail

Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown

Filed Pro Se: Unknown

Class Action Sought: Unknown

Class Action Outcome: Unknown

Defendants

St. Louis City Jail (St. Louis City, St. Louis city), City

Case Details

Available Documents:

Injunctive (or Injunctive-like) Relief

Outcome

Prevailing Party: Plaintiff

Nature of Relief:

Injunction / Injunctive-like Settlement

Source of Relief:

Litigation

Form of Settlement:

Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree

Order Duration: 1978 - None

Issues

General:

Access to lawyers or judicial system

Mail

Phone

Jails, Prisons, Detention Centers, and Other Institutions:

Law library access

Library (non-law) access

Affected Sex or Gender:

Male

Type of Facility:

Government-run