Bounds V Smith Case Summary

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Bounds v. Smith was argued November 1, 1976 and the case was decided April 27, 1977 by THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS for the Fourth circuit. MARSHALL, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which BRENNAN, WHITE, BLACKMUN, POWELL, and STEVENS, JJ., joined. POWELL, J., filed a concurring opinion. BURGER, C.J., filed a dissenting opinion. STEWART, J., post, and REHNQUIST, J filed dissenting opinions, in which BURGER, C.J., joined.
The issue in this case is whether States must protect the right of prisoners to access to the courts by providing them with law libraries or alternative sources of legal knowledge.
In another case Younger v. Gilmore it was ruled unconstitutional, so they was mandated by the constitution to providing them with law libraries or alternative sources of legal knowledge. Respondents filed three separate actions all with the Eastern District of North Carolina. The respondent said they was denied access to the fourteenth amendment right. The …show more content…

The courts found that the respondent's rights had been violated because the state had not provided proper research facilities. The court charged the department of correction with finding a way to provide appropriate legal service for inmates. They said the program should be economic accessible.They said it could be a law student, lawyers or public defenders. Also they said they should have access to law libraries. The state responded by setting up several libraries.The respondents wanted libraries at every prison.The courts founded the state plan to be fair.The prison got the the Federal Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) for a grant to cover 90% of the cost of setting up the libraries and training a librarian and inmate clerks. The state said this would benefit all

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