#108

Category: PRESS RELEASE
Topic: Prisoners' Lawsuit over Obstruction of Litigation

Re: Case No. 12-CV-759-WMC, Lindell, Riker vs. Jess, et alia
Western District of Wisconsin U.S. District Court
Look it up on wwww.wiwd.uscourts.gov

Well, I'm back in the saddle again, along with Sean Riker. In the forenoted case we are challenging the W.D.O.C.'s recent + sudden ban on the postage-free routing of legal materials to/from other prisoners in max-security prisons. According to defendant Cathy Jess, as stated by her in a 27 Aug. 2012 memo, this restriction was put in place at least in part to "eliminate concerns over staff [mis]handling of inter-institution routed correspondence".

Not surprisingly, I (Nate A. Lindell), an avid jail-house lawyer, have had my legal routes to "clients" lost or misdelivered (more often than theirs to me have been - theirs ASK for help, while mine GIVE it) numerous times + have thus filed numerous complaints with prison staff about that. Despite WI Adm. Code 310.16 (6) promising that no "reprisals" will occur because of our complaints, Jess enacted a doozy of one in ending legal routes.

We've been able to + still can use U.S. Mail to exchange legal materials, but I'm $10,000 in debt, can't afford postage to help "clients". Meaning I can't help guys get into court without legal routes being allowed. Besides, Riker + I've had our U.S. Mail to each other "disappeared" too, + filed grievances about that also.

The suit is only 5 pages, but explains our claim very well. In a two page memorandum of law, our legal theory is explained. Our claim is a straightforward one of retaliatory interference with our First Amendment right to "Petition for Redress of Grievances", here, to petition prison officials, which they held against us, effectively denying us that right.

We seek to get legal routing reinstated and damages (money).

Please e-mail this press release to jsmetro@journalsentinel.com; info@prisonlegalnews.org; www.opinion.usatoday.com; dfathi@npp-aclu.org; info@ap.org; www.madison.com/post/blogs; www.courttv.com; www.digg.com; cshortino@NBC15.com; www.upi.com; haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk; oped@csps.com; editor@lacrossetribune.com; www.npr.com; dialeditor@boscobeldial.net; letters@time.com; eoesch@wkow.com + anywhere else you want to.