Bounds v. Smith

Bounds v. Smith
Supreme Court of the United States
Argued November 1, 1976 Decided April 27, 1977
Full case name	Vernon Lee Bounds, Correction Commissioner, et al. v. Robert (Bobby) Smith, et al.
Citations	430 U.S. 817 (more) 97 S. Ct. 1491; 52 L. Ed. 2d 72; 1977 U.S. LEXIS 79
Case history
Prior	Smith v. Bounds, 538 F.2d 541 (4th Cir. 1975); cert. granted, 425 U.S. 910 (1976).
Holding
Prisoners must be provided with adequate legal libraries and counsel in order to satisfy the right to access of the courts
Court membership
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger Associate Justices William J. Brennan Jr. · Potter Stewart Byron White · Thurgood Marshall Harry Blackmun · Lewis F. Powell Jr. William Rehnquist · John P. Stevens
Case opinions
Majority	Marshall, joined by Brennan, White, Blackmun, Powell, Stevens
Concurrence	Powell
Dissent	Burger
Dissent	Stewart, joined by Burger
Dissent	Rehnquist, joined by Burger

Bounds v. Smith, 430 U.S. 817 (1977), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court tested the basic constitutional right of prison inmates’ access to legal documents prior to court. Prison authorities would consequently be required to provide legal assistance or counsel to inmates, whether it be through a trained legal professional or access to a legal library.^[1] Multiple prisoners alleged that they were denied access to the courts due to lack of an adequate legal library and assistance with court related documents.