James Edward Clayton v. Robert J. Tansy, Warden, His Agents, Servants, Employees & Others Acting in Aid &/or Concert Therewith, 26 F.3d 980 (10th Cir. 1993). · Go Syfert
James Edward Clayton v. Robert J. Tansy, Warden, His Agents, Servants, Employees & Others Acting in Aid &/or Concert Therewith, 26 F.3d 980 (10th Cir. 1993). Cases Citing This Book View Copy Cite
26 citation events (17 in the last 25 years) across 8 distinct courts.
Strongest positive: IVESTER v. SWEENY (njd, 2022-12-16)
Treatment trajectory · 1995 → 2026 · click a year to view as-of
1995 2010 2026
Top citers, strongest first. 14 distinct citers. How cited ↗
discussed Cited as authority (rule) IVESTER v. SWEENY
D.N.J. · 2022 · confidence medium
The Court will mark this matter as closed and permit Plaintiff to submit a Second Amended Complaint against the Oregon have held that “[i]n the context of denial of access claims, the general rule imposes upon the sending state authorities the responsibility for ensuring their prisoners incarcerated in sister state facilities are afforded access to state courts.” Trujillo v. Williams, 465 F.3d 1210, 1226 (10th Cir. 2006) (citing Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir. 1993)); see also Boyd v. Wood, 52 F.3d 820, 821 (9th Cir. 1995) (holding that sending state authorities maintain resp…
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Kim v. Veglas
D. Mass. · 2009 · confidence medium
It is doubtful that many lawyers and judges could do minimally adequate research if they were required to request materials by mail via specific citations.”); Trujillo v. Williams, 465 F.3d 1210, 1226 (10th Cir.2006) (citing Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir.1993)); DeMallory v. Cullen, 855 F.2d 442, 446-48 (7th Cir. 1988).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Trujillo v. Williams (2×) also: Cited "see"
10th Cir. · 2006 · confidence medium
In the context of a plaintiff serving time in an out-of-state prison system pursuant to the ICC, “the general rule imposes upon the sending state authorities the responsibility for ensuring their prisoners incarcerated in sister state facilities are afforded access to state courts.” Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir.1993).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Trujillo v. Williams (2×) also: Cited "see"
10th Cir. · 2006 · confidence medium
See Ghana v. Pearce, 159 F.3d 1206, 1208 (9th Cir. 1998); Stewart v. M cM anus, 924 F.2d 138 , 142 (8th Cir. 1991). - 29 - In the context of a plaintiff serving time in an out-of-state prison system pursuant to the ICC, “the general rule imposes upon the sending state authorities the responsibility for ensuring their prisoners incarcerated in sister state facilities are afforded access to state courts.” Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir. 1993).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Hannon v. Allen (2×) also: Cited "see, e.g."
D. Mass. · 2003 · confidence medium
The Tenth Circuit cited only a single decision from the Eastern District of Wisconsin as describing the “current consensus” that sending states alone are responsible for access to the courts and distinguishing the dicta in Rich because the First Circuit “was dealing with a state prisoner transferred to federal prison.” Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir.1993) (citing Hudson v. Israel, 594 F.Supp. 664, 667-68 (E.D.Wis.1984)).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Maya v. General Motors Corp.
D.N.M. · 1996 · confidence medium
“The decision to [allow] amendfment of] the pleadings ... lies within the sound discretion of the district court.” Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir.1993).
cited Cited as authority (rule) Baca v. Mondragon
10th Cir. · 1996 · confidence medium
Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir.1993).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) Richard Mears v. John Thomas, Warden Viola Serrano, Library Supervisor Attorney General of the State of New Mexico Penny Smith, Accounts Supervisor
10th Cir. · 1996 · confidence medium
"In the context of denial of access claims, the general rule imposes upon the sending state authorities the responsibility for ensuring their prisoners incarcerated in sister state facilities are afforded access to state courts." Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir.1993).
cited Cited as authority (rule) King v. Nevada Elec. Inv. Co.
3rd Cir. · 1995 · confidence medium
Zenith Radio Corp. v. Hazeltine Research, Inc., 401 U.S. 321, 330 (1971); Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir.1993).
discussed Cited as authority (rule) James Adolphis Boyd v. Tana Wood
9th Cir. · 1995 · confidence medium
Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir.1993); see also Rich v. Zitnay, 644 F.2d 41, 43 (1st Cir.1981) (state authorities housing state prisoner in federal prison in sister state re *821 mained responsible for providing prisoner with access to state legal materials).
cited Cited "see" Garcia v. Hoover
10th Cir. · 1998 · signal: see · confidence high
See Clayton v. Tansy , 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir. 1993).
discussed Cited "see" Richard R. Garcia v. Don Hoover, of the Corrections Department, and Attorney General State of New Mexico
10th Cir. · 1998 · signal: see · confidence high
See Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir.1993). 8 In order for appellant to prove a violation of the constitutional right of access to the courts, he must show: (1) the failure of prison officials to assist him "in the preparation and filing of meaningful legal papers by providing [him] with [an] adequate law librar[y] or adequate assistance from persons trained in the law;" and (2) some quantum of prejudice or detriment caused by the challenged conduct of state officials resulting in the interruption and/or delay of his pending or contemplated litigation.
discussed Cited "see" Mears v. Bargdill
10th Cir. · 1996 · signal: see · confidence high
See Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir.1993)(general rule in denial of access to legal materials claims imposes on sending state authorities the responsibility to ensure their prisoners incarcerated elsewhere are afforded access to state courts).
discussed Cited "see, e.g." Leek v. Androski
10th Cir. · 2022 · signal: see also · confidence medium
We observed that the allegations relating to the exact-citation system “may state a viable claim of denial of access to courts.” Id.; see also Clayton v. Tansy, 26 F.3d 980, 982 (10th Cir. 1993) (remanding for district court to consider whether “exact[-]cite paging system for access to the law library” amounted to violation of prisoner’s constitutional rights); Corgain v. Miller, 708 F.2d 1241, 1244, 1250 (7th Cir. 1983) (noting that prison’s library system had not satisfied constitutional demands because “the inmate could obtain state[-]law materials only by providing precise ci…
Retrieving the full opinion text from the archive…
James Edward CLAYTON, Plaintiff-Appellant,
v.
Robert J. TANSY, Warden, His Agents, Servants, Employees and Others Acting in Aid and/or Concert Therewith, Defendant-Appellee
92-2222.
Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Aug 2, 1993.
26 F.3d 980
1993 U.S. App. LEXIS 19922
1993 WL 659604
Submitted on the Briefs:*, James Edward Clayton, pro se., Jeffrey L. Baker & Associates; Jacquelyn Robins, Albuquerque, NM, for defendant ap-pellee.
Logan, Moore, Brorby.
Cited by 18 opinions  |  Published
1 passage pin-cited by 1 case
Pinpoint authority: #35,617 of 633,719
Citer courts: Ninth Circuit (1)
BRORBY, Circuit Judge.

Mr. Clayton, a state inmate and pro se litigant, appeals a decision denying relief under his 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action.

Mr. Clayton was convicted and incarcerated in Oklahoma. Mr. Clayton was subsequently transferred to the New Mexico penitentiary pursuant to the Interstate Corrections Compact. While confined in New Mexico, Mr. Clayton commenced this § 1983 suit against Mr. Tansy, the New Mexico Warden.

The factual basis of Mr. Clayton’s suit was that he had several legal matters pending before the Oklahoma courts and. he wished access to Oklahoma law which the New Mexico prison library did not have. He also claimed that the New Mexico prison relied exclusively on an “exact cite” paging system to provide access to the prison law library in contravention of his constitutional rights under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments.

Defendant filed a motion for summary judgment and Mr. Clayton responded. The district court granted this motion for summary judgment holding, in part, as follows:

The following material facts are not disputed. Plaintiff was serving time in the Oklahoma State Prison when he was transferred to the New Mexico state prison system pursuant to an Interstate Corrections Compact (ICC). While serving jail time in New Mexico, Plaintiff had several legal matters pending in the Oklahoma courts. As a result of those pending matters, Plaintiff wanted access to Oklahoma legal materials. The New Mexico prison library, however, did not have any Oklahoma legal materials.
Defendant argues that Oklahoma officials not New Mexico officials were under a duty to supply Plaintiff with Oklahoma materials. Consequently, the Defendant asserts that he is not the proper defendant in this matter. When the receiving state in an interstate compact agreement does not have legal materials pertaining to the laws of the sending state, the sending state “is obliged to satisfy in some reasonable manner the constitutional right of out-of-state inmates to meaningful access to the courts.” Messere v. Fair, 752 F.Supp. 48, 52 (D.Mass.1990). See, e.g., Cooper v. Sumner, 672 F.Supp. 1361, 1365 (D.Nev.1987). In other words, “the proper defendant, if any, must be the director or administrator of corrections of the sending state or his or her supervisors, that is, the individuals most directly responsible for the transfer of prisoners pursuant to the inter[*982] state compact or agreement to which they are presumably signatories.” Hudson v. Israel, 594 F.Supp. 664, 669 (E.D.Wis.1984).
In this situation, the receiving state is New Mexico and the sending state is Oklahoma. Consequently, the proper defendant in this case is not a New Mexico official but rather should be an Oklahoma official. Defendant, therefore, is entitled to summary judgment dismissing this cause against him. For that reason, I find that I need not address Defendant’s other two arguments in favor of summary judgment.

The district court also denied Mr. Clayton permission to amend as the amendment involved adding an out-of-state defendant who resided more than 100 miles from the court. Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(f). The district court did not respond to Mr. Clayton’s claim that the paging system was an unconstitutional denial of his access to the courts.

Mr. Clayton appeals this decision asserting a variety of errors.

I

Permission to Amend

The decision to amend the pleadings by adding additional parties lies within the sound discretion of the district court. The only party Mr. Clayton could add that would save his case is an Oklahoma official. Such an official would not have been subject to service of process. See Fed.R.Civ.P. 4(f). Any amendment would have been an exercise in futility. The district court did not abuse its discretion.

II

New Mexico’s Duty to Provide Oklahoma Law

In the context of denial of access claims, the general rule imposes upon the sending state authorities the responsibility for ensuring their prisoners incarcerated in sister state facilities are afforded access to state courts. Hudson v. Israel, 594 F.Supp. 664, 667-68 (E.D.Wis.1984). Mr. Clayton, in response to this argument, cites Rich v. Zitnay, 644 F.2d 41, 43 n. 1 (1st Cir.1981), which states: “We also think that Leavenworth authorities would be proper defendants in a case brought in a court of appropriate jurisdiction. Receiving as well as sending officials share responsibility for insuring prisoners’ access to the courts.”

Mr. Clayton is correct that this dicta supports his position. We nevertheless decline to follow it because the Zitnay court was dealing with a state prisoner transferred to federal prison. Instead, we adopt the present consensus that it is the sending state which bears the burden of providing the required state legal materials as stated by the district court.

Mr. Clayton may have a valid § 1983 claim; however, if he does it should be pursued against the proper defendant in a court of proper venue.

Ill

Paging System

Mr. Clayton contends that summary judgment was not appropriate because the district court did not respond to his allegation that the New Mexico prison relied exclusively on an exact cite paging system for access to the law library. We agree with Mr. Clayton on this claim. Accordingly, we AFFIRM the district court in all respects except that the matter is REMANDED to the district court to address Mr. Clayton’s remaining unaddressed claim.