OH - 'Jailhouse lawyer' is allowed to help, Ohio Supreme Court says

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'Jailhouse lawyer' is allowed to help, Ohio Supreme Court says

Convicted murderer has no law degree but helps prisoners research cases and file legal claims.

By Laura A. Bischoff
Staff Writer

Thursday, September 06, 2007

COLUMBUS — As a "jailhouse lawyer," convicted murderer Charles Cotton spent 12 of his 31 years behind bars researching cases and filing legal claims for his fellow inmates.

The Supreme Court Board on Unauthorized Practice of Law filed a complaint against Cotton, who has never been a licensed attorney.

But in a 4-3 decision Wednesday, the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the complaint and delivered a wider victory to indigent inmates struggling to advance their cases from inside prisons.

The case hinged on a 1969 U.S. Supreme Court decision that held that convicted prisoners have a fundamental right to access to legal resources. ...

www.western-star.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/09/05/ddn090607jailhouse.html

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