You've Got Legal Mail: Applying Constitutional Protections to Attorney-Inmate E-mail Communications

Authors

Gregory R. Steele, University of Georgia School of Law

Publication Date

2016

Abstract

Several U.S. Attorney's offices have begun to read e-mails between defense attorneys and their inmate-clients sent through the Bureau of Prisons TRULINCS system. District courts have been split on how they address the issue. This Note argues that the practice of reading attorney-inmate e- mails violates the Sixth Amendment. It specifically argues that the legal mail doctrine should be applied to invalidate this practice. It then argues the Bureau of Prisons should promulgate new regulations for legal e-mail that ensure compliance with the constitutional requirements of the newly applied legal e-mail doctrine.

Recommended Citation

Steele, Gregory R. (2016) "You've Got Legal Mail: Applying Constitutional Protections to Attorney-Inmate E-mail Communications," Georgia Law Review: Vol. 50: No. 3, Article 8.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.law.uga.edu/glr/vol50/iss3/8