PETITION CLOSED

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Stop the Closing of West Virginia's Public Law Libraries
  1. Signatures
    130 out of 25,000
    Petitioning
    1. The Governor of WV (+ 21 others)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The Governor of WV
      • The WV State Senate
      • The WV State House
      • Administrative Director, West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals (Steven D. Canterbury)
      • Chief Counsel, West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals (Bruce Kayuha)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Evan H. Jenkins)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Dan Foster)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable John Pat Fanning)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable D. Richard Browning)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Robert D. Beach)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Mark Wills)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Corey Palumbo)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable David C. Nohe)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Karen L. Facemyer)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Clark S. Barnes)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Bob Williams)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable John R. Unger II)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Gregory A. Tucker)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Herb Snyder)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Joseph M. Minard)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Orphy Klempa)
      • Senate Judiciary Committee (The Honorable Art Kirkendoll)
  2. Created By
    Keith DeBlasio
    Great Cacapon, WV
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

The Adminstrative Director of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has decided to close public law libraries.  (Associated Press)

The United States Constitution secures one’s rights to access to the courts and equal protection of the laws, and the United States Supreme Court has ruled that access to the courts means meaningful access to adequate law libraries and equal access for those who are indigent or without the means to defend their rights and assert their claims.  Even prisoners are guaranteed meaningful access to law libraries or programs to assist them with preparing filings and pro bono legal assistance.  (BOUNDS v. SMITH, 430 U.S. 817)

Equally as compelling, if not more so, is that statutory language in the Code protects and provides for the funding of these law libraries. (W.V. Code §51-8-8)  In fact, the state law librarian is even charged in the Code with the responsibility of making sure that a copy of the volumes of the West Virginia reports is distributed to the law library in Ohio County.  (W.V. Code §51-8-5)

West Virginia citizens, especially those who are indigent, deserve meaningful access to the law and legal materials in order to insure fair access to the courts.

Stop the closings!

 

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Stop the Closing of West Virginia's Public Law Libraries

Hello,

I just signed the following petition addressed to: Steven D. Canterbury, Administrative Director, West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

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Stop the Closing of West Virginia's Public Law Libraries

This letter is to inform you that we, the undersigned, hold the closing of public law libraries in West Virginia by your office is both unconstitutional and unlawful under West Virginia Code.

The United States Constitution secures one’s rights to access to the courts and equal protection of the laws, and the United States Supreme Court has ruled that access to the courts means meaningful access to adequate law libraries and equal access for those who are indigent or without the means to defend their rights and assert their claims. Even prisoners are guaranteed meaningful access to law libraries or programs to assist them with preparing filings and pro bono legal assistance. (BOUNDS v. SMITH, 430 U.S. 817)

While you cite a lack of use and the advent of the internet, rights should not be diminished for lack of use, nor can all citizens afford internet access, particularly when it comes to accessing legal materials which most often come with hefty subscription fees or user costs.

Equally as compelling, if not more so, is that statutory language in the Code protects and provides for the funding of these law libraries. (W.V. Code §51-8-8) In fact, the state law librarian is even charged in the Code with the responsibility of making sure that a copy of the volumes of the West Virginia reports is distributed to the law library in Ohio County. (W.V. Code §51-8-5)

Therefore, we respectfully demand that, at a minimum, the law libraries referred to at the time the Code went into effect, along with the law library in Ohio County, be kept open or reopened and continued with the funding of the State as provided for in W.V. Code §51-8-8.
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Sincerely,

[Your name]

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