Inmate loses bid for further access to law library

McCamey claimed reduced hours violated rights

An inmate serving a life sentence in the State Correctional Institution at Houtzdale has lost his attempt to gain greater access to the institution's law library, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled Monday.

Patrick McCamey, 46, contended his constitutional right to gain access to the courts was being denied because SCI Houtzdale, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced the number of hours he and other inmates were permitted to use the law library.

He stated he needed more time in the library to prepare his appeal to the murder charge that landed him in prison for the rest of his life.

McCamey claimed his trial attorney was ineffective in preparing the appeal and that he needed "immediate library time."

The institution limited his use of the library to two to four hours a month, which he claimed was "inadequate for him to litigate his appeal."

Commonwealth Courts judges Renee Cohn Jubelirer, Anne E. Covey and Christine Fizzano Cannon concluded although McCamey was limited by the COVID-19 restrictions, he cited no dates that he was denied access and never provided the court with a deadline on which he had to file his appeal.

"Clearly, McCamey's claim stems from his desire to have more time in the law library, which alone is insufficient to state a viable access-to-courts claim." the opinion stated.

The Commonwealth Court emphasized that McCamey is represented in his appeal by an attorney and that his appeal is proceeding through the appeals courts.

McCamey was sentenced to life without parole after being convicted in 2016 for killing a 60-year-old Mercer County man during a home invasion robbery.

He and a co-conspirator were sentenced for the murder.