Thompson v. Campbell

SUTTON, Circuit Judge.

Harold Thompson is a Tennessee prison inmate, a self-proclaimed anarchist, and an inventive litigant. In December 2000, he sued several Tennessee prison officials under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, challenging the validity of several prisoner-mail policies adopted by the State of Tennessee, including most notably the State’s policy of withholding incoming mail from “anarchist” organizations. Thompson claims that this policy suppresses communication in violation of the First (and Fourteenth) Amendment and denies him meaningful access to the courts in violation of the Fourteenth…