William McKinney v. Edwin Meese, Attorney General

William A. McKinney, an inmate at the federal penitentiary in Marion, Illinois, was disciplined by prison authorities for killing another inmate. The prison authorities relied on confidential information that they did not disclose to McKinney. He filed suit in federal district court for a writ of habeas corpus, alleging violations of due process. The district court, after examining the confidential material in camera, denied the petition. On appeal, McKinney makes several arguments: that he was entitled to access to the confidential informant material; that the information was obtained in…