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| Inmate sues newspaper over subscription woes |
| By The Roanoke Times |
| Published: 03/08/2004 |
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Virginia inmate number 283477 likes his Roanoke Times. So much so that Wakeel Abdul Sabur, also known as Willie Lee Seward, filed a lawsuit in federal court against the newspaper and two circulation department employees named as John and Jane Doe two weeks ago. Sabur, 31, alleged that The Roanoke Times violated his constitutional rights by instructing officials at Red Onion State prison to deny him access to the newspaper unless he pays "the mandatory minimum of $36.00" for an eight-week subscription, according to documents filed in federal court. Sabur described himself as a "loyal customer" dating back to 1998, and wrote that he had received "mail order subscriptions at various payment options." Sabur sought monetary damages of $50 per day he is denied access to the newspaper. He also asked for an injunction against the newspaper so that he be allowed to pay for his subscription according to his ability to pay, according to court documents. Sabur's relationship with The Roanoke Times extends back at least as far as the summer of 1997, when a well-dressed Sabur went on a crime spree, breezed into nearly a dozen downtown businesses - including the newspaper - and stole several people's wallets and credit cards. Sabur was also later convicted and sentenced in 1999 for using a semiautomatic handgun to rob a 7-Eleven on Williamson Road in November 1997. He is scheduled for release in 2052, according to Larry Traylor, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Corrections. Dan Wheeler, circulation director for The Roanoke Times, countered Sabur's allegation that the newspaper had contacted prison officials about Sabur's subscription. "We don't deal with prison officials," Wheeler said. "We deal with the subscriber. If they've got issues with the prison, it's really up to them to resolve that, not us." He estimated that inmates comprise "a handful" of the people who subscribe to The Roanoke Times. |
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