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Recently Available Prisoner Free Exercise Cases

By Howard M. Friedman

In Farnsworth v. Baxter, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69236 (WD TN, Sept. 12, 2008), a Tennessee federal district court rejected claims by a Messianic Jewish prisoner that his rights under RLUIPA were violated when neither the prison chaplain nor a volunteer could conduct Messianic Jewish Sabbath services for him to attend.

In Joshlin v. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69385 (D AZ, July 22, 2008), an Arizona federal district court rejected a prisoner's complaint that his free exercise rights were violated when he was placed in segregation for having dreadlocks, and when authorities refused to provide him with a copy of the Quran or arrange religious visitations. He was told that if he wished to keep his non-pork religious diet, he must cut his hair because his Muslim faith does not prohibit cutting hair

In Stine v. Wiley, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 69699 (D CO, Sept. 16, 2008), a Colorado federal district court accepted a magistrate judge's recommendation to dismiss a prisoner's free exercise complaint that he was not permitted to watch religious television programing.

In Percival v. Office of the Governor, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 70356 (SD TX, Sept. 10, 2008), a Texas federal district court dismissed as frivolous a claim by a Messianic Jewish inmate that requiring him to shave his beard infringed his free exercise rights.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 21, 2008 (boomark / email).