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Recently Available Prisoner Free Exercise Cases

By Howard M. Friedman

In Rivers v. McConnell, (3d Cir., Dec. 17, 2008), the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a frivolous an appeal by a prisoner who claimed, among other things, free exercise violations stemming from action taken against him after he made death threats against county officials in a pleading in a child custody case.

In Roddy v. West Virginia, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 100595, (ND WV, Dec. 11, 2008), a West Virginia federal district judge adopted a magistrate's recommendation that a prisoner's claim be dismissed for failure to exhaust administrative remedies. Plaintiff claimed that certain Native American religious items were seized from him upon entry to prison. The case was on remand from the 4th Circuit. (See prior posting.)

In Rust v. Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Religion Study Commission, 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 100823 (D NE, Dec. 1, 2008), a Nebraska federal district court allowed two prisoners to proceed pro se (but not as class representatives) in their claims that prison officials refused to provide them separate time and space for Theodish worship and failed to provide certain religious items for them.

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