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Recent Prisoner Free Exercise Cases

By Howard M. Friedman

In Hassan v. Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35176 (D AZ, March 9, 2010), an Arizona federal district court permitted an inmate to move ahead with his claim that his free exercise rights were infringed when, in response to demonstrations, officials barred the Muslim chaplain from coming to the jail to lead services.

In Sandeford v. Plummer, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 35044 (ND CA, March 31, 2010), a California federal magistrate judge granted defendants summary judgment in a suit in which a Muslim prisoner alleged denial of an Islamic diet, interference with the observance of Ramadan, failure to provide an imam, and denial of a kufi cap.

In Copeland v. Livingston, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24216 (ED TX, March 12, 2010), a Texas federal district court granted an inmate's motion to reopen a lawsuit alleging that he was forced to worship in a chapel containing Christian icons. In so ruling, the court adopted amended recommendations of a federal magistrate judge (2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 24107, Feb. 10, 2010).

In Wesley v. Muhammad, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 37154 (SD NY, April 13, 2010), a New York federal magistrate judge refused, because of undue delay, to permit a Muslim prisoner to amend his complaint in a suit against city and prison officials complaining that he has not been supplied correctly prepared Halal meals.

In Cable v. Wall, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 37143 (D RI, April 13, 2010), a Rhode Island federal district court adopted a magistrate's recommendations (2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 37176, March 18, 2010) and dismissed some claims but permitted plaintiff to move ahead with claims that he was denied certain Islamic books because his religion was considered a gang.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on April 18, 2010 (boomark / email).