No Free Exercise Violation In Police Refusal To Believe AA Members

Williams v. Savage, (D DC, March 10, 2008), is a case described by the D.C. federal district court as an attempt "to make a federal case out of an ordinary car accident ." A police officer investigating an accident refused to listen to plaintiffs' version of events after learning that they were members of Alcoholics Anonymous. Plaintiffs asserted, among other claims, that this violated their free exercise rights. They argued that they "were discriminated against precisely because they were members of AA, which has been recognized as having a religious status." The court, however, rejected the claim, finding that the alleged discrimination imposed only an "inconsequential burden" on plaintiffs' religious practices.