In Reiss v. Stansel, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33280 (D AZ, March 28, 2011), an Arizona federal district court dismissed claims brought against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials who were charged by plaintiff with failing to report to higher officials the failure of employees of a private prison facility to accommodate his request for accommodation of his Jewish religious practices.
Marcusse v. United States, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33786 (WD MI, March 30, 2011) is a suit by a prisoner to set aside her fraud sentence on various grounds. The court rejected her argument that her church had been targeted and that her due process rights were violated by the government's use of terms such as "checkbook church." It reserved judgment on the inmate's argument that jury instructions failed to address her good faith belief about her church's tax exemption.
In Williams v. Beard, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34310 (MD PA, March 30, 2011), a Pennsylvania federal district court rejected a Muslim inmate's complaint regarding Christmas decorations in the prison's multi-faith chapel.
In Banks v. Almazar, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33739 (ND IL, March 30, 2011), two Muslim men who were involuntarily committed to a mental health treatment center claim they were denied access to Jum'ah services, and one of the plaintiffs claims he was denied an adequate diet that met his religious needs. As to most claims, an Illinois federal district court held that there were still factual issues to be determined-- many relating to which defendants were involved-- so that summary judgment was not appropriate. However it did award one plaintiff summary judgment on his claim that his free exercise rights were violated in being denied access to religious services.
In Lowery v. Edmondson, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 33795 (ED OK, March 29, 2011), inmates who are members of the Moorish Science Temple of America complain that the prison's headgear policy discriminates against them by requiring all religious headgear to lay flat on the head, and also complain that they are not permitted to keep their fezzes in their cells. An Oklahoma federal district court dismissed a number of the claims for failure to exhaust administrative remedies, but permitted one plaintiff to move ahead with his claim regarding keeping his fez in his cell and wearing it for religious services.
In Roberts v. Klein, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34053 (D NV, March 22, 2011), a Nevada federal district court permitted a "Black Inmate of Jewish Tenet and Faith" to proceed with his challenge to denying him kosher meals because his Jewish faith was not verified by an outside entity. Plaintiff also claimed that white inmates were not required to have such verification. He was also permitted to move ahead on his claim that black inmates, but not white inmates, of Jewish faith have their work assignments terminated for attending Jewish services.
