In Muhammad v. County of Marin, 2011 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 7475 (Cal. App., Sept. 29, 2011), a California state appeals court dismissed an inmate's claim that his rights under RLUIPA were violated by a probation report that stated he "converted to the Islamic religion" while previously in prison and had manipulated Islamic religious tenets "into supporting his self involved belief system."
In Murphy v. Lockhart, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113190 (ED MI, Sept. 30, 2011), a Michigan federal district court adopted in part a magistrate's recommendations (2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 115758, Jan. 31, 2011) and rejected an inmate's claim that his free exercise and RLUIPA rights were violated when prison officials refused to deliver a copy of Codex Magica that had been mailed to him because it contains information on how to write letters in code.
In Knight v. Yarborough, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113599 (CD CA, Sept. 30, 2011), a California federal district court adopted a magistrate's recommendations (2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113710, Aug. 22, 2011) and dismissed as moot an inmate's claim that he was prevented from wearing his hair in dreadlocks for religious reasons. The state's grooming policy has since been changed and also plaintiff has been transferred to a different prison.
In Pelzer v. McCall, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 113870 (D SC, Sept. 30, 2011), a South Carolina federal district court adopted a magistrate's recommendations that among other things rejected an inmate's claim that newsletters provided by the prison chaplain's office violated the Establishment Clause. UPDATE: The magistrate's recommendations are at 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 117407, June 29, 2011.
In Cooper v. Evans, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114891 (SD IL, Oct. 5, 2011), an Illinois federal district court rejected a Buddhist inmate's claim regarding "scarring" of his ovo-lacto food tray by including Jello. However he was permitted to move ahead on several claims involving access to a religious diet and use of the prison chapel.
In Halloum v. Ryan, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 114713 (D AZ, Oct. 4, 2011), plaintiff claimed his rights were violated by various limitations on his ability to practice his Muslim religion. An Arizona federal district court dismissed a number of claims, but permitted plaintiff to move ahead on claims of denial of a religious shaving waiver, refusal to distribute a copy of the Qur'an and denial of communal prayer.
In Atkins v. Christiansen, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 110394 (WD MI, Sept. 28, 2011), a Michigan federal district court modified a magistrate's recommendations (2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 115040, June 6, 2011) and dismissed an inmate's claims that his free exercise and RLUIPA rights were violated when he was designated as a member of a Security Threat Group because of his membership in the Nation of Islam. Prison officials said the designation came from the inmate's affiliation with a subversive group known as the "Family."
