Thursday, March 30, 2017

Recent Prisoner Free Exercise Cases

In Crawley v. Parsons, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36572 (WD VA, March 14, 2017), a Virginia federal district court allowed an inmate who was a member of the House of Yahweh faith to move ahead in his suit against the chaplain (but not against others) for failure to grant his request to participate in Passover meals.

In Delk v. Younce, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36581 (WD VA, March 14,2017), a Virginia federal district court dismissed complaints about his religious diet raised by a Wiccan/ Pagan inmate.

In Carter v. Fleming, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36644 (WD VA, March 15, 2017), a Virginia federal district court dismissed a complaint by a Nation of Islam inmate that halal and Kosher foods were served on the regular as well as the Common Fare menu.

In Simpson v. Director., Texas Department of Criminal Justice- Correctional Institutions Division, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 37419 (ED TX, March 16, 2017), a Texas federal district court dismissed a Jewish inmate's complaint that officers confiscated material he used for religious study while searching his housing unit.

In Cochran v. Sherman, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38165 (ED CA, March 15, 2017), a California federal magistrate judge allowed an inmate to move ahead with his claim against two defendants for refusing to allow him to obtain a religious name change.

In Dorsey v. Shearin, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 38483 (D MD, March 17, 2017, a Maryland federal district court refused to dismiss a Native American inmate's complaint regarding the unavailability of religious services to him while in Max II housing.