Prisoner free exercise cases – April 1, 2018

Howard Friedman, Religion Clause

In Clark v. Daddysman, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 47976 (D MD, March 22, 2018), a Maryland federal district court dismissed an inmate’s complaint that his kufi was wrongfully seized.

In Reynolds v. Beasley, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48189 (SD MS, March 23, 2018), a Mississippi federal magistrate judge dismissed an inmate’s complaint that he was not permitted to attend a Jum’ah service.

In Lanahan v. Taller, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 48669 (D MD, March 23, 2018), a Maryland federal district court dismissed a complaint by an involuntarily committed psychiatric patient that he was not permitted to go outside to conduct Native American religious ceremonies.

In Browning v. Pszczolkowski, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49313 (ND WV, March 26, 2018), a West Virginia federal magistrate judge dismissed for failure to exhaust administrative remedies an Orthodox Jewish inmate’s complaint regarding interference with various religious practices– religious holidays, food, religious correspondence course, receipt of tefillin.

In Becker v. Carney, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49590 (WD WA, March 26, 2018), a Washington federal district court adopted a magistrate’s recommendation (2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 49708, Feb. 20, 2018) and dismissed a Muslim inmate’s complaint that he was unable to obtain a religious diet that also met his therapeutic dietary needs.