Howard Friedman, Religion Clause

In Omran v. Prator, (5th Cir., Dec. 30, 2016), the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed dismissal of a suit by a Muslim inmate who was denied halal or kosher food.

In Quezada v. Cate, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 179982 (ED CA, Dec. 28, 2016), a California federal magistrate judge recommended that a House of Yahweh inmate be allowed to move forward only on his equal protection damage claim growing out of the suspension of his access to kosher meals.

In Vance v. Wright, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 82 (D SC, Jan. 3, 2017), a South Carolina federal district court adopted a magistrate’s recommendation (2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 180700, Nov. 29, 2016) and dismissed an inmate’s claim that he had been denied religious material.

In Hale v. Vannoy, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1866 (MD LA, Jan. 4, 2017), a Louisiana federal district court adopted a magistrate’s recommendations (2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 181299, Dec. 16, 2016), and dismissed a claim by an inmate who is a follower of the Nation of Gods and Earths that his request for a religious vegetarian diet was refused.