Cutter v. Wilkinson

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Cutter v. Wilkinson
6th Cir.
2003); rehearing denied, 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS 4294 (6th Cir., Mar. 3, 2004); cert. granted, 125 S. Ct. 308 (2004)
SubsequentDistrict Court affirmed, 2005 U.S. App. LEXIS 19695 (6th Cir., Sept. 13, 2005)
Holding
Section § 2000cc-1 of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act was not facially unconstitutional but was instead a permissible accommodation of religion under the First Amendment. Sixth Circuit reversed and remanded.
Court membership
Chief Justice
William Rehnquist
Associate Justices
John P. Stevens · Sandra Day O'Connor
Antonin Scalia · Anthony Kennedy
David Souter · Clarence Thomas
Ruth Bader Ginsburg · Stephen Breyer
Case opinions
MajorityGinsburg, joined by unanimous
ConcurrenceThomas
Laws applied
U.S. Const. amend. I; 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc-1 (Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act)

Cutter v. Wilkinson, 544 U.S. 709 (2005), was a

religious
beliefs.

RLUIPA prohibited the

Satanist filed suit.[1]
The men stated in federal district court that prison officials violated RLUIPA by failing to accommodate the inmates' exercise of their "nonmainstream" religions. Prison officials argued that the act "improperly advanced religion and thus violated the First Amendment's establishment clause which prohibited government from making laws "respecting an establishment of religion." The district court had originally rejected that argument and ruled for the inmates. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals had reversed the decision.

Question presented

Did a federal law prohibiting government from burdening prisoners' religious exercise violate the First Amendment's establishment clause?

Decision of the Court

The Court returned a unanimous opinion, written by

RLUIPA made an accommodation allowed by the First Amendment. The Court noted that constitutional problems could arise if RLUIPA were "enforced improperly and religious prisoners received favored treatment, or if religious exercise and security concerns were not properly balanced."[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Johnson, M. Alex (May 31, 2005). "Court upholds prisoners' religious rights". NBC News. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  2. ^ "Cutter v. Wilkinson 544 U.S. 709 (2005)". Oyez. Retrieved October 7, 2013.

External links