RUFUS WEST, Appeal from the United States District
Plaintiff-Appellant, Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
V. No. 11-cv-687-slc
GREGORY GRAMS, et al., Stephen L.
Crocker,
Defendants-Appellees. Magistrate
Judge.
ORDER
Rufus West is a
Wisconsin inmate formerly incarcerated at Columbia Correctional Institution, a maximum-security prison, and currently
incarcerated at Green Bay Correctional Institution. West, who is Muslim and
uses the religious name Mansa Lutalo lyapo, sued members of Columbia's staff
and the Secretary of the Wisconsin
Department of Corrections, seeking damages and injunctive relief for perceived violations of the First Amendment, see 42
U.S.C. § 1983, and the Religious Land Use and
Institutionalized Persons Act, see 42
U.S.C. § 2000cc-1. First, he alleged, over a multi-year period staff impeded his free exercise
of religion by canceling Islamic services at
Columbia when Muslim staff or outside volunteers were unavailable to lead the services, rather than allowing services to proceed
with inmate leaders. Second, West asserted, after
he complained that his evening meal was being delivered too late for him to break his Ramadan fast right at sunset, Columbia staff
retaliated by scheduling meal delivery during
Ramadan at the latest possible hour. A magistrate judge, presiding by consent, granted the defendants' motion for summary
judgment. Because a finder of fact could not
reasonably conclude from West's evidence that the defendants burdened his religious exercise under the First Amendment or
retaliated against him because of protected speech, we affirm the dismissal of
his constitutional claims. But we disagree with the magistrate judge's
conclusion that West's transfer to Green Bay mooted his RLUIPA claim, and on
that claim we remand for further proceedings. To Continue click here…….
Case won:
explanation of case by court
court of Appeals final judgement April 22, 2015
https://ffupstuff.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/west-judgement
below are links to certificate for Edgewood College penpal program participation and letter from correspondent.
